Recent Hiring Process

[newone]

I have had my interview about a month ago, they said it would take about 3 weeks to get called back. After the interview your suppose to take the drug, vision, and other medical tests. I was only able to take the drug test because I didn't know you can only take the vision test with glasses and not contacts. So i had to wait another 2 week for my glasses to come in. So it has been about 4 weeks since the interview and about 2 weeks after my medical tests. How long should i still wait before trying to contact them. Or how long has the average person waited during the new part time driver hiring process?

[dre_cta6221]

I had did the same thing, had to actually get glasses, that would not hold you back. As soon as cta get the results, then they decide when its best to call back. I think it was a June when I finished all med, but didn't hear anything from them until November, but with the bus and redline project coming up, you sgouldnt have to wait that long. Trust me Its gonna come.

[newone]

Thanks for the input. I guess you were right, I got the call today. Guess I spoke to soon.

[pace2322]

Welcome to being a pto for 5 to 6 years!

[Busjack]

Welcome to being a pto for 5 to 6 years!

Which brings up a good issue. CTA was claiming that there would be permanent positions at the end of the project, but personally I don't see there being either that much attrition or growth in service.

[mkohut]

Which brings up a good issue. CTA was claiming that there would be permanent positions at the end of the project, but personally I don't see there being either that much attrition or growth in service.

Probably replace people who retire,quit,or got fire.

[Busjack]

Probably replace people who retire,quit,or got fire.

That's what the word "attrition" means.

But basically 400 at once?

[mkohut]

When i read the article in Crain Chicago Business about the talks with the Unions.How can Claypool say There going to layoff drivers tells me he is more clueless on what he is doing.

He isn't worth getting pay one dollar let alone 190,000 a year.

[newone]

Anyone know of a good garage to pick? Does the number of hours you get depend on how busy the garage is?

[Mr.cta85]

Anyone know of a good garage to pick? Does the number of hours you get depend on how busy the garage is?

If you're just starting depending on what side of town you live, you'll be lucky to get somewhere close instead you having to go across the city lol and as far as hours go, if you're part time you normally going to get no more than 30 hrs a week at any garage but hang in there cause it gets better.

[Guest]

You may get a choice of which garage to work out of depending on staffing. They will tell you what garages are available that have openings. The next thing you may want to consider if you like to work downtown, because it can be very challenging. If you do not prefer to work much downtown then of course choose a garage which has less downtown work. Pretty much every CTA garage serves downtown. Some more than others so either way you will get it. The heaviest downtown service is assigned by North Park, Kedzie and 77th. Good luck to you! :)

[Busjack]

Anyone know of a good garage to pick? Does the number of hours you get depend on how busy the garage is?

You may get a choice of which garage to work out of depending on staffing. They will tell you what garages are available that have openings.

This gives rise to the following question: Are the 400 just being hired for the Red Line Dan Ryan shuttles, or are they just going to the bottom of any general or garage pick on the PTO board?*

_________

*Not being on the inside, I wouldn't know, but am curious.

[See Tea Eh]

This gives rise to the following question: Are the 400 just being hired for the Red Line Dan Ryan shuttles, or are they just going to the bottom of any general or garage pick on the PTO board?*

_________

*Not being on the inside, I wouldn't know, but am curious.

Just as with three-track a few years ago, they are being hired to increase the pool of available drivers to accommodate the increased need for drivers for the shuttles.

Hiring a group of drivers to only drive Red Line shuttles would be an administrative headache and, depending on how the work is assigned, possibly run afoul of union rules regarding who gets to work what (in case a more senior operator wanted to work a shuttle, but such work was unavailable because it's only going to the brand-new hires).

[dre_cta6221]

I personally don't think the shuttle work is only for the new hires, that work is probably pickable

[BusHunter]

This gives rise to the following question: Are the 400 just being hired for the Red Line Dan Ryan shuttles, or are they just going to the bottom of any general or garage pick on the PTO board?*

_________

*Not being on the inside, I wouldn't know, but am curious.

No, that's just how CTA is spinning it in the press. They would not want to have the headache of 400 new employees at the same time at the Ryan shutdown. Most likely it will just be a part of the spring pick. If no one picks it and your the low man on the pole we'll then that's where you'll go. It will probably be a blend of new and older hires.

[jajuan]

You may get a choice of which garage to work out of depending on staffing. They will tell you what garages are available that have openings. The next thing you may want to consider if you like to work downtown, because it can be very challenging. If you do not prefer to work much downtown then of course choose a garage which has less downtown work. Pretty much every CTA garage serves downtown. Some more than others so either way you will get it. The heaviest downtown service is assigned by North Park, Kedzie and 77th. Good luck to you!

You forgot about 103rd. It has a lot of downtown work also.

[dre_cta6221]

K and NP got the most downtown routes

[Busjack]

K and NP got the most downtown routes

Since FG says that 62 is going to 74th, that's about the only downtown route for that garage. Of course, one would have to consider that most of the work would be in Englewood.

There was also the story [apparently only archived here] that the senior drivers get the easier routes, but with a pick system based on seniority, that shouldn't be a surprise, which means that if you are the last to be hired....

[trainman8119]

There was also the story [apparently only archived here] that the senior drivers get the easier routes, but with a pick system based on seniority, that shouldn't be a surprise, which means that if you are the last to be hired....

I would disagree somewhat with that statement. Many factors are considered when making picks. At one time it was a favorite route, which may not apply now with the amount of interlining. Sometimes is is certain days, perhaps a time of day. Often, and perhaps most important would be what the run pays...very high on an old timers list of preferences. The idea that the old timers pick the easier work dosen't necessarily apply and I would think is more fiction than fact.

[Busjack]

I would disagree somewhat with that statement. Many factors are considered when making picks. At one time it was a favorite route, which may not apply now with the amount of interlining. Sometimes is is certain days, perhaps a time of day. Often, and perhaps most important would be what the run pays...very high on an old timers list of preferences. The idea that the old timers pick the easier work dosen't necessarily apply and I would think is more fiction than fact.

Going back to the video, apparently Dane Placko's complaint [despite the title] was that the junior driver got the hard downtown work, and allegedly [according to Plaintiff's attorney] wasn't experienced enough to handle it. Obviously, the junior driver gets whatever is left, with or without psychoanalyzing the senior driver's pick.:lol:

[jajuan]

K and NP got the most downtown routes

103rd isn't exactly slouching with doing runs on seven downtown routes, most of which use a lot of buses, is the point I'm making. Based on the garages section on the forum it has the same number of routes going downtown as 77th.

[trainman8119]

Going back to the video, apparently Dane Placko's complaint [despite the title] was that the junior driver got the hard downtown work, and allegedly [according to Plaintiff's attorney] wasn't experienced enough to handle it. Obviously, the junior driver gets whatever is left, with or without psychoanalyzing the senior driver's pick.

The last driver in the video backed up my claim..."if you want me to work the 151, put the $$ on it."

And, if you are trained right, shouldn't make any difference if you drive the 151 or the 43. It has been this way since the beginning of time, now all of a sudden it is a problem.

[Busjack]

The last driver in the video backed up my claim..."if you want me to work the 151, put the $ on it."

And, if you are trained right, shouldn't make any difference if you drive the 151 or the 43. It has been this way since the beginning of time, now all of a sudden it is a problem.

I guess, though, that you are missing that the topic of this thread is the new driver.

On the 43, you get about 2 miles of Bronzeville and one of Canaryville.

Which gets back to my point; newbie is going to get what's left, and depending on the garage, gets downtown on most of them, gets mostly Englewood from 74, and, except for 56, gets the northside from FG, either the congested crosstown routes (like 77 and 81) or the relatively nothing routes on the far northwest side (although a few fewer of them on the next pick than previously).

Also, probably has to deal with school runs from any garage.

[trainman8119]

I guess, though, that you are missing that the topic of this thread is the new driver.

On the 43, you get about 2 miles of Bronzeville and one of Canaryville.

Which gets back to my point; newbie is going to get what's left, and depending on the garage, gets downtown on most of them, gets mostly Englewood from 74, and, except for 56, gets the northside from FG, either the congested crosstown routes (like 77 and 81) or the relatively nothing routes on the far northwest side (although a few fewer of them on the next pick than previously).

Also, probably has to deal with school runs from any garage.

I am not disputing the newbies getting whats left. The implication was that a new driver should not be driving the higher volume 151 route, which was BS. That is why my statement of 151 vs 43...shouldn't make a difference. And, again...has been going on since the beginning of time...now its a problem.

[newone]

I guess they really have been doing a lot of hiring, since they had to push my start date back another month.