During the time between calls to service the railroad is forbidden from contacting or in any other way disturbing the employee so that he/she may receive proper, restorative rest.

What was overlooked in the passage of this law was the very limited time railroaders have off of work. Known as a rest day(s), this is the period of time railroaders need to attend to all the matters that cannot be dealt with while on call to the railroad; typically 24 to 48 hours off duty.

Railroads have adopted a tactic by which they attempt to increase the availability of an employee who is in observance of a "rest day(s)". The railroad will simply continuously call and employee and ask them to work repeatedly destroying any opportunity to engage in meaningful rest. This will often be done from once to as many as 10-12 times per 24 hour period.

By signing this petition you are lending your support to an amendment to the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 whereby any contact from the railroad to the employee will result in a federally mandated additional 10 hours of UNDISTURBED rest at the discretion of the disturbed employee.

This petition will be distributed to to all pertinent rail Union Legislative Departments for their use in securing this important adjustment to the current law.