Posted on 07/02/2018 8:17:46 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As Americans go on a shopping bender, railroad operators carrying train loads of consumer purchases are adding thousands of jobs, and some are offering hefty hiring incentives to draw applicants.
Union Pacific is dangling $10,000 hiring bonuses for Chicago-area train conductors and engineers, and $15,000 for diesel technicians, while BNSF Railway has advertised a $20,000 incentive for a diesel technician job in the area. Norfolk Southern Railway also has ambitious hiring plans, though it is not offering hiring incentives.
Strong economic growth has increased the amount of goods moving on the rails and therefore the manpower needed, while the nation's low unemployment rate has made it difficult to fill the rising number of jobs, industry experts say.
Chicago, considered the rail epicenter of North America because six major railroads converge here, is feeling the labor crunch.
“Chicago matters tremendously for the railroads because it’s a chokepoint,” said Keith Schoonmaker, director of industrials equity research at Morningstar. Inadequate labor in the area “slows an already bad slow point.”(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Dem policies have driven so many workers out that they have a labor shortage, nothing left but the unemployables.
This is the best job market in my lifetime. I would have loved to worked for the rail road when I was young but back then it was wrought with nepotism, like most all good union jobs were.
Conductors have to be sharp because its a demanding job, but the salary is good and a college degree isn’t needed. Do well and its a job a smart young person could start today and still be able to retire from.
$15,000 bonus still isnt enough to live in Shitcago
What about engineers? I’m good at texting. But seriously, that is one job I would love to transition to when I retire.
If you’re willing to work all the live-long day, that is.
Who in h3ll would consciously move to Chicago??
Illinois just passed the screw you seniors TAX!
They are draining home equity that senior retirees need and transfering the loot to the lazy.
Illinois is DISASTER CITY!
With this kind of need - soon ever the ‘unemployables’ will be getting jobs. Thank God we elected Donald Trump.
Tell that to the folks of CSX that are still getting laid off, with more expected at the end of the year, when PTC goes online.
Mantle Ridge purchased controlling shares of CSX, the board voted his henchman, Hunter Harrison(dead now, good bye and good riddance), to come in and slash the waste. He came out of retirement, basically, in his late 80s with stage 4 cancer, to ruin peoples lives. So he started trimming the headcount down from around 27,000 to the goal of 20,000, which is the only way to increase profit in the business. All done in the span of 4 years. Selling property. Closing yards. Making trains longer, heavier and more prone to derailment. Cutting crews so there’ fewer of them to drive the trains.
https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/STB-CSX-Harrison-precision-railroading-shipper-delays/448076/.
Of course, all of this has a ripple effect on the other railroads, who are probably picking up the slack that CSX is causing. And to think, the year prior, CSX had a record year of profit.
I didn’t read the article to the letter, but BNSF is offering bonuses all over the place. But recruiting of any job in Chicago is tough.
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