The change applies to all employees with the exception of a small number of railroaders whose work apparel is governed by a collective bargaining agreement.
“CSX is committed to providing a safe work environment that supports and promotes the health and well-being of every employee through a wide range of safety training and programs,” says CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle in a statement to Trains News Wire.
“At the same time, employees are expected to contribute to their personal safety by following work rules and by ensuring they arrive on the job prepared to work safely, including with appropriate personal protective equipment,” Doolittle says.
He says the change is being made now to underscore the importance of that shared responsibility with employees.
As the railroad shifts the responsibility of buying safety apparel to its employees, company executives are gearing up for renovations to the Jacksonville corporate office building.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reported this week that CSX wants to spend $1.85 million in renovations to the 15th floor executive offices. The railroad intends to remodel more than 20,000 square feet of space for offices, meeting rooms, a recording studio, work cafe, a kitchen, and other improvements to executive suite space, the newspaper reported.
The renovations are reportedly for CEO E. Hunter Harrison and other top leaders.
Doolittle confirmed with Trains News Wire there are plans to upgrade the 15th floor, which houses most executive offices, but there are also plans to renovate other areas of the building as well.
“CSX is renovating several areas of its headquarters building at 500 Water Street in Jacksonville, in order to modernize and update the space and to accommodate changes to the office space needs of our staff,” says Doolittle.
“Projects include modifications to the lobby area, the entire 15th floor and several other locations throughout the 487,000-square-foot building,” he adds.
He says the work will take place at various times over the next year and will take place in phases to minimize disruption to employees.
What a touching commitment to safety. )-:
Brillant – CSX now under close watch by the STB. Hunter wants to “fix” things that aren’t broke ; Well, the shippers are unhappy. Maybe you should be focusing on customer service… Time for another Class 1 to put Crash=Smoke=eXit out of business.
So instead of spending money on safety, they’re spending money on luxury… I swear, Harrison is intentionally trying to tank CSX.
LOL.There is your $84 million at work
Will CSX really save much money making their employees purchase their own boots and clothing? I doubt it. What’s next? Making employees buy their own diesel fuel, paper towels and toilet paper for their locomotives?
Another company “focusing on our core business” and shrinking as it does so. The corporate officers will, of course, not be shrinking their compensation. The stock price will go up a bit and the “leaders” will take credit for (and a slice of) that. I wonder who made the mistake of releasing the new PPE policy at the same time as the announcement of the $1.85 million corporate office remodeling.
can’t wait for the lawsuits to start after someone gets hurt because CSX is too Cheap!
Harrison, what a douche
I guess spending money on single tracking is more important than paying for employee safety.
Joseph Markfelder, I agree with your assessment.
Freakin pathetic. Quit running the railroad into the ground.
Whatever money saved will go into executive bonus. Its the American way. Its what the people want. And will continue to be this way as long as the public maintains the status quo in the political arena.
At least the old railroad magnates and capitalists of the late 19th and early 20th century like Cornelius Vanderbilt,James J Hill, Edward Harrimann andHenry Flagler put their fortunes and money back into the railroadsthey built and owned and built railroad empires that shaped this economy and built this country. E Hunter Harrison is another example of today’s corporate America of what can you do for me and help me line
my own pockets at my employees expense, safety and well being. A few more years of Mr Harrison running CSX
and the railroad will be ready to be dismantled, sold off in pieces or shut down. That just might his ulterior motive:
get both employees and investors so disgusted with CSX that they will quit or sell off their stock and then Mr Harrison can take the best parts of CSX and merge it into his former employer CN. After all that is how corporate America operates today and the railroads are no exceptionto this “Divide and Conquer” and make those Wall Street honchos very happy and put money in their pockets for luxury cars, spacious mansions and
wild parties. All this while the employees risk life, limb and health to keep their jobs and their company running and perform their jobs with pride, and give it their utmost each day. Very sad indeed
Joseph C Markfelder
I have never worked anywhere that gave me free anything. I paid for shoes, boots, gloves, pants, shirts, etc.
So, what a shame, their going to have to pay for their own stuff. Maybe it’ll last longer.
Don’t paint capitalism with such a broad brush…unless you believe in communism/socialism. Most of what we have we owe to capitalism. However, if your intent is to say that capitalism is being abused and corrupted at CSX, you may have a legitimate point!
There are a lot of other companies that supply their clothes. Fast Food stores, Restaurants, Phone stores, etc. That’s the way it is, Bob.
@Joseph Manser. Anybody but EHH!!
I wonder if there’ll be a lot more soiled, worn out, reflective safety vests being worn by CSX employees as the months and years go by now that the employees are responsible for paying for them.
This is sad. I did not vote for EHH and the hedge fund co. All that I can see is CSX is going down hill and I doubt any one can save it.
All I can say is, “wow!”
I am aware, anecdotally, that many of the industrial employers do pay for–or give an allowance for–boots and other safety gear up here in Interior Alaska. This CSX move seems counter to where things are going in many, if not most, industries
Thank you EHH for giving me a big profit on the stock I just sold as I no longer want to be associated with your operation. I voted against you but waited a little while to sell after you won to see if you would actually improve things, but the steps you are taking to ruin morale among your employees, decrease safety, ruin relationships with customers and reward yourself for hurting others is too much. I hope someone will be there to pick up the pieces after you’re gone.
Read what Railway Age editor William Vantuono has to say:
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/william-vantuono/whats-going-on-at-csx.html?channel=00
How the hell are they supposed to run safely if they won’t provide PPE’s. But yet Harrison gets to work in luxury. Hard to run a railroad if all the employees hate you and don’t want to work.
Engineer Dover. Engineer Ben Dover. Please report to headquarters for your proctology exam!
How else can CSX provide more creature comforts and pay Harrison’s big bonus. Also remember what has happened to the stock. I guess the next thing is to reduce working employees and have those who remain do even more.
“CSX is committed to providing a safe work environment …” How on earth is CSX supposed to do that if they will not provide Personal Protective Equipment for any safety-sensitive position?! On top of recent rules changes, that statement by CSX spokeman Rob Doolittle (appropriate name!) is a mockery. Add to that the substantial layoffs and recent hump closures, the $1,8 million “investment” in the headquarters upgrades is a slap in the face to all union workers on CSX.