LAST EDITED ON 08-08-13 AT 08:22 AM (EST)His union isn't cringing over this. He essentially has a job for life thanks to union protection.
The unions forced train companies to keep Brakemen on the job even after the advent of braking systems that eliminated their job, which originally was applying brakes to individual cars. They have been given a few other jobs to do around an on trains, but they are still called brakemen.
Even conductors have very little to do on freight trains, but a conductor's job (as is the brakeman's) job is secure for life.