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Post Info TOPIC: New VRE operator may be short of staff


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New VRE operator may be short of staff
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New VRE operator may be short of staff

Keolis Rail Services America has solidified contract agreements with the unions for engineers and conductors and will recruit employees this week in preparation for the end of Amtrak's reign with the Virginia Railway Express this summer and its takeover of its first U.S. operation, reports The Washington Post.

 

The company, the U.S. subsidiary of a France-based firm that won VRE's operating and maintenance contract in the fall, plans to extend job offers to the 80 or so Amtrak employees who operate VRE trains, said Steve Townsend, executive vice president of Keolis's local operation.

 

According to Townsend, the economic package Keolis is offering is better than that offered by Amtrak, which has operated VRE trains for 17 years. Employees will keep their seniority and other benefits, but if they choose to switch back to Amtrak, they will lose their status with that company.

 

"Early in the procurement process, there was concern about people losing jobs, but we will protect employees on the service if they want to remain," Townsend said. "I'm certain a lot of engineers and conductors will want to stay in their jobs."

 

Townsend said that there is no hard number for how many will stay but that he has multiple applications from other trained railroaders who want to join the commuter-rail service and fill any spots not kept by current staff.

 

VRE officials said if they have to train new employees, the funding is already worked into the Keolis contract and training would involve the new staff running several trips on non-passenger trains to become familiar with the system. Although there are only a few months until the June 28 switch, VRE and Keolis officials said they remain on schedule on hiring, which was outlined and agreed upon by the host railroads in Keolis's contract.

 

Amtrak feels otherwise.

 

On Friday, Amtrak sent a letter to Sean T. Connaughton, Virginia's transportation secretary, stating that the companies have "a ton of work to do in a very short time." Amtrak President Joseph Boardman wrote that he questions whether the companies will be prepared for a smooth transition.

 

"Amtrak's had no discussions with us about where we are in the process or anything that would be service-related," VRE spokesman Mark Roeber said, noting that Boardman called VRE only once to say he was contacting the state. "Amtrak is not a party to any of these negotiations or the internal workings. . . . If they thought VRE would not be ready, they should have come to us. Instead they went to the state in an attempt to create confusion and distortion."

 

In the letter, Amtrak officials stated that, to their knowledge, employees plan to stay with Amtrak. Officials said that Amtrak has enough jobs available if all employees want to stay and that some people have already bid for those jobs.

 

A spokesman for the United Transportation Union returned a call but declined to comment. A call to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, District of Columbia region, was not returned.

 

Amtrak officials said they have done everything possible to create a smooth transition, short of turning over their employees. The point of the letter, they said, was to update the secretary of the situation as they understand it.

 

"When looking at [Amtrak's letter], one might think the purpose of it is to scare the current employees from joining or to create some apprehension about Keolis," Roeber said. "But we are aware of where Keolis is in the process, and we know they are meeting all their obligations to make this a smooth transition."

 

(The previous article was published by The Washington Post.)

April 13, 2010


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