As most of us know who work for the UP (myself included) we see constantly that the FTX program has turned into a discipline tool for managers. This is far from the purpose it had when it was implemented. To make matters worse, UP is making more rules up as they go along. Here is how the new tweak to the FTX program will work.

Lets say that John Q. Railroader has an EQMS score of 1000 points, John Q. is perfect! John Q. gets a bad FTX and looses 15 points. The way the FTX system works is John Q. can earn those pints back and be at 1000 again through good FTX events. Well, now UP has decided that every January you will have all good points taken away from you and will have to work back up towards 1000. So in John Q.'s example each January he will go back down to 985. If John Q. gets further FTX's that are bad and drops to say 950, each January he will drop to 950. What does that mean, that John Q. and many UP employees like him will be closer to more sever discipline due to this new change out of Omaha.

This was brought to my attention by my local chairmen at our most recent meeting. It seems unbelievable, and on the flip side of the coin it meshes perfectly with everything I have seen come out of UP to keep the rank and file unempowered, scared and struggling to keep what dignity we have left as railroad employees.