Union Pacific plans to cut 700 jobs, Ed Dickens & Steam Shop Crew Will Survive

Well I don't want to spread negative mojo, but I am having serious doubts about the 4014 being ready by next May.

Expect a lot more layoffs if/when PSR is implemented...

Very intesting consider that they are advertising jobs through out the midwest and upper midwest with a $10K bonus on Facebook and other social media platforms

PSU1980 posted:

Very intesting consider that they are advertising jobs through out the midwest and upper midwest with a $10K bonus on Facebook and other social media platforms

Those are for actual workers, and NOT supervisory positions, which are the ones being eliminated.

What is 4014 & PSR ?

eddie g posted:

What is 4014 & PSR ?

4 numbers and 3 letters, in that order.

The steam engine and the CSX's Precision Service(??) Railroading of EHH fame. NS is talking PSR but sounds like  BS for the investors.

I take trailers to two UP yards in the Chicago area every day. Their yards are jammed packed with trailers. Seems like they have the business coming in. I am surprised they are laying off workers.

Dan986 posted:

I take trailers to two UP yards in the Chicago area every day. Their yards are jammed packed with trailers. Seems like they have the business coming in. I am surprised they are laying off workers.

“These cuts to our general and administrative structure typically do not affect those on the ground,” said Kristen South, Union Pacific public relations representative. “Usually, these are not the people moving or working on the trains.”

Like many companies over the years, it looks like UP loaded up on middle managers and is now trimming those positions.

In results released Thursday, Union Pacific announced a 33 percent improvement in third-quarter profits, earning $1.6 billion – higher than its $1.2 billion during the same time last year.

I don't think you'll hear the stockholders complaining.

Rusty

PSU1980 posted:

Very intesting consider that they are advertising jobs through out the midwest and upper midwest with a $10K bonus on Facebook and other social media platforms

More than likely removing some of the administrative/management layers but adding to the ranks of T&E crews.

Probably not a bad thing if UP is overly heavy at the middle and top. 

I have heard recently that UP is gaining so much traffic in the Houston area that even with the Brazos Yard in Hearne, the lines in the Houston area will remain busy.

Maybe some of the managers could apply to be trained to run trains.

I noticed the 951 nose is no longer "naked", for UNION PACIFIC is above the headlight.  But that and the X951 in the number boards do not look "right".  Is ot me.....

Received two copies of the Official Union Pacific Calendar in today’s mail. They have a lot of dates as related to the Big Boy, Golden Spike Ceremony and much more.

Shot with an iPhone 7 Plus

Gary: Rail-fan

Just like the rest of the class one railroads, they are finally trimming the fat in the middle and upper managment where there is an abundance of six figure salaries. Long overdue!!!

Incentives are being offered for craft postions across the board for a couple class ones railroads as well. What once was a highly desireable job....is no longer. BNSF has been paying $15K to conductor trainees because no one was applying for the advertised jobs when they used to get hundreds of applications. It's no longer a long term career...as soon as you're hired, they are trying to terminate you.

Could be a lot of things, could be consolidating operations positions have been made redundant, could be they reorganized their management and found places they don't need people. I feel sorry for anyone losing a job, whether they are line workers or middle level management, those people have families, and given the way companies do layoffs in non union positions, likely they are people who have worked there a while (managers at companies like UP often are guys who worked their way up from line jobs), likely older personnel with a lot of years in the place (and thus, making more money). Could also be they are doing this because of pressure from financial industry analysts and or so called active investors to cut back labor costs, wouldn't surprise me. Just because someone is a manager doesn't mean all they do is push pencils, any more than the people (usually white collar) who claim that line workers are all sloughing off, that there is all kinds of featherbedding and "Big Al's" sitting around drinking coffee, when layoffs happen a lot of good people tend to lose jobs, period, and one thing managers and white collar employees have with the folks down in the trenches is that upper level managers, finance people and the stock analysts and hedge fund types see them all as a cost to be slashed and cut any way possible *shrug*. 

Hot Water posted:

PSU1980 posted:

Very intesting consider that they are advertising jobs through out the midwest and upper midwest with a $10K bonus on Facebook and other social media platforms

Those are for actual workers, and NOT supervisory positions, which are the ones being eliminated.

I’ ve not read about it, but I assume the 200 contract positions were not supervisory. I’d also suspect that the 400 plus will at least partially come from retirement offers similar to many other large companies. If enough retirements are signed up, then it’s less likely to be a deep cut.  This happens regularly as the economy rolls up and down.  It is unfortunate but very common.

Dan986 posted:

I take trailers to two UP yards in the Chicago area every day. Their yards are jammed packed with trailers. Seems like they have the business coming in. I am surprised they are laying off workers.

Those are some big yards too. 

I am so happy I am a retired Analyst!!!!

I know all corps want to run 'lean and mean' today.....more and more with each quarter that passes.  I do not know anything about UP structure or operations. But it does make me wonder if someday they will make cuts, see a bump up in profits....but a few months down the road feel a real impact from the cuts......and with the job market like it is....could you get any of them back??? A much more difficult business world today than when I was performing 'Due Diligence' on some of the largest bank mergers of the era.......those seem simple today as I look back.