BNSF News

Tuesday Is the Last Day for "Year B" Transportation Employees to Choose Training Preference for 2010

2009-11-30

On Nov. 1, all Transportation employees were notified of their assigned "Year A" or "Year B" status through the Transportation Support System (TSS), as part of BNSF's new training initiative for 2010.

Employees assigned to "Year B" training were given 30 days -- by end of the day Tuesday, Dec. 1 -- to select either instructor-led training (ILT) or computer-based training (CBT) for 2010. If you are a "Year B" employee and you haven't made your selection, please input your selection in TSS by the end of the day Tuesday, Dec. 1. Employees who fail to make a selection will be assigned to CBT.

Employees will learn their assigned training dates for 2010 on Dec. 15 via TSS.

As a reminder:

• The rules training program will include instruction on the meaning and application of selected GCOR, ABTH and safety rules.
• Rules testing will now be "open book."
• "Year B" locomotive engineers will receive their normal annual ride with a road foreman of engines.
• As outlined in the United Transportation Union (UTU) agreement, employees who choose the CBT option will be eligible for an incentive payment if they successfully complete their "Year B" training by their scheduled date.
• A UTU employee who misses his or her assigned training date will be required to take the course via CBT without receiving an incentive payment.

If an employee's scheduled vacation conflicts with assigned training dates, the employee should contact his or her division's field training manager as soon as possible to determine alternate training dates. Employees will be paid for the time they spend in training in both years, as outlined in labor agreements. Employees' training time will count toward hours of service but will not count as a start. For details, employees can consult the hours-of-service rules.

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