Superliner Diner
Conductor
June 13, 2005.
Dear Amtrak Co-workers,
Let me address two subjects that were in the news last week. First, progress is being made on the Acela problem and there’s reason to
believe that the manufacturer will have approved brake rotors soon. This means we may have the first of the trains coming back next month; but only gradually. When we have a real operating plan in place, I will let you know.
Some of you have told me you were surprised by the congressional hearing last week on the subject of Amtrak’s food and beverage service. While some of the criticism about our food service is fair, some of the testimony by JayEtta Hecker of the GAO was false, and Bill Crosbie did a nice rebuttal job at the hearing. At the suggestion of several employees, I’ve asked that the GAO’s testimony and a strictly factual rebuttal be sent to you. Look for it shortly.
Nevertheless, there are some things that we are doing to better manage our food and beverage costs. First and foremost, the current contract is a bad one, and it’s not going to be renewed as it is.
But front-line employees can help decrease our losses. Too often I hear that cafés are not opening for the first 30 minutes of a trip or closing early, and especially around meal times that can mean hundreds of dollars in sales.
Let me also ask that conductors and LSAs remember to make announcements about the café car — we want to encourage sales, and every little effort helps.
I was saddened by the GAO’s intimation that food service can be delivered by employees making minimum wage. That kind of talk is unfair to our employees. They don’t know what they are talking about.
Ignore comments like that. Continue to do your job well, treat our passengers with respect and kindness and see to it they have an enjoyable trip.
Sincerely,
/s/ David L. Gunn
Dear Amtrak Co-workers,
Let me address two subjects that were in the news last week. First, progress is being made on the Acela problem and there’s reason to
believe that the manufacturer will have approved brake rotors soon. This means we may have the first of the trains coming back next month; but only gradually. When we have a real operating plan in place, I will let you know.
Some of you have told me you were surprised by the congressional hearing last week on the subject of Amtrak’s food and beverage service. While some of the criticism about our food service is fair, some of the testimony by JayEtta Hecker of the GAO was false, and Bill Crosbie did a nice rebuttal job at the hearing. At the suggestion of several employees, I’ve asked that the GAO’s testimony and a strictly factual rebuttal be sent to you. Look for it shortly.
Nevertheless, there are some things that we are doing to better manage our food and beverage costs. First and foremost, the current contract is a bad one, and it’s not going to be renewed as it is.
But front-line employees can help decrease our losses. Too often I hear that cafés are not opening for the first 30 minutes of a trip or closing early, and especially around meal times that can mean hundreds of dollars in sales.
Let me also ask that conductors and LSAs remember to make announcements about the café car — we want to encourage sales, and every little effort helps.
I was saddened by the GAO’s intimation that food service can be delivered by employees making minimum wage. That kind of talk is unfair to our employees. They don’t know what they are talking about.
Ignore comments like that. Continue to do your job well, treat our passengers with respect and kindness and see to it they have an enjoyable trip.
Sincerely,
/s/ David L. Gunn