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UP cutting ~3000 workers in 2020

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UP cutting ~3000 workers in 2020
Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, January 23, 2020 5:32 PM
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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, January 23, 2020 5:48 PM

Surprise, Surprise - NOT!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, January 24, 2020 7:45 AM

And the survivors burnout even faster.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:08 AM

UP traffic and revenue in decline,  but cost-cutting boosted earnings and lowered OR below 60.

 

https://www.barrons.com/articles/union-pacific-stock-earnings-cost-cuts-revenue-freight-volume-51579789041

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, January 24, 2020 6:00 PM

Unless one is a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, h/she cannot open the complete article per the links above. 

What is the message?  Businesses should not lay off workers if business conditions change for the worse?  

Of the approximately 3,000 workers UP is furloughing or letting go, how many were given voluntary separation packages, early retirement packages, etc.  And what are the details? 

How many supervisors and managers are being let go?  Or given early retirement packages? 

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by CMStPnP on Friday, January 24, 2020 6:43 PM

I think they are going to regret that decision in the next 6-8 months. 

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, January 24, 2020 7:28 PM

PJS1
Unless one is a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, h/she cannot open the complete article per the links above. 

What is the message?  Businesses should not lay off workers if business conditions change for the worse?  

Of the approximately 3,000 workers UP is furloughing or letting go, how many were given voluntary separation packages, early retirement packages, etc.  And what are the details? 

How many supervisors and managers are being let go?  Or given early retirement packages?

How much institutional knowledge is be ushered to the door - so the mistakes of the past can be repeated and relearned in the future and at what cost?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:08 PM

BaltACD
 PJS1 Unless one is a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, h/she cannot open the complete article per the links above. 

What is the message?  Businesses should not lay off workers if business conditions change for the worse?  

Of the approximately 3,000 workers UP is furloughing or letting go, how many were given voluntary separation packages, early retirement packages, etc.  And what are the details? 

How many supervisors and managers are being let go?  Or given early retirement packages? 

How much institutional knowledge is be ushered to the door - so the mistakes of the past can be repeated and relearned in the future and at what cost? 

It depends on who is being let go.  And for how long.  Without any idea of who is departing, and for how long, you don't have a clue of the impact on the company.

The notion that corporations are dependent on a relatively small percentage of the workforce, including the executives, for their survival is unrealistic.  

An old boy once gave me a piece of advice that I have never forgotten.  Wanna know how important you are to this corporation?  Stick your hand in a bucket of water, withdraw it, and count the time it takes the ripples to subside.  He went on to say that every contributing employee is important, but none of them are indispensable.
 
Corporations are not welfare agencies.  They have to scale their operations, including their labor force, to current and probably market conditions.  If they don’t, they will wind up in the business graveyard, which has plenty of occupants.
 
One of the most effective ways to kill a competitive organization is to hang on to the old heads.  These are the folks that would not recognize a new, innovative idea that might save the company if their lives depended on it.  Apple, Microsoft, IBM, etc. have been successful, at least in part, because they have found ways to push out the marginal old heads and replace them with innovators. 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:27 PM

PJS1:  There's no need to guess about the content or complain about a firewall. Do you expect the WSJ to give it away free?  If they do,  they'll be out of business soon.  I summarized what UP is doing, sans editorializing, briefly above. 

"Are there no prisons?  Are there no workhouses?"

I don't think companies like Apple fire seasoned (not deadwood)  employees in the US at every downturn in the economy.  That is why they are successful. 

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:33 PM

charlie hebdo

PJS1:  There's no need to guess about the content or complain about a firewall. Do you expect the WSJ to give it away free?  If they do,  they'll be out of business soon.  I summarized what UP is doing, sans editorializing, briefly above. 

Very briefly!  Without any meat on the bones.  Your summary is useless to anyone that knows anything about how large corporations’ function.  Or what questions are important.  

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:35 PM

Then go and pay for a subscription,  what? 

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:38 PM

charlie hebdo
 Then go and pay for a subscription,  what? 

Then answer the questions that I raised regarding the terms of the furloughs or layoffs.  

Try summarizing the three major points in the article.  A person of your self  implied brilliance ought to be able to do that. 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:55 PM

I choose not to.  You are like a lazy student who wants everything done for them and when that isn't forthcoming,  they get nasty.  You are the only person on here who complains if you can't access an article and when you are given it, as we've witnessed with David K.,   you complain that it isn't summarized for you.  This is not the corporate suite, sir. 

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Posted by Euclid on Friday, January 24, 2020 8:57 PM

I can't read the linked articles either, but they may be something like this:

 

https://fox4kc.com/2020/01/03/union-pacific-is-railroading-the-community-union-leader-says-after-jobs-cuts-at-armourdale-yard/

 

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, January 24, 2020 9:00 PM

charlie hebdo
 I choose not to.  You are like a lazy student who wants everything done for them and when that isn't forthcoming,  they get nasty.  You are the only person on here who complains if you can't access an article and when you are given it, as we've witnessed with David K.,   you complain that it isn't summarized for you.  This is not the corporate suite, sir. 

Asking a presenter to summarize an article, especially one that does not appear in a publication that is not open to the public, is not unreasonable.  In fact, I was required to summarize material as an undergraduate and graduate student.  It is not just a skill confined to corporations.  

You have no idea of my work habits!  None!

A lazy student?  Well, I am glad to learn that there are no lazy retired professors participating in these forums.  Lazy is refusing to summarize the key points of an article that one if drawing reference to!

I pointed out that the linked websites are restricted.  And asked a few questions.  What I got was a nonsensical response about subscribing to the publications and accusations of laziness.

You are the most arrogant person that I have ever encountered on a forum of any kind.  You consistently talk down to people as if they should care.  I don't!  Believe me!

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, January 24, 2020 9:10 PM

Many of the best publications have firewalls these days.  

 

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, January 24, 2020 10:44 PM

PJS1
charlie hebdo
 Then go and pay for a subscription,  what?  

Then answer the questions that I raised regarding the terms of the furloughs or layoffs.  

Try summarizing the three major points in the article.  A person of your self  implied brilliance ought to be able to do that. 

From experience - buyouts go to the highest paid and most knowledgable in their field - aim, reduce payroll now, who cares about what they know.

Furloughs go to rank an file - if an when any are called back, the company will be LUCKY if they get 20% of those furloughed to return.  Once furloughed they will find other jobs and not want to give up whatever situation they have worked themselves into to return to the unstable nature of the railroad.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, January 24, 2020 11:19 PM

charlie hebdo

"Are there no prisons?  Are there no workhouses?"

 

Thank you. I read that in George C. Scott's voice, so it hit close to home. Our company took on a vice president in charge  of dispatching with widows and orphans in order to enhance the bottom line, so I'm living that reality. Sigh

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Saturday, January 25, 2020 8:40 AM

Better if they just hired corporate types like "the VP in charge of looking out the window" (a cartoon character of the Chicago CBS weatherman, PJ Hoff,  60 years ago) who do no real harm.  Progressive companies try to (or pay lip service to) take into account all their stakeholders: employees,  customers,  the environment and the public, not just stock owners and upper management. The WSJ (hardly a socialist rag) pointed out the numerous cutbacks and the rehires the UP has made starting in 2008.  Wasteful and shortsighted. 

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Posted by rrnut282 on Saturday, January 25, 2020 9:13 AM

Why should I have to pay the wsj so I can have an adult discussion with you?

If you choose to not summarize the talking points, then there there is no talking to be done.  

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by n012944 on Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:08 AM

BaltACD

 

 
PJS1
Unless one is a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, h/she cannot open the complete article per the links above. 

What is the message?  Businesses should not lay off workers if business conditions change for the worse?  

Of the approximately 3,000 workers UP is furloughing or letting go, how many were given voluntary separation packages, early retirement packages, etc.  And what are the details? 

How many supervisors and managers are being let go?  Or given early retirement packages?

 

How much institutional knowledge is be ushered to the door - so the mistakes of the past can be repeated and relearned in the future and at what cost?

 

 

Meh, that "institutional knowledge" is also a lot of "we have always done it this way" that prohibits changing with the times.

An "expensive model collector"

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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:35 AM

On the engineering side, loss of that "institutional knowledge" has caused mistakes to be reborn. (Case in point: The RTD crossing signal mess in Denver.)

Good railway engineering types to not grow on trees. They are a special breed. Many of the recent new-hires didn't last two years. (and the other end of the spectrum are retiring faster at an alarming rate.)

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by samfp1943 on Saturday, January 25, 2020 6:33 PM

BaltACD

 

 
PJS1
charlie hebdo
 Then go and pay for a subscription,  what?  

Then answer the questions that I raised regarding the terms of the furloughs or layoffs.  

Try summarizing the three major points in the article.  A person of your self  implied brilliance ought to be able to do that. 

 

From experience - buyouts go to the highest paid and most knowledgable in their field - aim, reduce payroll now, who cares about what they know.

Furloughs go to rank an file - if an when any are called back, the company will be LUCKY if they get 20% of those furloughed to return.  Once furloughed they will find other jobs and not want to give up whatever situation they have worked themselves into to return to the unstable nature of the railroad.

 

 

    I am just going to 'side step' the 'Food Fight'Sigh without further comment!SighSigh

  To Balt's comments: I think you are spot-on!    Currently, here in Wichita, we are just starting to deal with a major-layoff at Spirit Aviation. TRAINS readers have possibly seen the recent article, on the Boeing 737 Max airliner, and its rail envolved traffic via BNSF to final compleation near Seattle.  

  Many have read of the problems with this aircraft, and the crash related production recertifications of its systems(?).  Here at Spirit Aviation they have announced and started layoff/furloughs(?) of between 2 and 3K production employees...The management involved, has already been delt with... So the' news media' has stated that production might start around June(?)


Found the following linked article that sheds some light on that situation: linked @ https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/faa-says-737-max-could-return-sooner-than-boeing-said/ar-BBZiU5c?ocid=spartandhp

According to that, Spirit may not have to shed too many of the employee knowledge base..

 

 

 


 

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Posted by SFbrkmn on Saturday, January 25, 2020 8:08 PM

samfp1943

 The effects of the 737 max issue, in terms, of rail shipments was dealt w/many months ago. The regular assigned Boeing turn out of Newton was abolished last April. Service now is bk at the pre 2015 level working off the extra board and is called when needed.

 
BaltACD

 

 
PJS1
charlie hebdo
 Then go and pay for a subscription,  what?  

Then answer the questions that I raised regarding the terms of the furloughs or layoffs.  

Try summarizing the three major points in the article.  A person of your self  implied brilliance ought to be able to do that. 

 

From experience - buyouts go to the highest paid and most knowledgable in their field - aim, reduce payroll now, who cares about what they know.

Furloughs go to rank an file - if an when any are called back, the company will be LUCKY if they get 20% of those furloughed to return.  Once furloughed they will find other jobs and not want to give up whatever situation they have worked themselves into to return to the unstable nature of the railroad.

 

 

 

 

 

    I am just going to 'side step' the 'Food Fight'Sigh without further comment!SighSigh

  To Balt's comments: I think you are spot-on!    Currently, here in Wichita, we are just starting to deal with a major-layoff at Spirit Aviation. TRAINS readers have possibly seen the recent article, on the Boeing 737 Max airliner, and its rail envolved traffic via BNSF to final compleation near Seattle.  

  Many have read of the problems with this aircraft, and the crash related production recertifications of its systems(?).  Here at Spirit Aviation they have announced and started layoff/furloughs(?) of between 2 and 3K production employees...The management involved, has already been delt with... So the' news media' has stated that production might start around June(?)


Found the following linked article that sheds some light on that situation: linked @ https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/faa-says-737-max-could-return-sooner-than-boeing-said/ar-BBZiU5c?ocid=spartandhp

According to that, Spirit may not have to shed too many of the employee knowledge base..

 

 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Saturday, January 25, 2020 8:21 PM

mudchicken

On the engineering side, loss of that "institutional knowledge" has caused mistakes to be reborn. (Case in point: The RTD crossing signal mess in Denver.)

Good railway engineering types to not grow on trees. They are a special breed. Many of the recent new-hires didn't last two years. (and the other end of the spectrum are retiring faster at an alarming rate.)

 

Sadly true.  Unfortunately,  some neolithic corporate types think of people as interchangeable pieces in an assembly line,  not having a clue about how work experience sharpens skill sets. 

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:22 PM

n012944

 

 
BaltACD

 

 
PJS1
Unless one is a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, h/she cannot open the complete article per the links above. 

What is the message?  Businesses should not lay off workers if business conditions change for the worse?  

Of the approximately 3,000 workers UP is furloughing or letting go, how many were given voluntary separation packages, early retirement packages, etc.  And what are the details? 

How many supervisors and managers are being let go?  Or given early retirement packages?

 

How much institutional knowledge is be ushered to the door - so the mistakes of the past can be repeated and relearned in the future and at what cost?

 

 

 

 

Meh, that "institutional knowledge" is also a lot of "we have always done it this way" that prohibits changing with the times.

 

True.  But, meh, sometimes there's a reason "they've always done it that way."  Because it's the way that works best.

I'm reminded of reading a satire of sayings that businesses use in press releases.  One was something like "We're bringing in Mr/Mrs/Ms X as our new CEO.  Since he/she is from outside the industry, he/she doesn't know what can't be done."  The satirical translation was "They will end up remaking all the same mistakes that previous CEOs had already made."

Jeff

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Sunday, January 26, 2020 1:17 AM

jeffhergert
The satirical translation was "They will end up remaking all the same mistakes that previous CEOs had already made."

Disagree. The new CEO will be more likely to find new mistakes that nobody had seen before.

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, January 26, 2020 6:54 AM

ChuckCobleigh
 
jeffhergert
The satirical translation was "They will end up remaking all the same mistakes that previous CEOs had already made." 

Disagree. The new CEO will be more likely to find new mistakes that nobody had seen before.

Will repeat many of the old mistakes as well as make new original mistakes.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, January 26, 2020 9:41 AM

Old heads can be wise or hangers-on dead wood.  Young, new employees can be motivated to learn and strive for excellence  or be total slackers. 

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, January 26, 2020 11:59 AM

BaltACD

 

 
ChuckCobleigh
 
jeffhergert
The satirical translation was "They will end up remaking all the same mistakes that previous CEOs had already made." 

Disagree. The new CEO will be more likely to find new mistakes that nobody had seen before.

 

Will repeat many of the old mistakes as well as make new original mistakes.

 

And somehow still find another job after they fail at this one and blame others. 

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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