Serious question for anyone that lives in Omaha or has an educated answer. Do local people see it as a greedy and unethical employer? Or do they love it still or did they ever? Or does anyone even care?
It’s funny how at UP the town of Omaha is usually referenced in a derogatory manner amongst field employees. I wonder how people in Omaha think about UP.
UP was a hometown favorite where it was almost impossible to get hired without some kind of connection. Layoffs are tarnishing their reputation in Omaha now though. People seem eager to hire UP talent, but it’s not like they’re falling all over themselves to do so. Unfortunately, most think it’s a business downturn because of falling coal demand and not a money grab, but word of greed is getting out.
Actively looking and simply passing time until another opportunity comes along. I work to live not live to work, used to be opposite. It’s a job. Nothing more. We are being taken over by millennials who have no clue, urgency to take care of employees paying their pay check, nor have any loyalty to an employer, but they are cheap! All employees we serve suffer because of the lack of loyalty, lack of urgency towards issues our employees are dealing with, and entitled/egocentric personalities. “You get what you pay for” and UP is getting what they are willing to pay for....
I was an employee that relocated to Omaha and resided there until I was laid off. No one in the metropolitan areas from which I moved from or to had heard of Union Pacific before. But the UP was definitely a big deal in Omaha when I first moved there. Local opinion of UP was very high since mostly everyone knew someone or had someone in the family working for UP. Most businesses were very eager to attract the business of UP employees. Lots of folks had also relocated to Omaha, especially from the St. Louis area. I found Omaha to be very affordable but lacking in a lot of things that one would expect from larger cities. It doesn’t offer much in the way of entertainment or outdoor activities, its airport doesn’t offer good flight options, and the nearest road-trip options are Kansas City or Des Moines. If you have only ever lived in Omaha, you will consider us “outsiders” as being negative. You will ask why we moved there in the first place - well, it beats losing your job and having to start all over especially during a recession. After the first few rounds of major layoffs, local opinion started to shift, though. You can only lay-off so many hundreds (and thousands) of good, hard-working people without people taking notice. Even if their friends or family members weren’t affected (yet), their neighborhoods were certainly inundated with “For Sale” signs. By the way, all of my neighbors had or knew someone that was laid off.
Up is just like any other employer...and they always have been since their inception. Just like any company, you get paid what you work. As far as the mechanical department (which I was apart of) its pays equal to or just a tad less compared to the trades the men and women are skilled in. All companies are in business to make money, cut down on over head and to give customers what they are purchasing no matter what the long term is. The world doesnt see UP as the big bad guy, in fact, most people could care less about em. Just another mismanaged company like thae rest out there. There's plenty of work options so dont rely or get married to any one copany nowadays..just do you and make your bank account and life how you choose because there isnt a co.pany out there that cares what you have saved or your familys needs....
Have a good day brothers
-The uninformed populous group thinks it isup 1966 still. Great job, put in the hours, must be a rolling large paychecks.
-the informed people know what went on and up is no longer a major player or a has dirt on thier name.
-the millineal crowd doesnt care.
-the people still there a koolaid chuggers or married to thier paycheck and see no other way out
UP employs 4,000 in a metro area of 900k plus people in Omaha. To outsiders UPs image hasn’t suffered too much. UP still contribute to local causes and support the community as they always have.
To most Omaha employees - it’s one of thousands of places we can work in Omaha. Some moved to Omaha just to work at UP, but a lot of employees have roots here. There are some jobs that are specific to the railroad but most employees in accounting, I/T, marketing, etc can work anywhere. UP experience is still very highly rated by other Omaha employers. So as long as they let us in the door - great - if not we will find somewhere else to work. The cuts hit Omaha hard 6-9 months ago so it has calmed down a bit here.
Trying to give you an honest answer. This from an Omaha employee that genuinely cares about the field.
Who cares what they think! What does it matter?
I think they suuuck!