Feels like what was built for years is being destroyed overnight and is tumbling down like a house of cards. For mwe there is no dilemma that this leadership can’t stay too long in power, otherwise they will run this company to the ground. In any case, they have done too much damage already,and the question remains, will UP ever be able to replace the talented and experienced folks, after this all ends?
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In my experience working 9 years in the Mechanical Department, there are plenty of old heads that don’t know what they are doing. They have been going through the motions throughout their careers and have been able to do so due to the fact that nobody can touch them. They have been allowed to not learn how to actually be a craftsman.
The management knows who these people are and have to strategically put these individuals on jobs in which they can’t mess something up. I blame the unions for not forcing these “craftsmen” to learn their jobs, or be let go, as well as the management for not having the juevos to force these types of individuals out.
Reality is, these types of individuals are in abundance at UP and create a toxic work culture as the intelligent, hard working people, get overloaded with most of the work loads and eventually get burnt out as they see their “Brothers” getting away with doing very little due to their incompetence.
Yeah, newbies who know nothing and have no bad habits are much safer and more efficient than those who know what they are doing.
The ability of UP to attract and retain top corporate talent was always in question for the following reasons:
First, the company is based in Omaha. Nobody wants to live in Omaha.
Second, there is no work-life balance. Nobody wants to be on call 24/7/365, work 24 hour shifts, or be subject to recall from vacation (if you can even get your manager to approve it to begin with). Also, no sick time. Really.
Third, UP does not put people in positions that match their qualifications. If you're going to walk around calling yourself "Director of Track/Bridge/Signal Maintence" you should have something to your name besides a GED (ex. masters degree in transportation engineering and a state liscense).
Finally, there's the unions. Enough said.
Yes that champagne thing was super lame, and when the video panned around and showed who was in attendance it looked like they were taping the “Lawrence Welk Show”. I was actually embarrassed for them.
Actually, there's a ton of metrics that show that less experienced crews and shifts run with greater safety, efficiency, and are more on time with less waste. The earlier you were trained the worse your performance. The older folks could stand learn a lot from the young ones.
Breaking the champagne bottle inside a cloth bag? Oh come on, Lance! That was incredibly lame. Do it properly. Your employees can vacuum up the shards.
Guys relax. From UP social media:
“Union Pacific Chairman Lance Fritz and his wife, Julie, christen the Big Boy No. 4014 in Cheyenne. #Transcon150”
Everything will be alright. The big boy is coming.
After the dust settles, they will put a huge neon sign on top of the glass palace "ALL ABOARD NOW HIRING UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT" They will say that the old management has been replaced with new management and lure the next generation of workers with promises and the vicious cycle will continue as it has for 150 years. The UP way
They don't want experience or knowledge. They want people they can train to do it their way who don't know whether its right or not.
Running a railroad isn’t rocket science like some of these executives make it out to be. The only competent one left is Rob Knight. Lance and Beth are deceitful, incompetent, and going through the motions. Lischer??? Hahahahahaha. Yeah, OK. Let’s do servant leadership. Vena is just an instrument for Lance to have a fall boy. If you see them in public, express your disgust in them, let them know their decisions have consequences in the community. Don’t support the non-profits they sit on the boards of until they are removed.
In a word, no.