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BNSF Lays Off 55 at Glendive Diesel Shop

BNSF officials say reasons for the cuts include slumping oil and coal demand

By Associated Press

GLENDIVE – Burlington Northern Santa Fe has laid off 55 employees from its diesel shop in Glendive.

The cuts represent about half of the railroad’s workforce at the shop.

BNSF officials say reasons for the cuts include slumping oil and coal demand. Local officials tell the Billings Gazette it’s a tough blow for an area weathering weak prices for coal and oil.

Mayor Jerry Jimison says Glendive is a railroad town and the cuts hurt.

Federal figures show rail car mechanics in Montana make an average of about $51,000 a year. Local median wages are about $41,000.

BNSF is one of the country’s largest rail companies and a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

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