CSX terminates 100 jobs in Cumberland, Maryland; 5/11/18

MAJOR BUMMER - The human toll of downsizing!

Well, both BNSF and UP are hiring, and even offering bonuses for folks willing to relocate to many of their big locomotive facilities.

Follow Horace Greeley's advice!

The West is hiring, the East is the opposite.  Will the Eastern roads go down to the point we will be hearing the "M" word? (Merger.)

Dominic Mazoch posted:

The West is hiring, the East is the opposite.  Will the Eastern roads go down to the point we will be hearing the "M" word? (Merger.)

Why would the Surface Transportation Board allow poorly managed eastern railroads to merge?

Also, for what it's worth, the STB demanded reports on their performance from all the class 1 railroads, quite some weeks ago, due to so many shipper complaints. Surprisingly, the two worst railroads were: the UP and and NS! 

Sorry.  I was refering to East-West mergers.

UP is even running radio ads for locomotive engineers in the Denver market.

Actually; NS is recruiting conductors right now; so the push for more people is not limited to the western roads.  It is my understanding NS plans to hire something like 1400 new conductors this year.

With regard to Borden’s comment about folks in Cumberland likely not finding employment in western Maryland; that is the unfortunate reality anymore.  Many of us have had to leave our home areas to secure work and pursue a career.  I left central Pennsylvania 40+ years ago for that reason and have had to relocate multiple times for work over the course of my career.  As an old boss once told me, “ya do what ya gotta do”.

Curt

Chuck Sartor posted:

UP is even running radio ads for locomotive engineers in the Denver market.

Seeing as Colorado has legalized "weed"... I'm going to use great personal discipline and not make a snide comment as to why they're in such need in Denver.

IF I were young and getting a chance to start over on a RR career, I always thought that I would enjoy being in a Rocky Mountain-type setting. The experiences I've had mountain RR-ing here in the Ozarks and Ouachita "mountains" (sort of tame compared to the Rockies), I find mountain RR-ing more challenging and interesting compared to the flatland railroads I've worked over the years.

Ah well... I ain't young no more!!

Andre

Boy I could make a posting but it would be deleted!

According to local news in Cumberland, assistance to the affected employees will be available from county and state resources. It is recognized that the Cumberland area has little to offer for replacement jobs, these RR shop craft positions had some of the highest pay rates for blue-collar workers in the county.

A few lucky ones may be able to latch on with NS in Altoona (60 miles north), but most will probably be advised to seek work in either Hagerstown (60 miles east), or Frederick (80 miles), the closest cities in Maryland to Cumberland.
As the economy in Western Maryland has declined over 40+ years, several generations have had to trade long commutes east to maintain their mountain lifestyle.
Like Juniata Guy, I too had to leave to find more suitable work, its been 35 years since I left the Cumberland area.

Was in Cumberland about 15 years ago, for a David Goodheart charter on the WM Scenic RY. At the hotel where we stayed, ran into a group of young men - perhaps 30 in number - in training to become CSX engineers. How times and fortunes have changed for people - - - and companies.