TWU ASWC, UNITE-HERE (which represents workers throughout the U.S. and Canada who work in the hotel, gaming, food service, airport, textile, manufacturing, distribution, laundry, and transportation industries) and TCU-IAM (Transportation Communications International Union-International Association of Machinists) said seven TWU-represented chefs received furlough letters with as little as nine-day notice, “giving them a little more than a week to make a major life decision. The move also threatens jobs and pensions from coast-to-coast.” “Due to this sudden decision, our members will be forced out of work, and some will be faced with the difficult decision of whether to uproot their lives, to relocate and exercise their seniority to replace ASWC members working other routes,” the unions said in a joint statement. “For example, there are ASWC members with 30 years of service living on the East Coast who may be forced to move to Seattle or Chicago just to complete the career they started decades ago. Therefore, it is certain that closing dining cars on these routes will have immediate and ripple effects on Amtrak workers across the country, not only those employed on the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited lines.” “We have been told by our members that passengers already are expressing their dissatisfaction with the upcoming service and meal plan changes,” the unions said. “Our members are on the frontlines, and they know that passengers view the current dining service as part of the experience of riding a train through the country along a long-distance route. Our members are proud to provide this service and care about its quality because they understand that it contributes to passengers’ experience. Maintaining the current high-quality service is important to attracting passengers to Amtrak, and it’s central to our members’ livelihoods. “We demand Amtrak President Richard Anderson reverse his decision and stops these cuts. We pledge to do everything in our power to preserve these jobs and the unique Amtrak dining experience.” Amtrak has responded to Railway Age’s request for comment and is preparing a response. The post TWU to Anderson: “Stop these cuts!” appeared first on Railway Age. Continue reading...
