Union Pacific cuts 60 jobs in Little Rock area

FILE — Union Pacific diesel locomotives are lined up in different stages of repair at Union Pacific Railroad's Jenks Shop heavy locomotive repair facility in North Little Rock in this Feb. 9, 2018 file photo.
FILE — Union Pacific diesel locomotives are lined up in different stages of repair at Union Pacific Railroad's Jenks Shop heavy locomotive repair facility in North Little Rock in this Feb. 9, 2018 file photo.

Union Pacific Corp. eliminated about 60 jobs in the Little Rock area Monday, the Omaha, Neb.-based railroad operator said.

The jobs were in Union Pacific's locomotive and car-repair facilities, said Kristen South, a spokesman for Union Pacific. The job losses are a continuation of Union Pacific's streamlining process under its Unified Plan 2020, South said.

In October, the railroad announced it would be reducing its workforce by about 675 jobs by the end of the year. Union Pacific said it would give notice to 475 employees in the fourth quarter and eliminate another 200 contract positions. The 675 positions are spread across the Union Pacific system.

The workforce reduction is an effort to reduce the company's general and administrative support structure, the company said.

Union Pacific had an average employee count of 42,300 in the third quarter and had about 2,500 employees in Arkansas.

-- David Smith

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