Union Pacific Layoffs Raise Safety Concerns

Over 1,000 track maintenance workers laid off, nearly 1,200 projects delayed until next year.

Union Pacific is laying off over 1,000 track maintenance workers and delaying nearly 1,200 planned projects until next year, raising safety concerns.
The head of the union representing the workers has been sending letters to regulators for over a month, but the Surface Transportation Board has not intervened.
Union Pacific says the decision to delay projects and lay off workers is due to budget overruns caused by unexpected weather events.
After the layoffs, Union Pacific will have just over 4,700 track maintenance workers, down from 8,791 in 2015.
Union Pacific plans to call back maintenance workers in January after finalizing its capital spending budget for next year, but it's unclear how many will regain their jobs.