JustLok

Thanks for that info, though I wish I could any info on the job protections with this position (layoff clauses, civil servant and such), can't find anything, not even a bargaining agreement!

Also, is it known if you pass (outside of the tests) after serving the 12 months? Or someone needs to sign off on you to be bumped up to Engineer? I see it says a minimum of 12 months, so I wasn't sure if that means you "float" as a Trainee until someone retires or they call you into service as a full rate.

Is the Phase two alone 12 months? Or is 12 months, including the Phase 1 training?

I remember reading in the posting that you jump to the 100% pay scale after completion of Phase training, which is a minimum of 12 months, which helps, because you go from $26.xx to $36.xx, higher if their union gets a contract, which I think might push their hourly up to near $40 perhaps.

Also, the original posting didn't say anything about a driver's license being required, but the initial orientation papers say you need to bring a copy of it. Though I wonder if that's just as a government ID or so.

Hey, does anyone remember what the the starting pay is for Trainee? And what it goes up to and when? Can't find anything on this position, not even a CBA or contract for BLE and the engineers online, to see what the pay/salary is and job protections. And I can't check the job posting on BSC, since it's closed.

This year's FasTrack is different from last, as when FasTrack first started, they were REALLY coming down hard for good numbers and productivity. We gave it to them, but we also didn't stay till 4AM. Yeah, that ended when Supt's came out to the job asking where the men were. End of "Get it and go" from then on... 

Now, as you said dp142, across ALL departments, it's normal productivity and work now. The bean counters downtown make the numbers look great, everyone pats each other on their backs and smoke their cigars.

That guy you mentioned from Safety, you probably already know, but he is not with the Office of System Safety. He is the union's shop steward and safety officer/liaison. The West Indian/Guyanese looking guy, right? He tried coming down onto the tracks once and a Supt got him, as they are NOT allowed onto the tracks, GO or not, without supervision. That's why most of the time they stay on the platform and yell into the hole after guys. I always says show me the rule that they're supposedly breaking, the actual numbered rule, if not, get off the job. They have to write the rule on the writeup, but they usually try to throw their weight around. I understand safety, it's important, but it's Local 100 guys trying to write up other Local 100 guys, why? And the safety rules aren't the life and limb ones either being quoted.

Don't read me the wrong way, I'm not against safety, but these guys come down, see everything is cool, but still come up with these "rules" and others to bust balls or nitpick on other things. Where were you the other night when it really was dangerous?

I've been on pretty much every FasTrack since it started and I have not ONCE seen OSS come out to check any jobs, whatsoever, at anytime. We speculated that upper management must've said something to OSS to keep out, since this is a pretty big, important, public media event, and let the work go as it does. Which is unfortunate, as there would be plenty of writeups, banging ins, days on the street, hats taken and given in and more on these FasTracks.

They've been telling us they don't want us off the track till 4AM at the earliest, and ON the track by 11-11:30PM! It's not even so much as the work as the resemblance of work, but still work nonetheless.  

The Pelicans on wheels you mentioned are usually just called "suitcases." And they're never charged, start flashing after 5mins of use, EVERYTIME!

There's some foremen who like to rush and cut corners, which is stupid, since you gotta be down on the track till 4AM, why take shortcuts??? And there's foremen who do it genuinely safely for their gang and even standup to the Supt when they come strolling along asking why we're still setting up in the pitch black when we could use our helmet lights! Get to work! Yar yar! YAR!

Yeah, it's getting worse down here each day.... No one looks out for each other anymore, safety wise nor job wise. Becoming more and more a dog eat dog place own here. And it's only gonna get worse...

We can work in open cuts, such as Prospect Park on the Q and so forth at night, I've done it before. Of course, you gotta watch out for the canned vegetables and BB guns... I've also seen work done out on structure at nights, using portable site lights to light up the work area. But that involves a noise mitigation plan and lotsa other variances...

Last I heard on June 28th, this July's Concourse FasTrack is still on.

Also, reason FasTracks fall off during the summer has nothing to do with ridership. It's due to the weather (hot, humid) and its affects on workers, but its affect on workers is more about decreased production and NOT the actual worker's well being, in as much so as it relates to productivity. Plus, more workers are on vacation during the summer, less of a workforce to utilize, therefore in their eyes, shutdown costs aren't being used wisely. But they're scheduled this summer because they have more set this year and the summer is slowly becoming the only available slots.

BTW, there's gonna be 40 FasTracks scheduled for next year. Yay... It was originally suppose to be 45. Guess we're lucky...?

Believe me when I say MTA is in LOVE with FasTrack. It's here to stay.