BNSF Railway offers transfers for employees hit by layoffs, including those in DFW
Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway is offering employees a chance to relocate into other positions as the company began layoffs last week, including at its Red River Division in North Texas, the company confirmed to the Star-Telegram on Wednesday.
The railroad company laid off more than 360 mechanical employees last week, according to a report by The Associated Press. The layoffs come just days after Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway’s chairperson, told shareholders of his conglomerate that he was disappointed in BNSF’s profits.
A BNSF executive told the Star-Telegram the layoffs and relocation of employees are a “necessity for any business to deliver the unrivaled service our customers expect.”
Concerns are growing among major rail unions regarding the job cuts and how it will affect the safety and service of railway operations, according to AP. An investment fund seeking control of Norfolk Southern is campaigning for a lean operating model, which is designed to rely on “fewer, longer trains that require fewer locomotives, workers, and railcars,” according to AP’s report.
Major railroads say they are committed to improving safety in light of the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, AP reported.
Furloughs at BNSF were announced at several locations within its network in an “effort to rebalance our employees to locations where we are seeing substantial growth, while simultaneously moving them away from locations where there is not enough work available,” said Kendall Sloan, BNSF’s director of external communications.
In addition to location transfers for affected employees, BNSF is offering “craft transfers” for employees to be trained for other open positions, some of which are based in the company’s North Texas division, including in Dallas and Fort Worth.
“We want to reiterate the importance for us to give our existing employees an opportunity to do the urgent work that is needed to accomplish our goals across our network,” Sloan said. “Our hope is that we can reallocate personnel through these incentive programs, so BNSF continues to grow with our customers.”
BNSF could not immediately say how many employees have been affected by the layoffs since last week’s report.
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 9:11 PM.
