pH Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Another result of Hunter Harrison's management at Canadian Pacific - http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/news/blog.html?b=business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/the-other-side-of-hunter-harrisons-cp-legacy-white-collar-workers-driving-trains&pubdate=2017-02-18 . Actually, if you read the article, there's only a very small percentage of trains being worked by 'management' staff, but interesting that it's happening at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-59 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 I remember reading a profile of Harrison in Trains or somewhere when he was CEO of CN. It had a story about how one night Harrsion noticed a part of the railroad was backing up, so he took over for the dispatcher and sorted out the mess him self. This type of program of having management trained for train crew and other usually union positions has been one of Harrsion's hallmarks. He always presents it as a way to have the professional staff better understand the working of railroad, but as the article gets that it's also a way to leverage unions by having a work force ready to take their jobs if they don't argee to cuts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Bear Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 but as the article gets that it's also a way to leverage unions by having a work force ready to take their jobs if they don't argee to cuts. Maybe Southern/DfT will try this?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Wasn't that one of the features when the Manchester Metrolink (trams) first started, that managers were trained as tram drivers and took regular turns in the cab ? Presumably intended more as a way of keeping in touch with the reality of the operation, rather than as potentially strike-breaking, given that the number of managers involved (as pH says) would be small and only able to maintain a skeleton service ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Wasn't that one of the features when the Manchester Metrolink (trams) first started, that managers were trained as tram drivers and took regular turns in the cab ? Presumably intended more as a way of keeping in touch with the reality of the operation, rather than as potentially strike-breaking, given that the number of managers involved (as pH says) would be small and only able to maintain a skeleton service ? I was involved in testing Tramlink when the first tram arrived, 18 months or so before passenger service. At that time all the "drivers" were the future management team. Particularly in a smallish operation it makes sense to have the management qualified as drivers so they can cover for sick leave etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulzer27jd Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 it's also a way to leverage unions by having a work force ready to take their jobs if they don't argee to cuts. In other words, employing SCABs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 sulzer27jd, on 19 Feb 2017 - 15:26, said:sulzer27jd, on 19 Feb 2017 - 15:26, said:In other words, employing SCABs. Easy to say. Not necessarily so easy for the (usually junior) manager involved to do anything about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parthia27 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Wherever I've seen Managers deputise for train crew be it for genuine reasons or to strike break there have been significant safety concerns or incidents that have happened that could have caused major ir issues. There is no way that you can give managers the operational and physical experience required to safely operate rail vehicles safely unless they are supervised closely by experienced blue collar staff. The mention of Hunter Harrison and use of white collar drivers had zero to do with operational flexibility and more to do with his determination to break unionised labour at CP and don't be surprised to see the tactic used again at CSX if they are desperate enough to take him on. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 In other words, employing SCABs.If they aren't in the union, they are only sort of scabs. After all , on the railways if one union is on strike, are the workers who belong to another union scabs?In my place, many of the senior management are in the same union as the rest of us, I would imagine it make for weird union Vs company meetings Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-59 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 Maybe Southern/DfT will try this?! I'm not really up to speed on that labor dispute or British labor law and train operating law in general, but I am kinda surprised Southern hasn't tried it. Another American example of this was during the Rock Island's long spiral towards liquidation, the train crew unions went on strike. The railroad was run with all management crews, and was actually better for it as they only had enough people to run the trains which were actually making money. The strike ended when President Carter took an interasting in making sure Iowa farmers were able to ship their grain. Iowa of course hosts the first Presidential Primary and Carter was facing serious opposition from Ted Kennedy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/09/21/carter-orders-end-to-railroad-strike/b54e1058-7798-4d9f-aa40-e95c7580869b/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted February 19, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2017 Hope that idiot Peter Wilkinson doesn't read that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted February 19, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 19, 2017 Quite a lot of industries and companies expect managerial staff to be capable of doing shop floor work. Normally it is more about management understanding what they're managing and it also tends to be gain the respected of shop floor staff if they know management can work at the coal face if necessary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted February 19, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2017 In the old days when management had come up through the ranks we had a lot more respect for them (apart from those who had only been promoted to get them out of the way) Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 I'm not really up to speed on that labor dispute or British labor law and train operating law in general, but I am kinda surprised Southern hasn't tried it. Southern run* 2284 train services per weekday, I doubt they have anywhere near the number of managers to make any impact. (*That's the plan anyhow...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Workplace flexibility is all well and good but with Harrison it's all about union busting. Cheers, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I have worked as an engineer, conductor or switchman a couple times in years past to run trains during strikes on the railroad or at a specific industry (where railroad workers wouldn't enter the plant to switch). I have met some CP managers and was amazed that they can get away with using managers on train crews on a regular basis. We could never get away with that. The only times I have ever seen management crews used on my railroad in the last 20 years was in cases of natural disasters (regular crews couldn't get to work because of hurricanes) and then for a very limited time during the SP merger (required agreement with the unions, was for a very limited area for a very limited time, until regular crews could be sourced or trained). I rather doubt that that Harrison's approach would fly in the US because of our labor laws and contracts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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