News
UPRR Daily Conference Call 03/21
General Chairman COVID-19 Daily Conference Call 03/21/2020
Participants: All General Chairmen, EVP & CHRO, EVPO, SVP's, VP Eng & Mech, VP HDC, VP CC&S, AVP Safety, Health & Medical, AVP Supply
Eng employee did not feel well yesterday. After showing symptoms employee sent home and potentially impacted employees are self‐quarantined.
Carrier – UP got FRA approval for quick tie up, have sent that info & instructions out to employees via portal message.
Carrier – Continue to equip locomotives with bottles of disinfectant and increased enhanced cleaning at a rate of 300 locomotives per day system wide.
Carrier – Interchange locomotives, hauler crews assigned border are given disinfectant to use for their shift. GC noted issues at Brownsville and Kingsville and Eastport. Giandinoto and Keller will address
Carrier – Another 9000 bottles to use for disinfectant in the pipeline, let him know if we need any at a particular place. Locomotive teams have updated standard work to address when bottles are empty and to replenish.
Carrier – Other class 1’s are doing similar actions.
Carrier – N. Platte stable. Working hard to get disinfectant bottles distributed.
Carrier – No changes on the south. Sending various supplies to outlying points. Longview TX, Muncie KS had issues we are addressing. Uber follow up, employees should pay attention to the driver. We need to keep the option open if we have issues with van companies.
Carrier – if there is a concern with a specific Uber driver, don’t get in the vehicle and let us know.
Carrier – Supplies are in good shape. In the coming months we will see bigger water bottles because that size is more standard. Supply looking at additional orders of hand soap and to secure that supply chain independent of our Janitorial service. Verifying with hotel on cleaning protocol and food source.
Carrier – Have asked Corp Audit to independently evaluate hotels and van cleaning protocols and provide us feedback.
Carrier – have had some hotels that have closed (ex. in Las Vegas) we been successful with secondary hotels So far all locations have food for carry out available nearby.
Carrier – Pay & leave policy for COVID19 sent out. Will be posting to the web.
GC – Asked what if UP pulled from service based on consultation with H&M for prior international travel? Will they get paid if they were exposed outside of work?
Carrier – still trying to get clarification from RRB for benefit pay. UP will only pay if infected at work.
GC – How do we know if folks are exposed while at the Away From Home Terminal?
Carrier – we will have to look on a case by case basis to determine.
Carrier – No way to determine where someone is infected. Also expressed concerns that UP is only paying if employee is infected at work. The message is not clear on this issue.
Carrier – UP will clarify with the team and let folks know.
GC – Concerns with Rail Crew express at Bill Wyoming out in the coal mine. Rail crew express doubling up crews in one vehicle. Look at cleaning protocols? - Giandinoto / Whalen
GC – Same problem at Longview TX
Carrier – protocol established for one crew per van. Will re‐emphasize with the team.
GC – Still concerned with Uber, can Uber be dedicated to UP.
Carrier – Uber does not support that business model at this time.
Carrier – If Uber is dirty don’t get in, let management team know.
GC – can we prioritize call backs to those quarantined? Jones – Nurse Line calls are current. Will talk to the team on how we can do that. We are getting back to employees within hours.
GC – Bill Wyoming lodging said they will be closing. Blank will follow up.
GC – Report Elko Nevada away from home terminal not being able to get food. Blank will follow up.
Carrier – Regarding Comp layoff please reach out to Local Chairmen to open up vacation and personal leave days. We allow if availability supports.
Carrier – Military Leave – follow the normal process
Carrier – Giandinoto and Keller & Blank to follow up on process of forcing folks to use comp leave first.
GC – What should employees do to return to work after quarantine? Jones – employees have to be cleared by H&M and status hold lifted. Will outline the process and publish on UP COVID web site.
Carrier – Have folks in quarantine been removed from working boards? Blank working through individual agreement to do so. Where agreements allow, yes.
GC – Indicated all agreements have provision to allow. Can do now. Blank will instruct the team accordingly.
GC – Spoke to Baymont lodging in N. Platte, they indicated no one from UP has been in contact with them. Blank will follow up. CMS has procedures to contact lodging facilities and discuss cleaning protocol. Shane asked Blank to loop Region in on issues.