UTU partners with Amtrak for training

The UTU, as a subcontractor to Amtrak, is in the final stages of developing a training manual – “Emerging Incidents Procedures” – for some 8,000 front-line Amtrak employees.

“The manual will be used as part of Amtrak’s 2012 Block Training cycle to assist frontline employees aboard trains, in stations and on platforms in developing skills related to situational awareness, observation, communication and response,” said UTU Training and Education Coordinator Bruce D. Feltmeyer

These Amtrak employees include conductors, assistant conductors, engineers, lead service attendants and on-board service employees.

“In preparation for developing the training manual, we performed an assessment of the Amtrak workplace culture by working with Amtrak police and utilizing electronic surveys and feedback from UTU regional meeting workshops,” Feltmeyer said.

“The assessment revealed the most prevalent problem was employees dealing with unruly passengers, which occurs not only at Amtrak, but at all ground service public transportation facilities in the United States,” Feltmeyer said.

“The training course will introduce scenario exercises and an array of techniques in understanding and dealing with them,” Feltmeyer said.

In November, the course materials will be delivered to Amtrak during UTU-team administered “Train-the-Trainer” session for 38 Amtrak facilitators.