Tipping on Amtrak

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I hope you are correct about the Amtrak staff getting a fair wage, etc, but none of us here seem to know, it is all assumptions as far as I can see?
No, it's not an assumption. Starting pay for on-board is $21 per hour plus benefits. You are welcome to tip them and I generally do, but many people work jobs for $21 per hour that don't get benefits and aren't allowed to accept tips - it shouldn't be expected to tip amtrak employees.
 
No, it's not an assumption. Starting pay for on-board is $21 per hour plus benefits. You are welcome to tip them and I generally do, but many people work jobs for $21 per hour that don't get benefits and aren't allowed to accept tips - it shouldn't be expected to tip amtrak employees.
Interesting to know. Are on-board staff paid that rate for all the hours they are away from home aboard the train, or just when on duty, serving?
 
Starting pay for on-board is $21 per hour plus benefits. You are welcome to tip them and I generally do . . .
It was interesting to finally get some idea of what onboard personnel are paid. We don’t ask very much of our SCA’s other than that they take our meal orders and delivery our meals to us in our bedroom when requested. As long as they do that, we will continue to tip them. The only other Amtrak people we feel obligated to tip are the Red Cap cart drivers who take us to and from the Metropolitan Lounge, a service we very much appreciate. And we don’t particularly care if the people we tip share their tips with others or report them honestly to the IRS.
 
IF I get assistance with my bags, etc while boarding (I pay for bedroom—not roommate), I tip half of what I plan for the trip immediately. I tell them I appreciate the help and want them to have something in case I don’t see them at the end. I find they show up to assist during and at the end of my trip.

If I get no assistance up front, unless they do something special during the journey, they get nothing, since they’ve done nothing special.
 
I hope you are correct about the Amtrak staff getting a fair wage, etc, but none of us here seem to know, it is all assumptions as far as I can see?
I do feel sad that millions of regular US jobs have no paid holidays, etc, etc, etc. Why do you think that is ? (At least those union troublemakers don't stir up things by trying to obtain benefits and paid holidays... Bloody unions, eh? ) :D :D :cool:
https://www.payscale.com/research/U..._Railroad_Passenger_Corporation)/Hourly_Rate#
 
Amtrak on-board service employees also have a strong union. It is very hard to find actual union contract pay scales, but this announcement from their last negotiation shows that they have secured raises well above projected inflation each year through 2028, plus retirement and medical insurance coverage that is very generous when compared to the private sector:

https://www.tcunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Clerical-Amtrak-2023-ratification-packet.pdf
That's great, except the memo is in regards to ticket office and clerical people, not OBS. The OBS people do not have a strong union and they recently voted down their new contract offer because it was so bad....
 
That's great, except the memo is in regards to ticket office and clerical people, not OBS. The OBS people do not have a strong union and they recently voted down their new contract offer because it was so bad....
The OBS folks bargain under the banner of the Amtrak Service Workers Council. From what I can tell the unions in the ASWC include Unite HERE, TCU-IAM, which I assume goes back to the Sleeping Car Porters of A Philip Randolph, which merged into what became TCU (BRAC at the time of the merger.) ARASA which is part of TCU-IAM, and I want to say TWU for some reason. Maybe more unions are involved. None of the unions have enough membership to have any pull but none of the unions want to loss any members. So they have this council that acts as the union but then it splits apart for individual workers it would seem. Some of the unions in the ASWC may be doing great work and others not so much in repping their members, which I assume is mostly dealing with grievances and contract enforcement. I think TCU leads the negotiations.

I assume the TCU members that are station agents have a separate contract and I am not sure about red caps which are closer to OBS staff but are not on trains.
 
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I can afford to tip somewhat generously, and I usually do.

When my SCA comes to my room to greet me, I generally tip them $20, even for a day trip. In my experience, this has resulted in better-than-good service, especially if I'm not feeling particularly social that day and prefer to have meals delivered to my room. In the dining car and café, I also tip. Sure, I don't have to tip, but I just do. Their salary is immaterial to me.

There was one trip when I didn't tip my SCA. She didn't come to the room to greet me on boarding, offered nothing, made no announcements, didn't answer the call buttons, didn't help passengers with luggage, wasn't present at stops, didn't keep the car clean or stocked (including the washroom) — just sat in her room with her earphones the whole time. :confused:
 
I always tip on Amtrak unless the service is poor or non-existent but I recognize that it is somewhat absurd given the fact that Amtrak employees seem to be well paid and many give the impression, based on my observation, that they don't give a hoot about tips. Others may have different observations.
The last time I was in a sleeper I tipped on boarding at NYP. And at bed time for the SCA he came by and said goodnight and mentioned the conductor would see us off. I think he also asked if I wanted my bottom chair made into a bed and I was fine reclining without a full bed. I gave him the remainder of what I had planned for the tip. We was grateful for the tip and seemed sincere is his gratitude but it also was NOT followed by "I can pay my bills now." Everything else aside, I have had mostly elderly black males as SCA though not exclusively. Being a white southern male I can't help but be aware of the optics of that but regardless of gender or race I will take care of a union brother to the best of my ability. But I am glad they are not working for tips either.
I have never had bad service. Even when we derailed under WAS they came by and checked on us for injuries first and then came by and offered water it seems. And they had other priorities so I was OK with that. I also don't have high expectations or should I say high needs, and given the times of the Crescent in Greensboro we don't need a bed and I can pull the top down myself and set it up if we take a late morning nap. It is kind of part of the experience to me.
 
I wish I could remember the name of the young man who ran the diner car like a gulag! He was put out when asked for rolls, threw butter cakes at us and scolded a young girl for putting her napkin on her plate! I was the only one who tipped him at all the meals!!! And only cuz I used to be a waitress!
 
I wish I could remember the name of the young man who ran the diner car like a gulag! He was put out when asked for rolls, threw butter cakes at us and scolded a young girl for putting her napkin on her plate! I was the only one who tipped him at all the meals!!! And only cuz I used to be a waitress!
Earlier posts to this thread have provided some indication as to how much Amtrak employees are paid compared to the bad old days when dining car waiters, porters, and other onboard staff people had to derive much of their income from tips. Although everyone should receive a decent salary based on the work they do, the old tipping system did provide an incentive for employees to provide good service and to be courteous to everyone they came in contact with (even those who tried their patience.) Service on the old extra fare trains like the Twentieth Century Limited and the Santa Fe Super Chief was outstanding. The fact that the passengers on those trains were also “well heeled” and able to offer generous tips undoubtedly helped to maintain this high level of service. People who rode those deluxe trains on a regular basis often became good friends with members of the onboard staff and would arrange their travel schedules to be on the same trains with them.
 
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Next week I'm taking a long trip on the CZ, CS and EB. 8 days on the train,all in roomettes.

I want to bring cash to tip the dining car staff, but can't find any menu prices on which to base the 15% - 20% tip?

I'll tip the SCA $10/night.

In case anyone is interested...

Cleveland - Chicago (LSL)
Chicago - Emeryville (CZ)
Emeryville - Oakland Jack London (CA. Service)
Hotel overnight
Oakland - Santa Barbara (CS)
2 nights hotel
Santa Barbara - Portland (CS)
Portland - Chicago (EB)
Chicago - Cleveland (LSL)

All using guest rewards points.
 
On both VIA and Amtrak, I tip the dining car waiter serving me a flat $5 for breakfast, $5 for lunch, $10 for dinner. If there is another adult in my party, usually he/she/they handle their own tip. No kids so not relevant to discussion. Cafe attendents $1 or $2 depending on my purchase, maybe more if they create a special cocktail (example: VIA, bloody mary made from scratch / to order). SCA $10 per night.
 
Amtrak on-board service employees also have a strong union. It is very hard to find actual union contract pay scales, but this announcement from their last negotiation shows that they have secured raises well above projected inflation each year through 2028, plus retirement and medical insurance coverage that is very generous when compared to the private sector:

https://www.tcunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Clerical-Amtrak-2023-ratification-packet.pdf

I can personally testify that the OBS employees do NOT have a strong union. The OBS employees as stated earlier voted down their contract offer. Because the union officials didn't listen to their members in my opinion. The vote was an overwhelming "NO". I think it was something llike 80% of the votes being casted as a "NO" vote. I will refrain from making other comments about Section 6 contract talks.
 
I was a newspaper carrier, the tips I received were more than half of what I earned on my route.

Tips make the recipient feel good. If someone is having a bad day and receives a 5% tip they are going to feel bad if they are used to 15 to 20%. So good or bad I try to leave 20% or better.

On Amtrak giving a tip first thing helps out on future service. On my first purchase at the café I left the LSA a $10 tip and I could tell he was happier, especially as he told me it was midway on an 8 day trip.

On another trip the SCA may have been at fault for not turning down my roomette (day and a half trip) and as I departed the train, he looked sad and I gave him $20 anyway and he lit up. On another leg of a later trip my SCA was so courteous and polished. He received a $30 tip - just for overnight. It was a great start for the SCA on theTexas Eagle.

For someone that used to walk from North Station and South Station and back every workday it’s not fun 40 years later to be somewhat disabled. But it is sure nice to have a Red Cap handy to get you as close to the train car as possible. Two five dollar bills worked out.

In the diner about 20% of estimate of the meal value.

While traveling in coach, there is someone who tends to the restrooms, sanitizes, sweeps the floor, and takes care of the trash bins. I think they are assigned two cars and are kept pretty busy. I am wondering whether they get tips. On a trip this one gal works so hard on the EB when I got off in Spokane and I just mentioned to her that I appreciated her work. Should I tip?
 
Have times changed?

I took the Acela in First today from Boston to New York. I noticed that the five people who got off the train ahead of me didn't tip at all. I tipped the first class service attendant $10 as I thought was customary, and he seemed grateful for it.
 
Have times changed?

I took the Acela in First today from Boston to New York. I noticed that the five people who got off the train ahead of me didn't tip at all. I tipped the first class service attendant $10 as I thought was customary, and he seemed grateful for it.
Well.. Acela is mostly competing with Air Travel - I don't think I've ever seen a 1st Class FA get tipped. So I don't think that role would usually get tipped.
 
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