A look at LIRR union work rules
LIRR workers on the tracks in Manhattan. Credit: LIRR
Co-mingling
Cost to LIRR, 2010: $744,159
Origin: Mid-1960s
Description: An engineer operates both diesel and electric equipment during a single tour of duty.
Example: An engineer begins his day operating a diesel locomotive, but it malfunctions. The nearest piece of equipment available for the engineer to complete his trip is a "dual mode" diesel/electric locomotive. The engineer is assigned to switch trains.
Penalty: One extra day's pay.
What the LIRR has done: The rule forces the LIRR "to have more engineers than we would otherwise need" and restricts the railroad's ability, as necessary, to move around engineers -- who are qualified to operate all kinds of trains. In some cases, the LIRR has added a second engineer to some trains in case an equipment change is necessary. Also, at some facilities, it has restricted the availability of more than one kind of locomotive.
Second class of service
Cost to LIRR, 2010: $685,569
Origin: 1924
Description: A train crew crosses "classes of service" during a single tour of duty. Classes of service include passenger, freight, yard and hostler. Hostlers are workers who move trains from one track to another within a rail yard.
Example: A passenger train scheduled to provide eastbound rush-hour service breaks down on its way to Penn Station. In order to provide the scheduled eastbound train, the LIRR calls upon a train crew working in a yard to operate a passenger train.
Penalty: An engineer gets an extra day's pay. A conductor and assistant conductor each get a half-day's extra pay.
What the LIRR has done: The LIRR's overtime task force meets regularly to review claims; occasionally, claims are challenged and then go through an appeals process. The railroad says the rule "restricts its ability to operate as efficiently as possible" and means it must employ more people than it needs.
Outside of assignment
Cost to LIRR, 2010: $367,365
Origin: 1924
Description: An engineer operates a train other than that originally assigned to him during a tour of duty.
Example: An engineer is operating a westbound train into Penn Station, where he is assigned to change to another, specific train and go to Babylon. Because the engineer's train is late arriving at Penn, the LIRR sends out the assigned Babylon train with another crew, and assigns the engineer to a different train upon his arrival.
Penalty: The engineer gets additional straight-time hourly pay for all time spent on a train other than that originally assigned to him.
What the LIRR has done: The LIRR's overtime task force meets regularly to review claims and consider ways to reduce costs.
Sheridan Shop
Cost to LIRR, 2010: $168,446
Origin: 2000 (approx.)
Description: A locomotive is moved into and out of the LIRR's Sheridan Shop by a passenger train crew assigned to the adjacent Richmond Hill yard in Queens.
Example: Without enough space at the Richmond Hill yard, some locomotive inspections were routinely conducted at the nearby Sheridan Shop. Train crews at Richmond Hill regularly moved the trains a few hundred feet into and out of the shop -- each time incurring a violation.
Penalty: An engineer gets an extra day's pay. A conductor and assistant conductor each get a half-day's extra pay.
What the LIRR has done: The LIRR recently reconfigured operations at the Richmond Hill yard to free up space so inspections can be conducted inside the yard, essentially eliminating rule violations.
Automatic speed control test
Cost to LIRR, 2010: $49,893
Origin: 1978
Description: An engineer performs an automatic speed control test on a train to which he is not assigned. Also, this work-rule penalty is incurred when an engineer operating a train in one direction performs a speed control test on the end of the train that is facing the other direction.
Example: Because a train's test failure means pulling it from service, the LIRR sometimes assigns engineers to perform the tests in yards, rather than having engineers perform them while traveling through the system, where a failure could cause a service disruption.
Penalty: The engineer who performs the test gets one hour's extra pay per train.
What the LIRR has done: When possible, the LIRR has called in an engineer specifically to conduct speed-control tests on several trains in a yard. Doing so does not result in a penalty, though it can mean overtime costs.
