haolerider said:
The major issue is going to be how are the employees going to react to this? Are they going to embrace the Diner Lite concept? Probably not. There have already been comments on this forum about not co-operating - people anxious for furlough, etc.
We know that the number of employees will be decreased - which is the whole point of this experiment. If the Amtrak on-board staff have pride in their work, they will make this work - if not, it will be another failure - but you can't keep blaming the failures on management decsions - there is a responsibility for the front line staff to implement these programs properly.
We shall see what happens.
I must challenge you here with these statements!
First off, allow me to explain to you just how the RR works! The very folks who will adapt to the change from traditional diner service to the new diner lite WILL MOSTLY ALL BE FURLOUGHED! The ones who are less likely to change and embrace the new concept are those (with a few exceptions) who have been around for years and years and so on! In other words the beauty of "seniority!" It sometimes isn't a good thing as I believe will be part of the case here regarding who will be left.
If I make it, and I don't wind up out on furlough, I will do my best to make it work! After all when I tell passengers "I only work here, but I will do what I can do" I mean it! I will do my job, and do it well! And if Amtrak doesn't need me, I'll take my experience elsewhere and do the same.
Reading these statements leads me to believe you may not necessarily see the big picture from my (as well as most of my fellow coworkers) point of view. Why should I embrace the new system when I KNOW personally it will be detrimental in the long run? I WILL because it is my job and I have enough "pride" to do it right! Personally, yes I would rather be furloughed and not have to deal with it because (other than easier meal times and other examples) I don't believe the passengers will be very happy when it comes down to it. So I want to let Amtrak make that decision right now, and that is why I stand where I do regarding furlough simply because I pretty much know that will be my case. I still have little room to be wrong, but I know the facts. Before I pick on management in the next paragraph, I want you to know there are plenty of middle management who don't like the new ideas too. They too, know what the potential outcome is.
I recently PMed you regarding the FAILURES of management. I used to be one, and I am not stupid. Most of these managers are not making RR decisions. The pure and simple fact is you are correct we can't just sit back and blame only the management! But we must realize management has "the" harder job to do, and because everything falls back on management in general, going on my management experiences in the past, this RR appears to be on a fast track to failure! It is because the management either wants it that way, doesn't care, or they are simply (as I and trainboy have stated in the past) doing what they are told by the board, and the goverment, which IMHO is the case here! We also have to remember that "crap" rolls downhill in the long run! It goes back up, too but the majority of it comes down. I will tell you for one thing, there WON'T be any management jobs cut! They will only be moved somewhere else, which is only the case for a limited number of front line employees! Once all those jobs are taken, then the ones who are left will be...... uh yeah.
But anyway, what y'all are going to see in the coming year or so is the future of passenger rail. By law this year is the dining car services, and by next year is the sleeping car services! Yes, sorry folks they are next!!! Our national rail passenger network will be coach and business class style trains (with the exception of a couple long distance trains such as Auto Train) period! Which case in point, is better than nothing at all! I am all for it if it saves passenger rail. In all my postings, when I type specifically the phrase "I HOPE I AM WRONG," I am actually hoping I am wrong about the agenda the administration, Congress, and the Amtrak board have for Amtrak. But sadly, I can't see it yet if I am.
Trainboy325, please add to this when you can. Hope you had a good trip home. Back to work now, sir. OBS...
