Re: (erielack) Anniversary

[Smtimko_@_aol.com]

Ed and listers.........
 
An issue that had much more lasting effects on the EL people than the  actual 
Conrail Day 1 was the seniority issue for trainmen and to somewhat of a  
lesser degree, the engineers.
 
I don't profess to be an expert on the dates or the actual agreement(s) but  
when Conrail started closing yards and consolidating terminal operations, the  
job selections went to an Order Selection list.  It had nothing to do with  
the actual physical location of the yard, but the area in which it was  located.
 
For instance, the EL yard at Niles, Ohio was closed as was the PC (PRR)  yard 
and Goodman Yard at Lordstown was the consolidated terminal.  EL crews  had 
certain picks or order of selection for certain jobs as did the PC  crews.
 
Brier Hill and NK Yards were closed in Youngstown, the PC yards at Mcguffey  
Street was closed and everything was consolidated into the former PC Haselton  
Yard.  The consolidated terminal included the former EL Ferrona Yard.   There 
was an order of selection for the jobs in the Youngstown Consolidated  
Terminal.  Youngstown went something like this:  (Don't hold me to it,  but I 
believe this is correct). 1.  Former EL Ferrona Yard, 2 Former NYC  Yard, 3 Former 
EL Road, 4 Former PRR yard, 5 Former Brier Hill Yard.  If  you had the former 
(Prior Rights) seniority, you could pick a job as defined  above.
 
A 40 year vet of PRR could bid and be awarded job 1, (former EL Ferrona  
Yard), but he could be bumped off by a former EL Yard switchman with three years  
seniority!  This resulted in very mixed feelings between crew members in a  
terminal, a headache for the local supervision, a nightmare for Labor Relations  
and a mountain of paperwork and timeslips for T&E Payroll  verification.  
Also, it resulted in the Local Chairman not being able to  satisfy anyone.  
Thirty years ago this month, the EL crews in Youngstown,  Ferrona and Niles 
probably had 20 yard jobs a day and the PRR probably had about  8-10.
 
Because of this order of selection process and the Prior Right rosters,  many 
EL trainman from Brier Hill ended up working for years and years in such  
places as Oak Island, Altoona and New Haven.  I don't believe that the EL  guys 
ever received their original seniority date back until Conrail was  dissolved.  
 
While the basics of the above is correct, some of the minor details may not  
be and I invite corrections and/or additions from some of the former Local  
Chairmen that are on the list.
 
SMT


	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	Sponsored by the ELH&TS
	http://www.elhts.org

------------------------------