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Union Pacific (UNP) & SMART-TD Ink Employee-Friendly Deal

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Union Pacific (UNP - Free Report) inked a provisional deal with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), aimed at promoting employee well-being. The tentative deal aims to provide up to eight paid sick leave days to approximately 5,900 railroad employees. This deal reflects Union Pacific's commitment to creating a supportive work environment where employees feel valued and empowered to deliver exceptional service to customers.

While all Union Pacific employees already receive some form of paid leave, the proposed agreement will grant SMART-TD members an additional five paid sick days annually, pro-rated for 2023. Furthermore, from 2024, these employees will have the option to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time. If ratified by SMART-TD, this agreement will make Union Pacific the second railroad operator to have paid sick leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions. Earlier in the year, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC - Free Report) became the first major North American freight railroad to provide paid sick time to all its workers.

Lance Fritz, chairman, president, and CEO of Union Pacific, expressed gratitude to the SMART-TD leadership for their support in creating an environment that values employees and enables them to deliver exceptional service. He emphasized the company's commitment to ongoing collaboration with labor partners and employees to identify further opportunities that support their best-in-class workforce.

In addition to the paid sick leave agreement, Union Pacific and SMART-TD are looking forward to continuing discussions on scheduled rest, aiming to provide employees with more predictable schedules and enabling the railroad company to better manage staffing levels. These discussions highlight the companies' focus on improving work-life balance for their employees.

The agreement between Union Pacific and SMART-TD underscores the growing emphasis on employee well-being in the railroad industry. By providing additional paid sick leave, Union Pacific acknowledges the importance of supporting employees' health and personal well-being. The ability to convert paid leave days for sick time also offers flexibility, further enhancing work-life balance.

Employee-friendly deals like this have a positive impact on the railroad industry as a whole. These contribute to a better work environment, increased employee satisfaction and improved retention rates.

Zacks Rank

Union Pacific currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some Top-Ranked Transportation Players

Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may also consider Copa Holdings (CPA - Free Report) and Global Ship Lease (GSL - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Copa Holdings is benefiting from an improvement in air travel demand. In first-quarter 2023, passenger revenues increased 28.5% from first-quarter 2019 levels due to higher yields.

CPA’s focus on its cargo segment is encouraging. In first-quarter 2023, cargo and mail revenues grew 51.8% from the first quarter of 2019 on higher cargo volumes and yields. Copa Holdings' fleet modernization and cost-management efforts are commendable as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CPA’s current-year earnings has been revised 28.37% upward over the past 60 days.

Global Ship Lease is aided by the bullish sentiment surrounding the containership market. GSL’s strong balance sheet is an added positive.

The uptick in trading volumes bodes well for Global Ship Lease. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has moved up 5.85% over the past 60 days. GSL surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the past four quarters, the average beat being 15.64%

Disclaimer: This article has been written with the assistance of Generative AI. However, the author has reviewed, revised, supplemented, and rewritten parts of this content to ensure its originality and the precision of the incorporated information.

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