I have 22 years on a Class 1 RR with less than 9 to go before I can retire with full benefits. I recall all the old-heads close to retirement; a few from the end of the steam era, working cush high paying yard jobs or locals. 6-8 hour days with weekends off. Those days/jobs are long gone. Corporate hedgefunds have taken over and eliminated nearly all high paying yard/local jobs. At the same time doubled and tripled the size of road trains in favor of shareholders. More with less..... Anywho, since they blatantly violate contract pay agreements we have to put claims in against the violations hoping it gets paid within the year and work more than ever with attendance/availability policies. Unavailable due to a doctor appointment, points assessed against your record. Too many points, charged with a company policy violation and if found guilty time on the street without pay. FMLA is the only recourse and you get charged using that if they deem it a "pattern". So we stay on the road and have no time at home to build guns! Ticks me off. Sorry for the rant. Had to get it out!
my great grandpap was a mechanic for the PA RR, my dad told me when he was a kid his grandpap would take him to see all the big steam engines that would pass through the area, boy I wish I could see those today
Life under the Railway Labor Act, I feel your pain - but I am moving a bit faster and covering more ground. I'd found a cush little niche gig for about a dozen years, which was nice. Problem was is cost a night's sleep or two every week - which takes a toll. So now I'm back to working the same schedules I complained about 20 years ago. Everyone is trying to do more with less, which is probably why so many things just aren't working anymore: rampant crime, high gas and food prices, formula and tampon shortages, the airlines are collapsing, and they still haven't fixed the chip shortage. When everyone keeps trying to do more with less, eventually no one has enough to do anything. MSG
my grandfather had benefits, and the lawyers found a way to cut them. My father is retired with benefits, and the lawyers found a way to cut healthcare.
most of us don’t get benefits. We’re at the mercy of retirement funds, some of which are in the stock market, which has been crushed.
I’d say have everything paid for. No debt. That’s a good start to avoiding a crappy retirement. Don’t wait till retirement, keep debt low or zero.
my grandfather had benefits, and the lawyers found a way to cut them. My father is retired with benefits, and the lawyers found a way to cut healthcare.
most of us don’t get benefits. We’re at the mercy of retirement funds, some of which are in the stock market, which has been crushed.
I’d say have everything paid for. No debt. That’s a good start to avoiding a crappy retirement. Don’t wait till retirement, keep debt low or zero.
Exactly why I'm looking at liquidating a few items - to help pay down our mortgage.
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