ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is now offering starting bonuses of up to $5,000 for conductor trainees at what it terms “priority locations,” and $2,500 at other locations.
The railroad identified the priority locations as Binghamton and Buffalo, N.Y.; Cincinnati; Louisville, Ky: Manassas and Roanoke, Va.; Harrisburg and Conway, Pa; Birmingham and Sheffield, Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn; and Linwood, N.C.
“Our conductors play a critical role in keeping the trains moving that transport the goods that power our nation’s economy,” Brad Dodd, NS’ director, talent acquisition, said in a press release. “ We are actively hiring people who want a high degree of responsibility, thrive in autonomy, and desire a sense of pride in the work they do. In return, they can expect great pay, best-in-class healthcare benefits, technical training, and professional growth opportunities.”
Once training is completed, conductors are guaranteed minimum annual pay of $52,000, with progression over four years to a minimum of approximately $63,500. But most earn more than the minimum. Conductors also have the opportunity to be promoted to an engineer position, with guaranteed minimum annual pay of approximately $94,000. The release includes additional information on pay and benefits.
NS said during its quarterly earnings call in January that it expected crew shortages to ease this spring as it increased the pace of conductor hiring [see “NS hiring more conductors …,” Trains News Wire, Jan 26, 2022].
Manpower issues at Norfolk Southern and elsewhere have been in the spotlight since mid-2021, when Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman, responding to shipper complaints about service, asked Class I railroads to outline their hiring plans and crew availability. At that time, CEO Jim Squires wrote in a letter to Oberman that “employee attrition, business growth, and changes in business patterns” were creating localized hiring needs, which the railroad was addressing with moves including a streamlined timeframe to place employees in the field, “go teams” of workers willing to travel to areas with shortages, and temporary transfers, as well as additional hiring of trainees [see “NS, CN, and KCS are hiring conductors …,” News Wire, June 22, 2021].
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