UPDATE THURSDAY 10:25 AM:
Union Pacific communications manager Susan Stevens confirms to Deltaplex News that employees will be recalled to the Pine Bluff shop.
”I can confirm that some furloughed employees are being called back to support repairing locomotives at the Pine Bluff Yard,” said Stevens.
No number was given regarding the number of employees that will be recalled.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Union Pacific is reopening the Pine Bluff yard according to a message between UP managers obtained by Deltaplex News. UP originally closed the yard in February 2019 after laying off the majority of workers from the Pine Bluff facility.
The document obtained by Deltaplex News states the following:
“It became official today, April 12, 2022, that Union Pacific will be reopening Pine Bluff and Kansas City shops. It will consist of a total call back and hiring new machinists. At first they will be working with 400 plus locomotives that have critical repairs needed to put back in-service. After the 400 plus locomotives, they will remain open and resume normal operations as previous established prior to shut down. Pine Bluff will have a lot of work ahead just to replace all of the tooling and equipment that was auctioned off during PSR (precision scheduled railroading). There are other details not fully ironed out that has to be negotiated.”
Deltaplex News has reached out to Union Pacific for more information regarding this internal message. We will share any new information that becomes available.
