RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Workers at Amtrak’s soon-to-close Riverside reservation call center are being offered a $15,000 relocation allowance or a one-time severance payment of $10,000, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Workers learned the terms of the agreement at a Wednesday meeting, after Amtrak and their union reached an agreement last week. [See “Amtrak, union reach agreement on relocation, severance for call center workers,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 26, 2018.]
The relocation allowance is for workers willing to transfer to the remaining Amtrak call center near Philadelphia. Workers were also told they might be able to take jobs selling tickets at Amtrak stations in California, but most would not have the senority to receive one of those positions, and most would require lengthy commutes.
The Riverside call center is scheduled to close Jan. 18, 2019.
Vincent, the cost of living in Philadelphia may be high by some standards, but I doubt it is higher than California. Of course, Texas is a better place to live even without an Amtrak reservation office. I have a relative who moved from Sunnyvale California to Austin, Texas. Austin is perhaps the most expensive city in Texas. He sold his 1200 foot condo in Sunnyvale, bought a 4500 square foot house in Austin, and invested the tens of thousands of dollars left over. At worst, a move from Riverside to Philadelphia would be a wash.
And skiing in the Poconos is as skiing on the bunny hill at Mammoth or any other half decent ski resort in Cali or Nevada, both within easy driving distance from Riverside. Taxes, cost of living and real estate in Philadelphai or anywhere in a 100 mile radius is ridiculous. You will all need a 15% raise just to buy Milk!
Actually, the Philadelphia area has several things going for it. Admittedly, the winters can be a bit drab, although they are not as bad as those in western Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
Philadelphia is close to the Pocono Mountains, which has some decent skiing. Also, it is an easy drive to the Jersey Shore, which has some nice beaches. And Philadelphia is close to New York, still one of the most exciting cities in the United States, as well as Washington D.C. with heaps of things to do and see.
If a supervisor or manager in the call center believes that h/she has a good future with Amtrak, moving could be a smart career move. Most of the $15,000 relocation allowance would be used up if h/she has three or four rooms of furniture to move, but moving to Philadelphia would not be the end of the world and for a career-oriented person it could be a good deal.
Two incentives for the move to Philadelphia are snow and more passenger trains. (You must love snow and passenger trains for this to work.)