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(erielack) Dispatcher Qualification

Thanks, Steve, its always interesting to compare the little operational 
differences between EL East and EL West.  I'm waiting for Artie to put 
together a book with his railroad career reminiscences, and I hope that 
you do one too!  EL East, and EL West.  (Mahoning Div: mid-west, 
anyway).



Jim Gerofsky





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Things weren't so formal on the western portions of the railroad.
 
When we needed DS the CTD put out a message to the operators work locations 
 stating that two, three or four dispatchers were required and to advise 
the CTD  by xxxxxx if interested.  For the most part, the selection was 
actually  made by the CTD, even prior to the posting of the message.  The 
trainmaster  was not a part of it in any manner and the Supt was involved only by 
the CTD  advising him of who his selection was as a courtesy.  The ORT  
agreement specified that dispatchers would be selected from the operator's  ranks. 
 The CTD made the selection on his own from the operators roster  using the 
interested parties that applied.  
 
You were given 30 paid days (at the rate of pay that you worked as an  
operator prior to selection).  The rule was that you had to qualify on all  of 
the dispatcher's desks before you were permitted to work.  That did not  
happen.  When you qualified on one desk you were usually needed on it right  
away and they put you to work.  You had to work 30 days in a calendar year  
before you got on the roster by ATDA (American Train Dispatcher's Assn)  
agreement.  Your seniority date would revert back to the first day you  worked 
alone as a TD but like I stated, you had to work 30 days in one year  before 
that went into effect.  That requirement is harder to fulfil than it  sounds:  
I started qualifying in June and still had to work as an operator  if and 
when needed, thus, by being forced to fill operators jobs along with  posting 
it took me several months to qualify.  That was in 1967.   Result was that 
I didn't work my first day as a DS until Jan 8, 1968 (former  Allegany 
Divn--Hornell to Salamanca, 1st trick).  Being the youngest DS on  the list, I 
did not get 30 work days during the year.  I didn't get my  30 work days in a 
calendar year as a DS until sometime in the summer of  1969.  So.... I 
started posting in 1967, worked my first day in Jan 1968  and waited until May or 
June of 1969 to obtain roster rights, which of course,  reverted back to 
Jan 8th, 1968.
 
I pretty well knew the former Mahoning Divn from my pre-employment cab  
rides between Warren and Meadville, Kent, and Cleveland.  East of Meadville  
was another story.  I rode trains #4 to Hornell, returning on Train 1, or  
rode train #6, returning on #5, etc. Learning the desk was easy and the 3rd and 
 4th was fairly slow traffic-wise and I posted quite a bit of second trick 
with  Malford Campbell, an old-timer from Salamanca who really knew the job. 
  When you were ready to work, you simply told the CTD and he'd ask some of 
the  people that you posted with as to how you were doing and you usually 
"got the  nod."  I never had a session where I had to sit down and explain 
the  territory to the CTD or other official.  They found out real quick if you 
 knew what you were doing!
 
The EL Mahoning Division took the position (quite incorrectly) that posting 
 did not count under the hours of service.  So, you could work 1st trick at 
 Valley Street as an operator, getting done at 3pm and come in and post the 
 1st/2nd Dist desk at 345pm.  On the same token, many times I posted as  DS 
on first trick only to be told during the tour of duty "we need you at 
Bridge  2.22 (Cleveland) 2nd trick.  Leave here with enough time to get  there." 
 
 
I previously stated that you got 30 days pay to qualify on the entire  
divn.  That was impossible, even for someone like myself that pretty well  knew 
some of the territory.  I never recall anyone getting "cut off" of pay  for 
going over the 30 days.  The company's thinking was "we have an  investment 
here, let's get him qualified".  While that was never stated,  that was the 
mind set.
 
In pre-EL days, the rule of thumb was that you would not even be considered 
 for a DS position until you had 10 years in the towers.  With the 
declining  number of operator's positions in the 60's that was greatly relaxed and 
you  could apply after two or three years.
 
SMT
 		 	   		  

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