(The following article by Sean Ellis was posted on the Pocatello Journal website on December 16.)
POCATELLO, Idaho — Members of Idaho’s congressional delegation are lobbying Union Pacific Railroad in an effort to save Pocatello jobs. UP announced last month it would transfer the jobs from a subsidiary, Union Pacific Fruit Express, which ships produce in refrigerated cars.
Idaho Reps. Mike Simpson and Butch Otter have asked UP to reconsider its decision to transfer 65 local jobs to Nebraska.
The Republican congressmen also asked for a thorough accounting of what UP is doing to meet Idaho shippers’ needs. What effect their query will have, however, is uncertain at best.
“We’re in the process of responding to the congressmen’s letter and concerns,” UP spokesman Mark Davis said Wednesday afternoon.
Idaho shippers and growers support the congressmen and say it’s important to do something to ensure UP makes decisions that do not adversely affect Idaho’s agricultural community.
In a letter sent to UP Chairman Richard K. Davidson, Simpson and Otter asked him to reconsider the company’s decision to move 65 positions to North Platte, Neb.
The congressmen expressed deep concern for the impact the decision will have on agriculture producers and industries that rely on UP to ship commodities across the nation.
“We are greatly concerned that this action will harm your company’s ability to provide refrigerated freight service to our constituents and your customers throughout the Pacific Northwest,” they wrote.
“As you know, Idaho farmers are already suffering from Union Pacific’s inability to transport commodities to market. Unfortunately, this lack of service could result in large volumes of product being completely lost.”
The lawmakers also asked Davidson to thoroughly outline what UP is doing to meet the shipping needs of customers in Idaho and throughout the region.
According to the Idaho Grower Shippers Association, UP’s service to shippers is at present woefully inadequate.
“I’m not a very happy camper when it comes to their level of service right now,” said David Smith, president of IGSA, which represents the state’s fresh pack potato industry.
“They cannot meet the demand for the potato industry.”
Smith said UP hasn’t been able to deliver enough refrigerated cars to the area in a timely manner for the past month and a half.
UP also plans to raise its shipping rates for the area by 10 percent after Jan. 1, he said.
“It’s not a pleasant picture right now,” Smith said. “They haven’t performed the way they said they would in the way of service.”
Smith said the IGSA is working with the state’s congressional delegation separately on the rate issue.
The congressmen’s letter reminded Davidson that Pocatello has been good to UP.
“As you are aware, the Pocatello area has been an exceptional home for Union Pacific,” it stated. “Pocatello and its citizens have embraced your company and provided decades of high-quality service to Union Pacific.”
It’s not the first time members of the state’s congressional delegation have lobbied UP to reconsider a decision.
In February 2002, Simpson and Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo asked UP to reverse its decision to close down the Pocatello hump yard.
They argued the action could harm the region’s economy and raised the stakes by hinting the decision could affect their support of UP’s effort to lower the diesel fuel tax by 5 cents a gallon.
The hump yard – an area where trains are made up and destinations sorted out – was closed later that spring and switching was done on flat tracks in the Pocatello yard.