From what I have been seeing in all the sites is that all the railroad(s) class 1's at least are cracking down. I haven't heard much about the NAFTA (KCS) railroad. I know the BNSF has said it'll sacrifice productivity forsafety and is now firing you on the spot for items they used to look the other way on.
Stepped-up enforcement is part of the normal cycle in rail operations, usually following a series of accidents or injuries attributed to rules violations. In the union workplace it is impossible to fire someone 'on the spot'. There is a very detailed procedure involved for discipline and unless the problem is really huge then there are other types of penalties assessed after a hearing is held and responsibility determined. The only 'on the spot' action that can be taken is to remove the employee from service pending an investigation. The Federal Railroad Administration also has procedures in place for violations related to engineers and their licenses. On smaller railroads I guess it is whatever the management wants, but state labor boards would probably come into play in those situations.
"On the Spot" might come into play where a life is lost and is obviously the employee's fault. They are getting pretty picky now because of the government scrunity. ------------------ Watash
