Coy R. Kitterman’s letter, “Railroad workers have it rough,” (Our Readers’ Views, Dec. 1), explains a lot about the railroad labor situation. The “extra board,” to which Kitterman refers, has long been a staple of railroads. I, too, worked on a railroad extra board, as a signalman. Days could go by without work, or I might be called one day at a time for different shifts. If I did get scheduled for a full week, it was likely for two 8 a.m. shifts, two 4 p.m. shifts and a midnight.
Is it any wonder that employee fatigue is a leading cause of railroad accidents?
