UP quickens pace of hiring

[zardoz]

OMAHA, Neb. - The nation's largest railroad is hiring train crews as people retire and the economy picks up.

Union Pacific Railroad added about 1,000 conductors and engineers to its 46,000-person work force through August and plans to hire 1,000 more by the end of the year, company spokesman Mark Davis said Thursday.

"Because the economy and our traffic began to pick up a little bit, we are trying to hire," Davis said.

Up to 3,000 workers could be hired next year for positions across the railroad, in large part to fill spots vacated by people retiring and other factors, Davis said.

The railroad, owned by Omaha-based Union Pacific Corp., had announced in January that in the face of higher fuel prices and wages, as well as increased health care and insurance costs, it would lay off 300 people this year and not fill 700 more positions as people left or retired. Many of those layoffs involved management workers and were largely unrelated to the current hiring of train crews, Davis said.

Other factors involved in the current hiring push include positions temporarily left by people on military leave for service in Iraq (news - web sites), quickened retirement rates as workers with 30 years of service are allowed to retire with full benefits at age 60 instead of 65, and workers taking advantage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, Davis said.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040808/ap_on_bi_ge/union_pacific_hiring_3
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I can't resist:
The railroad needs to HIRE 3000 T&E crews, and the railroad wants to LAYOFF up to 1000 management employees.

Does this mean that the UP has realized that overloading it's payroll with (apparently) useless managers is not the way to run a railroad.

[Anonymous]

Gotta line someones pockets.....

[Junctionfan]

What the heck do polymangerial positions accomplish (made the word up myself); if you are needing to increase crews but it is costing too much money and they keep thease useless executives on. I know corporations like the B.S with having senoir vice presidents, assistant vice presidents and executive vice presidents but what the heck do they do really. As the old saying goes. "too many chiefs, not enough indians".

[Anonymous]

JF-

The number of railroad executives and staffers has been decreasing for some time. Most of the UP's hiring is to be operating crews, MOW and signal types with a few mechanical folks as well. Check out the positions offered at the UP website and you'll see.

LC

[Mookie]

Z: I am pleased to see this happening. Our whole country is very top heavy and they are starting to realize that all managers, no workers doesn't add up! Maybe a wave of change is coming. Then maybe I can put away the gun they use to shoot themselves in the foot - at least for awhile!

[soapbox] Mook