Around The Railroad

Freedom Award

UP Receives U.S. Military's Highest Employer Recognition

July 17, 2008 | 09:30 a.m. CDT

For consistent dedication to employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve, Union Pacific recently was awarded the Freedom Award – the U.S. Government's highest employer recognition.

Recognizing remarkable advocacy from the employer community, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the lead Department of Defense agency for gaining employee support, presents the Freedom Award to 15 nationwide employers divided into small, medium and large categories; UP was one of five recipients in the large category.

"We are pleased that Union Pacific has been recognized with the Freedom Award, but our uniformed men and women who go above and beyond for our country every day are the ones we need to recognize," said Chairman Jim Young. "We do everything we can to support these employees, providing them with the resources necessary to accommodate their military commitments."

A record 2,199 nominations were received from National Guard and Reserve members or their family members nationwide for this year's award. Applicants are evaluated based on their pay policies, benefits and leave policies, previous ESGR awards, supervisor training, service member recognition, family support, deployed member support, hiring preferences and general military support.

"These employers have provided exceptional support to the men and women serving in our National Guard and Reserve and now, more than ever, we appreciate and thank them for doing so much more for these employees than the law requires," said Dr. L. Gordon Sumner Jr., executive director-National Committee ESGR.

The Freedom Award will be presented in a formal ceremony Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

2008 recipients include:

• Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma – Durant, Okla.
• Chrysler Motors, LLC – Auburn Hills, Mich.
• City of Austin – Austin, Texas
• Coastal Windows, Inc. – Waipahu, Hawaii
• Dominion Resources, Inc. – Richmond, Va.
• Jersey City Fire Department – Jersey City, N.J.
• Lochinvar Corporation – Lebanon, Tenn.
• Oakland County Sheriff's Office – Pontiac, Mich.
• Oshkosh Corporation – Oshkosh, Wis.
• Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority – Reno, Nev.
• Robinson Transport, Inc. – Salina, Utah
• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. – Bloomington, Ill.
• Union Pacific Corporation – Omaha, Neb.
• Winner School District – Winner, S.D.
• Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC. – Winston-Salem, N.C.