I wonder where the CEO does when all this is going on. Very sad way to run what was and should be the premier railroad in the country. The next CEO needs to be someone who came up through the railroad ranks so they understand the railroad world and our people. This is a long term business and investment not a get rich quick investor scheme. This approach will leave the railroad bleeding.
Original poster is @W7bKbOp-gsz, moved to a thread for being on point.
Lance Fritz came to Spring, TX and told us that they were implementing precision scheduled railroading. In the same breath, he said that he made a mistake with the job title changes and that there wouldn’t be any layoffs. The very next day he slipped in an analyst call and inadvertently said that there would be 20-30% planned layoffs like other Class I’s.
Shame on Lance for knowing what the outcome would be and not having the ‘courage’ and leadership to tell his team. What is done in the dark will soon be brought to light. All of the shady behind the scenes plans will ultimately be the demise and legacy of Lance and his ‘team’. He will slither away with a bag of money, run for office and leave Omaha’s proud company in the rearview.
Jim Young would have been forced out by investors for not making changes that other railroads were to cut costs. He would have fought to the end, but he would have lost his job if he wasn't on board. That's the corporate environment we live in today.
Jim Young would have stood up to them. Jim Young would have done the hard thing...the right thing.
While I have no love (or respect) for Lance Fritz, I blame Hunter Harrison's (RIP) slash and burn Scheduled Railroading for UP's state. By decimating jobs and service at CN, CP, and CSX, Harrison's style of customer-be-damned railroading and high stockholder returns must be placing UP executives under tremendous pressure to emulate his "successes." I wonder how Jim Young would have handled this same situation?
Often, but not always, former employees feel better about themselves bashing those who are still working there. As a current employee, I put my time in at MY company that pays ME. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with calling the company my company I work for. And there is NOTHING wrong for wanting to survive a layoff. There is NOTHING wrong with wanting to keep my job. To those who call us s---ers for staying, not my problem and frankly it’s none of your business. Literally, not your business.
Yeah stop the line - you do that.
"the owners call the shots here - not the employees."
Wrong answer. We can stop the line virtually any minute of the day. Supervision, in general, is clueless. I think employees have a lot more leverage than you may realize. The "Owners" need to be very very careful or the house of cards may come falling down. Re-regulation can quickly happen with the right administration in power also. They better be awfully careful indeed.
I will not face the music and I will not leave. Who's gonna make me?
If you don't own shares, it's not your railroad, you work for the owners and you're expendable, just like the rest of us. Get over it, do your job, and hope you get to keep it.
Fritz is the biggest violator of our ethics, gets on locomotives with crews on the train under the influence of alcohol and says he can do what ever he wants!! Holds dinner trains with the Nebraska Govenor to push for a run at a Senate seat. What a joke this guy is and doesn't value one employee whatsoever..... Definaten Definition of an over paid Doushe Canoe!!!
When the owners walk Lance out the door will be a great day.
Chairman Young didn't have these issues. He said the UP was it's employees and was making record profits then as well. When Jim Young died so did the UP
Take your "add value" and "de clutter" and file them with the "Ethics" tag line. There are so many still employed who have been in trouble, but those who do the job the right way are our the door.
Safety rules are being eliminated and ethics are a joke.
So get a clue and anonymous enjoy, your new UP hope the cuts don't get to you, for your family's sake anyway.
If you felt that strongly about it “former loyal railroader” then the joke’s on you. You joined a company that at the time was nearly 120 years old. It’s chewed up and spit out hundreds of thousands of employees. You should have known going in you were meaningless and don’t matter. I’ve alraddy realized it and the day I walk out the door I won’t look back. It’s just a job. Get over yourself.
This is for you ‘get a clue’
You must still have your job?
UPRR is my railroad. I put 38 years of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, endless extra hours, evenings, holidays, missing family events and unspeakable stress into making my piece of UPRR great. As have many other long time loyal railroaders. Don’t tell us it’s not our railroad.
Many of the people who have been walked off the property with this last wave and prior had Union Pacific Railroad running thru their veins. Don’t tell us this is not our railroad.
The lack of understanding by the rank and file employees in this company is astounding. If Fritz doesn’t do this then our owners will hire someone who will. Investors are OWNERS. You work for them - and own NOTHING. Stop acting like this is your railroad - it’s not. You don’t like it - then leave. The complaining around here is just amazing. This is the reality of being a public company - but many outside of HQ don’t see or understand it. Investors PAID $100 million to install Harrison at the CSX. They will have no problem making all our lives even more miserable if we don’t produce. They are actually giving Lance a very short leash before they override him. Again either face the music or leave. But make no mistake - the owners call the shots here - not the employees.