Tipper Gore criticizes BNSF availability policy as being something out of the early 1900's

Tipper Gore criticizes BNSF availability policy
as being something out of the early 1900s

MINNEAPOLIS – At a meeting with women labor leaders here on Saturday, Tipper Gore said she had just met with railroad workers in Wyoming – and she was appalled by what they told her about Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad’s work policy.

During a morning meeting with a contingent of women labor activists at the Minneapolis Central Labor Body, Mrs. Gore was told by one woman, "Business is being allowed to do what ever they want to their employees without any recourse by the government. It seems like we are back in the early 1900's, not the year 2000."

At that point, Mrs. Gore said she just returned from a trip to Wyoming where she had met with a number of railroad workers who work on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. A few months ago BNSF had imposed an onerous Availability Policy that is considered a throwback to the 19^th Century where employees were at the railroad’s beck and call and allowed no personal or family life.

"These railroad conductors and engineers tell me that BNSF now requires their employees to work or be ready for work more than 400 hours a month," Mrs. Gore said. "This policy seems to be something out of the early 1900s. These people need to be fully rested to operate our nation’s trains safely. Policies such as these affect the safety of the public also, not just their employees."

Mrs. Gore joins a long list of political and union leaders, as well as Wall Street analysts, who have criticized BNSF for an Availability Policy that could force some employees to work up to 30 twelve-hour days without time off. The policy allows these employees only one day off per month, which may be denied by BNSF for any reason. If the employee then takes time off due to fatigue, the employee is subject to discipline.