Amid gains, railroaders seeking quality-of-life improvements

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The contract imposed on railroad workers last fall didn’t resolve their quality-of-life issues, but there are indications the major freight railroads might start to address some of their concerns about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time. Most workers and their unions remain skeptical of the railroads because they say they have yet to see meaningful actions that improve their lives. The early limited signs of progress include a Union Pacific scheduling experiment that’s giving a handful of engineers four days off after they work 11 straight, and some changes CSX made to its attendance policy to let workers attend medical appointments without penalty.