Union Pacific

Headquarters:
1400 Douglas Street
Omaha, NE 68179
Employees: 50,739
CEO: James Young
Stock Symbol: UNP

Website: http://www.uprr.com

Career Site

Union Pacific Corporation is one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering two-thirds of the United States.

The railroad serves 23 states, linking every major West Coast and Gulf Coast port and provides service to the east through its four major gateways in Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. Additionally, Union Pacific operates key north/south corridors and is the only railroad to serve all six gateways to Mexico. UP also interchanges traffic with the Canadian rail systems.

Union Pacific has 8,500 locomotives and 104,700 freight cars traveling on a system of 32,300 route miles.

The railroad has one of the most diversified commodity mixes in the industry, including chemicals, coal, food and food products, forest products, grain and grain products, intermodal, metals and minerals, and automobiles and parts.

Union Pacific's largest single customer is APL Limited, a steamship company that operates in the Pacific. Second is General Motors, followed by an assortment of chemical companies and utilities.

The railroad is the nation's largest hauler of chemicals, much of which originates along the Gulf Coast near Houston, Texas. Union Pacific is also one of the largest intermodal carriers ­ that is the transport of truck trailers and containers.

Although the company focuses on freight, it also operates commuter train service in Chicago.

In 2006, Union Pacific had revenues of $15.5 billion and net income of $1.6 billion. The company's annual payroll is $3.7 billion.

History

In the 1800s, a railroad was considered the key to westward expansion and the future of the country. A transcontinental route would greatly reduce the time it took to cross the continent, develop the nation's vast interior, encourage settlement, promote trade and fuel industry. Congress determined that a railroad linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was also essential to national defense. The route east from California, though an awesome engineering prospect, had already been surveyed by Theodore Judah, of the Central Pacific. But by what route west? It was, for the moment, up to Congress to decide.

Southerners in Congress wanted a southern route, while northerners wanted a northern one. With the onset of the Civil War, the South seceeded, leaving the North to do as it pleased. Thus, a northern route (but still the most southernly one possible within the free states), following the Platte River Valley was chosen.

The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 made construction of the transcontinental railroad possible. It designated tasks for two companies: the Central Pacific Railroad of California (CP) was to build eastward from Sacramento, and a new company called the Union Pacific (UP) was to build westward up the Platte River Valley from Omaha, NE.

Benefits

- Health Care
- Dental Care
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Life and Accident Insurance
- Long Term Disability

401(k) Nonagreement Thrift Plan
The Union Pacific thrift plan provides these and other options:
- Immediate eligibility to participate in the UPC thrift plan.
- Convenient payroll deductions. Your savings will automatically be deposited into your plan account.
- The choice of saving on either a before-tax or after-tax basis, or both.
- Immediate matching contributions from Union Pacific Corporation or the participating subsidiary with which you are employed.
Retirement Plan
The costs of the plan are completely paid by the company. The amount of your annual pension benefit will be based on your years of credited service, your final average earnings, and your age at the time of your retirement.
Educational Assistance
The Educational Assistance Program is offered by the company to encourage growth and development of employee skills, abilities and knowledge. It assists employees in obtaining academic training on a vocational and college level. Employees are reimbursed for 85% of tuition up to a maximum of $3,500 per year. There is no reimbursement for required books or fees. Courses reimbursable for college credit must be completed at an accredited school.
Lifecare.com
Will assist you in identifying providers of service for childcare and elderly care needs, educational and family services.
Optum Nurseline
Health information service you can call 24 hours a day to receive information, education, and support for any health-related concern at no cost to the employee.
Adoption Assistance
Designed to help pay for certain expenses incurred, up to maximum of $3,000 per adoption, when an employee adopts a child.
Matching Gifts
Union Pacific will match the contributions of its employees to certain educational, cultural, and medical institutions. Contributions to educational institutions are matched on a 2-for-1 basis, and to cultural and medical institutions on a 1-for-1 basis.
Employee Assistance
A confidential program designed to assist employees and their family members with personal situations and problems.
Short-Term Disability Plan
Designed to provide you with a source of income if you become temporarily sick or disabled. Your length of service determines the duration and the amount of your STD benefits.
Vacation
After the first full year of employment, employees are eligible for 2 to 5 weeks of vacation, based on years of service.
Holidays
Up to 11 days per year.
Relocation Program
The relocation program is designed to assist eligible employees with geographic relocations. The Union Pacific relocation program provides the in-service transferring employee and their family with financial assistance, as well as spousal job assistance.
The in-service relocation benefits package includes:
- A lump sum payment to cover house hunting, temporary living, and final move expenses is made at the beginning of the move.
- Sale of the present home expenses.
- Guarantee against loss on sale of present home.
- New home purchase expenses.
- Rental expense (breaking a lease).
- Movement of household goods.
- Transportation of automobiles.
- Spouse job assistance.
Newly-hired employees may be eligible for a lump sum relocation benefit up to $22,000. Some newly-hired employees may be eligible for the in-service relocation benefit package.
Transportation Spending Account
The Transportation Spending Account (TSA) Program is an easy-to-use fringe benefit that helps to reduce the burden of parking and commuter expenses. TSAs provide before-tax benefits for parking and commuter expenses incurred as a result of commuting between work and an employee's residence. Parking and commuter expenses not associated with work may not be reimbursed through the TSA Program.
Long Term Care
The LTC program provides benefits for preventative, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or personal care services provided in a setting other than an acute care hospital. Benefits include skilled, intermediate, and custodial care (nursing home, home health care, adult day care centers, adult foster care, or assisted living), homemaker services, and respite care. Those eligible to participate in this coverage include active employees, their spouses, parents and parents-in-law, and grandparents and grandparents-in-law, as well as retirees and their spouses.

Updated October 4, 2007