Railroad’s outdated practice
You may have seen a television advertisement aired by Norfolk Southern Railroad. It appeared recently on national TV, directed at the general public in an effort to boost the public’s perception of the company. The commercial featured flashy video images of whisking trains and a voice-over stating that NS has made positive changes, bringing about innovation through stream-lined routes and improved service. The theme of the commercial is to suggest that NS and innovation are synonymous.
In the process of making such changes, NS has left behind its employees of the maintenance of way department.
These dedicated and hardworking employees maintain and construct the railroad track and bridges that NS operates.
NS insists on warehousing these men and women in camp cars (tin tenements that are stacked on rail flat cars). As many as eight employees share communal living quarters with a single shower and toilet, which is often an outhouse. Worse, the company provides meals at the camp cars that are high in fat content and low in overall quality. Both practices are equally unacceptable by today’s standard of living.
Norfolk Southern is the single railroad in the United States that continues to make use of this archaic and repressive system.
Its rail competitors such as CSX have voluntarily discontinued camp car living and eating, replacing them with hotel lodging and meal per diem allowance.
Aside from the obvious quality of life improvements, the other railroads have found the alternative to camp cars makes good business sense.
While innovation may have taken place in some segments of NS, it is certainly not the case here. To the contrary, this harmful and outdated practice has continued.
The innovation that is needed here is quite simple – end the use of camp cars. Until such time as NS acts in this responsible manner, it cannot be regarded as innovator and industry leader.
Don Tredent
The writer is vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees.
Disgusted by politicians
I am saddened to watch two desperate Washington County politicians dishonor our brave men and women who fought for our freedoms and made America great. Shame on Bracken Burns and Larry Maggi who would use the veterans of Washington County as pawns in their pathetic race for county commissioner.
As for Lew Irwin, Larry Maggi’s stepbrother, I hope that as a professor at Duquesne University teaching political science that he does not teach the same dirty politics to his students that he practices.
People are fired every day in private business for not doing their jobs or missing too much work and no one hears much about it. Why would Bracken Burns make such a big deal of the firing of a temporary employee?
Phil Podrosky
Scenery Hill