TRNN viewers may remember a recent interview we published at the beginning of February in which Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez spoke with retired railway engineer Jeff Kurtz about a US District Court blocking railroad workers at BNSF Railway from striking over the recent implementation of an oppressive new attendance policy. Even if the story has faded from the headlines, the struggles railroad workers are facing have not gone away in the slightest, and workers and their families have reported that BNSF’s “Hi-Viz” policy has been a disaster for them and for the railroad industry. In this crucial follow-up report, Alvarez speaks with Jeff Kurtz and Ron Kaminkow of Railroad Workers United about what workers have been going through since the implementation of this new attendance policy and what can be done about it.
Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor. Ron Kaminkow is currently serving as General Secretary of Railroad Workers United. Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, he served as President of AFSCME Local 634 in Madison, WI. In 2005, Kaminkow helped to found Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU), an RWU predecessor. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer for Conrail and later NS in Chicago, he formerly worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee and Chicago. He currently is working as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, NV, where he is the Vice President of BLET Local 51.
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
As a former freight conductor, these guys are spot on with employees problems with the railroads. Employees are no longer interested in a life long career, but are looking for the closest jumping off point beneficial to them. Railroads are only interested in treating their railroad as a cash cow, siphoning off as much profit as possible, including reducing all expenses into areas that are hazardous to their existence. Employees have begun to be treated worse than farm animals beginning in the last 6 to 7 years. Railroads like to pat themselves on the back about how family oriented they are when worker divorce rates are 50 percent or worse due to lack of appearance at home for family time. Truth is, inspite of railroads being a lifeline for American goods, they are like any other business and can adopt policies to go out of business at any point they desire. So I say to them, keep up what you're doing and join Bud Light, Disney, Target, etc. that don't care about their employees or customers!
Nationalize the railways NOW!!! Put scum like Keith Creel in prison.
Our son has worked for BNSF for years and he is so sick of the way he and his fellow employees are being treated. It's like they are less than human. The management has no concern for the people who actually get the trains from point A to point B. He's put so many years into his career he's trying to hang on, hoping it will get better.
Biden fucked over the working class
So the Leftist courts and the Leftist administration who preach helping the worker, the little guy and unions aren't showing much support. Is there any wonder we are now having so many railroad problems? Derailments, fire, track issues, likely due to overworked workers.
It would be prison time they believe we are all their slaves , the police unions are running the country
I just happened to come across this and I had been laid off months ago and wanted to try something different, and I always liked trains so I started to look at what railroad jobs were available. I was surprised at just how many jobs were available. So I looked at what was involved, and then I understood! These jobs really sucked! These guys are right. Your just a pawn they keep Somwereon around the Routt until they need you. I started reading reviews from people who work for this company and they j
Aha!! Their timetable to heighten human demoralization is progressing according to plan💯😊
This is insane. We need to nationalize our rail system.
Thankyou for this conversation. I love where these men are coming from. We need to rethink the system for sure!
It affects more than just BNSF, it affects ALL class 1 railroads. CSX,NS,KCS and BNSF.
The audio on the white bearded guy is terrible
Why not just quit also I just Google the pay of a railroad worker and it's about 18 dollars per hour. I am just an operator running a milk filler machine and it start at 20 per hour and I hardly have to do any work besides just making sure the machine run. 8 hour days plus all the benefits
I say strike anyways and fuck the court and be lazy workers not really doing shit
Fuck the court and strike anyways
America has no time for the railways anymore, probably because China is so successful at it and they can’t do anything about this now.
How does a judge get involved in a work situation? Without employees giving consent?
Even air crew are compensated for being away from home!
39 years to he RR. pitiful job, there is no way i would want one of my kids to follow. ps. im 5th generation RR worker . Locomotive engineer long haul for 39 years.
But compared to dentistry, working on the railroad is paradise. As a dentist, working on the railroad in comparison to being a hated dentist is heaven on earth. I would love to be an engineer. To go days without being hated would be paradise.
Great point about off time , when you're put up in a hotel or on call for any position. This should be compensated.