Railroads Cited as Top Military Friendly Employers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Nov. 11, 2009 - America's freight rail industry was well represented in the annual Top 100 Military Friendly Employers for 2010 published by G.I. Jobs magazine. The magazine named four Class I freight railroads among the top 10 most military friendly employers, selecting Union Pacific as number one. CSX Corporation came in second among the top employers of military personnel, while BNSF Railway was fourth, and Norfolk Southern came in at number seven.

"The nation's freight railroads maintain a strong commitment to the men and women who serve our country," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. "We're proud that we can provide steady, good-paying jobs to America's veterans. It's a win-win. Veterans are highly skilled and possess maturity, discipline and a strong work ethic."

The G.I Jobs list surveyed companies with earnings of more than $500 million in annual revenues and based the rankings on areas such as active recruitment efforts and results in hiring America's former service members. The survey also looked at which companies have the best company policies for employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

Class I railroads aggressively seek out military personnel because they know a good thing when they see it.

G.I. Jobs noted that while Union Pacific slowed its overall hiring over the past year due to the economic climate, the company still developed a new military task team to spearhead its military recruiting efforts.

"Union Pacific values the commitment, training and diversity that our Armed Forces bring to the workplace," said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president of human resources. "Our continued efforts to attract veterans have resulted in a win-win situation for the company and the veterans we have hired."

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) recently recognized Union Pacific with its Distinguished Service Award for strongly supporting military men and women, especially employees in the National Guard and Reserve deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The company encourages military personnel to apply within three months of their separation date and maintains a section of their Web site dedicated to military hiring.