Wave of retirements sends Union Pacific on hiring hunt

With a change to its labor contract last year permitting employees to retire at 60 with full benefits, the Union Pacific Railroad is finding that a lot of employees are opting to take early retirement.

Now the company is scrambling to find replacements for those jobs, which have starting salaries of $40,000 annually.

The railroad expects to hire eight people in Sparks, five in Elko, and 10 in Las Vegas to fill the slots of retiring workers.

"We're in continual need (of employees) because the retirement age went from 62 to 60 last year, and we provide full benefits after 30 years on the job

," said Mark Davis, spokesperson for the railroad. "Many of our people decided to take advantage of it."

The company estimates it will hire a total of 1,750 train service people across the western United States this year, but the task is difficult because the job market is tightening and there is a lot of competition for workers in transportation, manufacturing and the trades.

Davis said competition in the transportation arena is intense not only because of the number of retiring workers, but also because of the ever-increasing demand for transportation services across the country and worldwide.

"Employers are vying for the same workers," Davis said.

Train service personnel include brakemen, conductors, and inspectors, switching personnel, train operations and signal interpreters. New employees must have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Davis said Union Pacific provides training, and after 18 months on the job, employees are eligible to apply for engineer training. After two years, employees can earn as much as $75,000 annually. Train service personnel are on call and required to be available to work 90 minutes after notified. They also are often away from home for several days at a time.

While lamenting the fact that there were so few positions available, Terry Johnson, director of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, welcomed those that the railroad is bringing to the area.

"It's a start," he said explaining that it was nice to see jobs coming here that are outside the lower-paying jobs offered by the gaming and tourism industries.

"It's good to see higher paying jobs and have our workforce expand and diversity at wages that exceed the state-wide average. It is certainly a benefit, " Johnson said. The statewide average annual wage is $35,500.

Union Pacific also has openings for track workers, diesel mechanics, rail car repairers, truck drivers as well as management.

"For the last four years we've had a very aggressive hiring campaign" to fill the positions of those who have retired and those we anticipate we will need, said Davis.