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1.5 hours on the picket line with CN rail workers and my train knowledge has gone from 0 to a solid 6.5 
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for instance, now i know the very basic fact that train conductors do not, in fact, drive the same train all the way across the country.
and that inter-modal trains are the ones with shipping containers which are usually packed with stuff for stores like Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire. these trains are lighter and usually reap the highest profits and can accelerate faster than other trains.
AND i learned that engineers drive the trains but conductors are ultimately responsible for the train, and there& #39;s usually just one engineer and one conductor per train.
i learned that it& #39;s not as common for people to just hop onto trains as the movies would have us believe, BUT that if you absolutely had to hop on a moving train the intermodal ones are the ones you wanna go for bc they& #39;ll usually have platforms for you to sit.
i learned that conductors will work 90 fucking hours a week, and that& #39;s on the LOW END. many will work 100+ hours a week.
i learned that conductors can often get called into work at any time with only two hours notice before they have to be at their train.
i learned that in the past 2 years, there have been 9 fatigue-related deaths among train conductors between both CP and CN rail.
i also learned that the retention rate for the job is hella low. 1 out of approximately 20 who go through the training will actually stay in the job for more than a couple years.
the workers guessed a retention rate ~ 7%
the workers guessed a retention rate ~ 7%
i learned that the hours are so unpredictable that it& #39;s almost impossible for many of them to establish an even somewhat regular sleep schedule.
they might get home by 5 pm one evening but then get called into work at 7 pm the next day.
they might get home by 5 pm one evening but then get called into work at 7 pm the next day.
unlike other shift workers who might regularly work night-shifts and be able to sleep during the day, they don& #39;t have the luxury of any regular routine.
alright i& #39;m cheating on these next ones because they& #39;re on a brochure they gave me:
- in 2016, Transport Canada put & #39;train crew fatigue& #39; on its list watchlist of unresolved safety issues. 4 years later and it& #39;s still on there.
- in 2016, Transport Canada put & #39;train crew fatigue& #39; on its list watchlist of unresolved safety issues. 4 years later and it& #39;s still on there.
- work rest rules for railway employees have not been changed since 2002 (!!!) despite massive advancements in fatigue science which have shown what rail workers already know— that they& #39;re tired as shit and it& #39;s dangerous for them to operate trains weighing 400,000+ lbs
- in Edmonton, the average conductor is away from their family and friends for over 90 hours a week.
- CN can afford to provide their workers with DECENT working conditions. they reported close to $4 billion in their last quarter alone, which is an all-time record for them.
- CN can afford to provide their workers with DECENT working conditions. they reported close to $4 billion in their last quarter alone, which is an all-time record for them.
- recently, CN said they& #39;d be laying off 1,400 workers in Canada due to "financial restraints" despite the fact that they just posted record earnings and increased revenue by 11%
i.e. just like every other massive corporation, CN is more concerned about stashing away billions overseas than they are about providing their workers with a decent quality of life.
