According to the latest announcement, effective January 15, 2021 the agreement professional Crew Dispatchers in CMS will report to Train Dispatchers. Dispatchers will be trained to be responsible for hiring, promotion interviews, and discipline processes for CMS agreement professionals. They will also review crew dispatcher performance. Thats rich content.
Lets look at things further:
- If a person is a manager and has direct reports they can't become union. The UP knows they have upset the remaining train dispatchers and to keep the union out they are making this arrangement by changing the train dispatcher jobs functions from an operations role to a managerial role. Whether you agree with union representation or not isn't the point. They are now making it impossible if you should ever feel you need a collective bargaining agreement.
- Since it appears they are short handed after the layoffs, resignations, and COVID absences this could be their way around the dispatcher hours of service regulations. Why work someone 8 hours when you can work them 12 hours and use less people to do the job? Don't think its a far fetched idea.
One thing to consider though. UP has gotten away with misclassifying train dispatchers as managers for years. How many direct reports have you had as a train dispatcher? None. To be a manager you have to have direct reports. Each state has its own labor laws concerning this. If the state does not have its own law they follow the national law. Do your own research and look up NE, TX, CA, IL, KS/MO labor laws concerning this subject. What this means is the train dispatchers should have been paid hourly rather than salary, as well as compensated for overtime. It would be worth looking into for anyone who thinks they are due additional compensation for overtime they worked beyond 40 hours per week. As an example, during your career how many work weeks went over 40 hours while you sat waiting for your relief to attend a long, drawn out S&C meeting? Lets not forget the meaningless 40 minute town halls. This is something to think about and 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there could easily add up over the course of 10-20 years. The other railroads have it in an agreement as to how they compensate train dispatchers for anything over 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours per week. There is a reason for this and its not just because they are union.
It sounds like dispatching jobs are already maxed out. Adding another dimension of responsibilities not associated with the duties of a train dispatcher is reckless and compromises safety.
Good luck, you'll need it.