Demetrios Vatistas, secretary and treasurer for SMART Transportation Division Local 281 (Milwaukee, Wis.), discussed working as a Metra conductor during the coronavirus pandemic with a Chicago-area newspaper.
Vatistas has been S&T for his local since February 2019 and a TD member since 1997.
“I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Vatistas told Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill., reporter Marni Pyke. “It is extremely weird. We’re so used to working hand-in-hand, side-by-side. This is our family away from home.”
But there is a sense of anxiety when reporting for and performing service these days, especially when boarding what can only be described as ghost trains, Vatistas said.
Metra ridership has fallen a staggering 97% since a stay-at-home order was enacted by Illinois’ governor in March, but Vatistas said that new bonds are being formed, albeit at a safe social distance.
“I see concern, but I also see compassion,” Vatistas told Pyke.
Read the full story from the Daily Herald.
Related News
- Montebello Transit Wins Longevity Pay, Wage Gains
- Representative Paul Evans Sells Out Oregon Railroaders
- PHOTO GALLERY: SEPTA Drivers Provide Bulletproof Barrier Feedback
- Strong Team Smooths Transition for New Local 406
- New Bills Pass Thanks to Teamwork and Communication
- SMART-TD Stands with FRA in Defense of Two-Person Crew Rule in Federal Appellate Court
- Coal trains roll as Michigan power plant gets a lifeline
- SMART-TD Calls for Legislative Action After Firearm Incident Involving Keolis Crew Member
- Who to call if you are injured or retaliated against for reporting a safety violation on the railroad
- In Loving Memory of Brother Darryl Redmon