Eboy, Andy, Leigh, Ryan and Winwin volunteered to compete against two veteran workers in ice plantation.

Many big companies are also offering what are called "refresh vacations" - short sabbaticals for veteran workers, often accompanied by some money to help them have a good time.

"We have enough veteran workers so that things can go on."

The union also settled for a two-tier wage system that pays people hired since March 1987 substantially less than veteran workers.

The veteran workers, most of them grizzled tattoo types, really laid it on the novices: "Hey, college boy this" and "Hey, college boy that."

(Amtrak's veteran workers receive up to five full years of severance pay if their routes are shut down.)

In that case, veteran workers would assume the jobs in another department held by employees of lesser seniority, who would then be laid off.

Federal law provides that some veteran workers continue being paid for six years.

Buildings owners are promising that veteran workers will not be dismissed.

He said such a provision would have encouraged landlords to dismiss veteran workers and hire new ones.