Pact Sets Rail Workers' Hours

The nation’s largest railroads have forged a plan with unions to reduce worker fatigue by giving employees rest periods and more regular work schedules.

The agreement was reached in mid-March between the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which negotiates labor agreements for most U.S. railroads, and the two major rail operating unions, the United Transportation Union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

All sides hailed the pact as a major breakthrough to eliminate chronic worker fatigue, which has raised safety concerns on the rails for many years.

Trucking also has been wrestling with the same issue in regards to driver fatigue.

Walter B. McCormick Jr., president of American Trucking Associations, has said he will urge reforming hours-of-service regulations for truckers based on the latest fatigue research (3-1, p. 1).

Railroad worker fatigue came under particular scrutiny in the last two years, after the merger of Union Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific led to widespread freight delays and safety problems, many of which were blamed on tired workers.

The railroad Hours of Service Act retains much of the original language from when it was enacted in 1907. It limits train crews to 12 hours of work with 10 hours off between shifts. If employees work less than 12 hours, they must get eight hours off.

Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the current hours-of-service rules for the rail industry were simplistic and not based on current science when he testified in 1998 before the House Railroad Subcommittee, which was considering new railroad safety legislation.

Edward R. Hamberger, president of the Association of American Railroads, said this agreement solves those problems without the need for federal intervention.

The new fatigue guidelines involve Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation and Conrail, which will be split up by Norfolk Southern and CSX later this year. The companies will establish committees made up of labor and management representatives to implement the rules.

The guidelines include:

Developing regular schedules for pool employees. A majority of work schedules are based on a pool system that often gives employees unpredictable hours.

Guaranteeing at least eight hours of undisturbed rest after a shift before workers are given their next assignment. Current federal fatigue regulations require at least eight hours off, but many times crew members are disturbed by calls for their next assignment during their rest period.

Arranging for “timely transportation” home for those who work the maximum number of hours and establishing a toll-free hot line to report transportation problems.

Creating minimum standards for the lodging of workers away from their home terminals.

Making sure that workers given three-day compensated leave are not required to start again before 7 a.m.

For the full story, see the April 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.