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CP's request for temporary exemption of CROR requirement
03-24-2009
15 :32 ESTBrothers and Sisters,
Attached is the documentation for an exemption, requested by CP Rail to remove the requirement for a Foreman to state the limits of the TOP they are cancelling.
Though this "2 second" requirement is new, it is an additional safeguard to help avoid human error, which would put our members at risk.
I can't understand why the company would even want such an exemption, especially since it would only save them a few seconds per TOP. Possibly it was a "make work" project for some department so they'd appear busy in an attempt to avoid the layoffs that might happen in the non-union ranks. I really don't know what they were thinking but it appears that if they have people spending their time thinking up things like this, very possibly they are quite over staffed.
Mr. McDade, Manager of Operating Rules in his March 19th, 2009 letter says that stating the limits could lead to "...loss of focus at a critical point in the process..." (accentuation by me).
I can't speak to the abilities of the people that Mr. McDade works with or what his own experience is on the track, but I personally don't know of any Foreman who is so incompetent that by simply stating their TOP limits they start to lose focus of the job at hand. Our people are professionals and should be treated and spoken of, as such.
I also do not believe that there are any RTC's losing focus simply because a Foreman is stating the TOP limits of the TOP that they are cancelling (especially since they already understand that is what the Foreman will be doing). This "two second" safeguard should increase the focus of the job at hand with the Foreman and after all, the employees on the track are the ones with the most at risk if there is an error.
I am glad to see that Transport Canada agreed with us on this matter and denied CP's request. They are the safety watchdogs and Transport Canada is there to protect us and to protect the country from unsafe track conditions, practices and/or policies. I will continue to work diligently with them to increase rail safety, awareness and practice and to lessen the opportunities for human (or other) error.
Once again this has been a good reminder that your safety is far too important to leave in the hands of management.
Perhaps its time that we started suggesting changes to the CROR to make our world safer, instead of just always reacting to the exemptions which the companies keep trying to get. Any ideas?
Stay safe, stay strong, stay united,
Bill Brehl
President
TCRC MWED
Attached is the documentation for an exemption, requested by CP Rail to remove the requirement for a Foreman to state the limits of the TOP they are cancelling.
Though this "2 second" requirement is new, it is an additional safeguard to help avoid human error, which would put our members at risk.
I can't understand why the company would even want such an exemption, especially since it would only save them a few seconds per TOP. Possibly it was a "make work" project for some department so they'd appear busy in an attempt to avoid the layoffs that might happen in the non-union ranks. I really don't know what they were thinking but it appears that if they have people spending their time thinking up things like this, very possibly they are quite over staffed.
Mr. McDade, Manager of Operating Rules in his March 19th, 2009 letter says that stating the limits could lead to "...loss of focus at a critical point in the process..." (accentuation by me).
I can't speak to the abilities of the people that Mr. McDade works with or what his own experience is on the track, but I personally don't know of any Foreman who is so incompetent that by simply stating their TOP limits they start to lose focus of the job at hand. Our people are professionals and should be treated and spoken of, as such.
I also do not believe that there are any RTC's losing focus simply because a Foreman is stating the TOP limits of the TOP that they are cancelling (especially since they already understand that is what the Foreman will be doing). This "two second" safeguard should increase the focus of the job at hand with the Foreman and after all, the employees on the track are the ones with the most at risk if there is an error.
I am glad to see that Transport Canada agreed with us on this matter and denied CP's request. They are the safety watchdogs and Transport Canada is there to protect us and to protect the country from unsafe track conditions, practices and/or policies. I will continue to work diligently with them to increase rail safety, awareness and practice and to lessen the opportunities for human (or other) error.
Once again this has been a good reminder that your safety is far too important to leave in the hands of management.
Perhaps its time that we started suggesting changes to the CROR to make our world safer, instead of just always reacting to the exemptions which the companies keep trying to get. Any ideas?
Stay safe, stay strong, stay united,
Bill Brehl
President
TCRC MWED
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