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Mta station agent questions


lisandrojosh9

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Willie do most station agents take the promotional to conductor or not? How is the job compared to conductor in terms of stress level?

I wouldn't know, I was never a conductor. And some agents take the job and others don't. I had a chance to take the job, but the pay difference between C/R and S/A is too small, it's like 50 cents difference in pay. I had good jobs and days off, no reason to be having bad days off and be on the extra extra list for a year. Now that titles that couldn't promote directly to T/O can take the certificate course to be eligible to promote to T/O, that's what lots of agents are doing. I took the course, but got called for supervision, so I won't be taking the job when they call. Plus now it would be a pay cut for me.

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

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Can you explain the extra list? Is it true you have different start times every day?

The extra list sounds just like what it is. You're an extra body to fill in for folks out sick, leave time or any other reason they aren't at work. I'm not sure how RTO does the extra list, but in stations you'd basically call up OSAC(Operations, Support, and Assignment Center) daily for your assignment the following day. You'd be assigned to a tour of duty (AM, PM or Nights) and your jobs would be assigned as so. One day you could get a 5am booth then the next a 9am booth. Start times range from 4:15am to 9am for booth jobs, and until 11am if you get a lunch relief job. Also you can apply for change of assignment jobs and work in various offices, but you need a stellar sick record in order to qualify.

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

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RTO(Rapid Transit Operations) is the division that runs train movement. All conductor, train operators, tower operators ect are in this department. And no you wouldn't work am and then nights the next day. What ever tour you're a part of is the one you work. You'd also have the same days off each week, which is called RDO's(Regular Days Off).

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

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  • 3 weeks later...

How high do you need to score on the station agent exam to get a call?

Any passing score above 85% would be good enough to get called. The exam isn't as competitive as the Conductor, Train Operator or Bus Operator exams. While lots of folks take it, just not as many as the other exams. Also need the two years of required customer service disqualifies lots of people from taking the exam.

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

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  • 3 weeks later...

As a station agent, are u able to use your cell phone in that booth? What can you do on your downtime?

Rule 11(e) states you're not to use cellphones, computers, TV's or any other electronic devices while on duty, and that you must give your full attention while on duty. People do use these items while in the booth and its up to the supervisor on duty that sees this to enforce the rule or allow them to use their devices. I know it sounds like a crapshoot. But that's the rules. People take their chances using phones, tablets and other electronic devices while on duty. Just know you can be written up, as you're in violation. Honestly it doesn't look professional when a customer comes to the window and the agent is on the phone or otherwise not giving their full attention.

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

On your downtime you're only allowed by the rules to read your rule book or other transit related material. But like I said folks take their chances.

 

 

Station Supervisor Level I

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For station agent extra questions:

 

1. Once I've assigned as to work for what tour, do I also assigned to what RTO I get? Is it going to be the same every week?

 

2. Do trainee get to choose what tour they prefer?

 

What if train ran late and you're late to get to your next assigned booth, isn't that mess up the whole schedule? What do I do? Stick with the schedule and let the regular booth agent figure it out? Is there any consequence? Let say they give you 20 mins to commute from Utica to new lot but it actually took you more than 20 mins to get there; what the extra trainee can do?

 

3. Does extra work within their zone most of the time? Or they could be assigned to any zone?

 

4. What are the responsibilities for lunch relief?

 

5. Are lunch relief is the same thing as extra? If you are assigned as extra and work for lunch relief, you don't work as RDO relief, right?

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For station agent extra questions:

 

1. Once I've assigned as to work for what tour, do I also assigned to what RTO I get? Is it going to be the same every week?

 

2. Do trainee get to choose what tour they prefer?

 

What if train ran late and you're late to get to your next assigned booth, isn't that mess up the whole schedule? What do I do? Stick with the schedule and let the regular booth agent figure it out? Is there any consequence? Let say they give you 20 mins to commute from Utica to new lot but it actually took you more than 20 mins to get there; what the extra trainee can do?

 

3. Does extra work within their zone most of the time? Or they could be assigned to any zone?

 

4. What are the responsibilities for lunch relief?

 

5. Are lunch relief is the same thing as extra? If you are assigned as extra and work for lunch relief, you don't work as RDO relief, right?

1-While assigned as extra, yes you keep the same tour and RDOs every week. You will stay extra for the remainder of the pick unless you bid out on the "Open Job" bids, then should you be awarded that job, its yours along with its respective tour and RDOs until the next pick change takes effect.

 

2. The only jobs where your tours can change is Vacation Relief. But thats a topic for another discussion. Extra, RDO relief, and 5 day jobs keep the same respective tours until the next pick takes effect.

 

2b - Should you ever find your train or bus delayed, write down the time, bus # or subway car #, bus line or subway line, direction of travel, where you got on and approx what time you got on. If the on duty agent you are meant to relief calls for a Late Clear, OSAC will want to hear your explanation. That being said, it's ok to be there reasonably early so plan ahead as best you can with MTA trip planner.

 

3 - OSAC will try their best to keep you in your zone, or close to it. Sometimes you can be bumped or be on board waiting for a job, then it's whereever they can place you.

 

4 - Lunch relief's main reaponsibility is to give booth agents their lunch. Some other duties might be to deliver mail, escort someone to a booth, work as assigned (clean turnstiles, help customers with mvms, give directions), or get pulled off the route to take over a booth.

 

5 - Extra is extra. You are an extra person taking over someone's assignment for that day. Then you call for your job and will probably do something different the next day. RDO relief is a job that covers the days a 5 day job isnt covered.

Example- Adam has R138 on the am tour and his days off are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I am picking RDO I decide to pick up R138 to cover that booth when Adam is not there, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Now, I didnt have to pick both of Adam's RDO days, I could have just picked one day and moved on to other jobs. Amongst the other booths. That in a nutshell is RDO relief. Now building on that, I could choose a lunch job on Tuesday and R138 on Wedsday as RDO relief. Now if I go sick or use an AVA/OTO for my tuesday, you can be assigned my Tuesday Lunch job. Keep in mind, I AM still the RDO relief for R138 and whatever lunch job I picked, meanwhile you are still an Extra and will have to call for your next job.

 

Make sense?

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That's make sense, Thanks Dave. Now, I've some other questions:

 

1.How, when, where to pick RDOs?

2.How to bid out on the Open Job bids? How often "Open Job" bids are available?

3. What is vacation seniority number? Where do you find out this # from?

4.Does lunch relief has 15 mins check-in rule?

5.For example, I've assigned to be an extra and my main jobs are lunch relief; let say I have to there 11:00-11:30 for one station lunch relief then my next assignment is another station lunch relief at 11:40-12:10 and I was late to the second lunch relief by 5 mins because of the train delay or walking to another side of the station. How do I avoid this problem and how do I resolve it when it happened?

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That's make sense, Thanks Dave. Now, I've some other questions:

1.How, when, where to pick RDOs?

2.How to bid out on the Open Job bids? How often "Open Job" bids are available?

3. What is vacation seniority number? Where do you find out this # from?

4.Does lunch relief has 15 mins check-in rule?

5.For example, I've assigned to be an extra and my main jobs are lunch relief; let say I have to there 11:00-11:30 for one station lunch relief then my next assignment is another station lunch relief at 11:40-12:10 and I was late to the second lunch relief by 5 mins because of the train delay or walking to another side of the station. How do I avoid this problem and how do I resolve it when it happened?

1 - You can pick RDO jobs in two ways. A) During the regular pick time in which case you go to the pick room once to choose your RDO job number (based on seniority) then you go back again to pick available RDO jobs left (again seniority based). B)You bid on an open job (jobs that are vacant sue to an employee promotion, demotion, etc. And they are not coming back). These open RDO jobs were already preselected by the vacated Station Agent and can not be altered.

 

2-Open job opportunities are posted twice per pick. So during the winter pick, open job bid #1 & #2 were posted. You are notified via Station notices via email, via TENS, or you can pick up the notification at OSAC. Thusly, during the summer pick, open job bid #1 & #2 Will be posted. During training, a pick room representative will be giving a tutorial, and explain the pick process.

 

3- Good question, haven't figured that out yet. That sounds like a question for the pick room.

 

4- Technically it's 5 minutes to count the board at the beginning and end of the lunch.

 

5- If you know you will be late to give lunch, call your next booth and inform them. Most agents are accommodating, understand, and have been there done that. To cover yourself, write down the station you are leaving from, the direction of travel, the train line, car #, and what time you boarded, and what time you got off. If a major disruption in service occurs, call the district office to let them know. Your trainers at 248 will strongly encourage you to be in either the conductor car or the operator car during night lunches. I STRONGLY advise sitting in either of those cars during all tours.

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  • 2 weeks later...

1 - You can pick RDO jobs in two ways. A) During the regular pick time in which case you go to the pick room once to choose your RDO job number (based on seniority) then you go back again to pick available RDO jobs left (again seniority based). B)You bid on an open job (jobs that are vacant sue to an employee promotion, demotion, etc. And they are not coming back). These open RDO jobs were already preselected by the vacated Station Agent and can not be altered.

 

2-Open job opportunities are posted twice per pick. So during the winter pick, open job bid #1 & #2 were posted. You are notified via Station notices via email, via TENS, or you can pick up the notification at OSAC. Thusly, during the summer pick, open job bid #1 & #2 Will be posted. During training, a pick room representative will be giving a tutorial, and explain the pick process.

 

3- Good question, haven't figured that out yet. That sounds like a question for the pick room.

 

4- Technically it's 5 minutes to count the board at the beginning and end of the lunch.

 

5- If you know you will be late to give lunch, call your next booth and inform them. Most agents are accommodating, understand, and have been there done that. To cover yourself, write down the station you are leaving from, the direction of travel, the train line, car #, and what time you boarded, and what time you got off. If a major disruption in service occurs, call the district office to let them know. Your trainers at 248 will strongly encourage you to be in either the conductor car or the operator car during night lunches. I STRONGLY advise sitting in either of those cars during all tours.

Dave answered all these questions very nicely. I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

 

Station Supervisor

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For station agent extra questions:

 

1. Once I've assigned as to work for what tour, do I also assigned to what RTO I get? Is it going to be the same every week?

 

2. Do trainee get to choose what tour they prefer?

 

What if train ran late and you're late to get to your next assigned booth, isn't that mess up the whole schedule? What do I do? Stick with the schedule and let the regular booth agent figure it out? Is there any consequence? Let say they give you 20 mins to commute from Utica to new lot but it actually took you more than 20 mins to get there; what the extra trainee can do?

 

3. Does extra work within their zone most of the time? Or they could be assigned to any zone?

 

4. What are the responsibilities for lunch relief?

 

5. Are lunch relief is the same thing as extra? If you are assigned as extra and work for lunch relief, you don't work as RDO relief, right?

To answer questions 4 and 5, a Lunch Relief's responsibilities are the exact same as the main agents for the 30 minutes they're in that booth. For many folks that do Lunch jobs they feel they just do the basics sell cards and answer a few questions for customers. But the truth is they have the exact same jobs as the main agent does. That mean if revenue shows up to pick up the money from the booth they have witness that pick up and prepare the paperwork. If an emergency breaks out they have to respond in the same way the main agent would.

 

And Lunch reliefs aren't the same thing as extras. A Lunch Relief, RDO, Extra or 5 day agents are options of job types you have at the pick. However you can be on the extra list and assigned a Lunch Relief or booth job for that particular day.

 

 

Station Supervisor

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi, if I bid out on AM EXTRA and be awarded that person RDOs and your. Do I also assigned that person home station/zone? If I live in zone3 and the person live in zone 1....when I awarded for the said bid, when I call OSAC...are they going to assign me assignment along with my zone3 or they will still assign me zone1 route?

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Hi, if I bid out on AM EXTRA and be awarded that person RDOs and your. Do I also assigned that person home station/zone? If I live in zone3 and the person live in zone 1....when I awarded for the said bid, when I call OSAC...are they going to assign me assignment along with my zone3 or they will still assign me zone1 route?

You will remain working in the zone your home station is located. But honesty speaking being extra they can technically send you anywhere to work. Especially if you get bumped from that job. Typically they keep you working in the zone your home station is located. But don't be surprised if one day you call up and you're assigned to work in another zone. Or if you get assigned a board report and then from there they send you to work a job in another zone. Being an extra you're at the mercy of the needs of the system.

 

 

Station Supervisor

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