November 3rd, 2010 | 
Author: BAKERSFIELD, CA – BNSF Railway Co’s. proposal to transfer about 100 Bakersfield employees to the Barstow area could be devastating for many workers and their families. That is why Union leaders and members are opposing the transfer with fierce resistance.
“This bomb was dropped on us about three weeks ago with no advance warning. We were completely blindsided,” said Daryl Smith, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, division No. 739.
Consolidating operations in Barstow will increase efficiency, BNSF said. Trains remained at the Barstow terminal for an average of 35 hours last week, compared with an average of 24 hours systemwide, according to BNSF figures.
Company spokeswoman Lena Kent said it’s not clear yet how many employees in all would be affected by the consolidation, nor could she immediately say how many employees the company has in Bakersfield.
BNSF’s Barstow operation now employs about 1,000 people, but that would swell significantly under a plan that would move in employees from Bakersfield, Los Angeles and Needles.
Informal discussions with some of the roughly 70 union members in Bakersfield haven’t unearthed a single person who thinks moving to Barstow is a good idea, Smith said.
“Morale is terrible. There’s a lot of anxiety and depression that makes it really hard to focus on our jobs,” he said.
While the terminal here would not close, it no longer would be a “home terminal” for operating crews, Kent said.
The company said it doesn’t know yet how many Bakersfield employees would remain if the consolidation is implemented.
“It’s really, really early in the process,” Kent said. “The next step is to sit down with the unions, which we’re certainly going to do.”
Union officials said their members are stunned.
Read Full Article at Bakersfield.com.
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Published by FELA lawyer news blog at Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP
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