BETTER NOT START A FAMILY.

That's the somewhere-between-realistic-and-cynical advice people hiring out at the BNSF Railway sometimes hear.  When the house organ for rail management pays attention, there might be something to it. ‘At What Point is This Not Worth It?’  The Surface Transportation Board has asked for public comment on working life on the rails.

As the spouse of an engineer, I would like to specifically speak to issues of recruiting and retaining employees.

My husband was hired 10 years ago. At that time and up until Feb. 1, 2022, he was afforded five (5) weekdays and two (2) weekend days [off] per month. He did not have scheduled days off or a schedule to know when he was going to go to work. While this arrangement is unconventional for most, we were able to live a life where my husband could be an active participant. We would plan ahead for birthdays, parent/teacher conferences, appointments, or a mid-week outing with our children. When BNSF came out with the “High Impact Day” policy, we shifted our planning and hoped that maybe he would hit RISA, an allocation for a vacation or PL (Personal Leave) day may be available, and he avoided taking off most days identified as “High Impact.” Again, this isn’t conventional, but when my husband was hired, we knew that he would miss some events, and we created our own traditions.

Between the corona shutdowns, the so-called right-sizing of the railroads (something that's thirty plus years in the making) and the conversion of railroads into scheduled conveyor belts, something has to give.

For decades, Class I railroads have cut their labor force in an effort to increase profits for shareholders. With the strain of a global pandemic, a more restrictive attendance policy was implemented. Since then, approximately 1,000 TY&E employees have resigned. Class I railroads have created this labor shortage themselves, which negatively impacts the supply chain. This is not a new issue; this is the direct result of years of implementing PSR and trying to cut every bit of fat from their companies, and now they are cutting the muscle. Now, Class I railroads wonder why current employees, who had every intention of staying for 30 years, are leaving, and there aren’t people lining up to take their place. There is not a shortage of people willing to work; there is a shortage of people willing to work for companies that do not care for and about their employees. Mental health matters, fatigue and rest matter, customer service matters, the safety of crews and communities matter.

In the words of Railway Age editor William C. Vantuono, there's something happening here. "The increasing number of comments being filed with the STB by rail employees suggests some coordination or urging by the BLET and SMART-TD, [two labor organizations -- Ed.] but they are not form letters and read like individualized assessments, making them more grassroots than Astroturf."

Sooner or later, the Smart People in Headquarters downsize a little too far.