The management, from the front line supervisors (Trainmasters, Roadmasters, Chief Dispatchers, etc.) all the way to CEO Matt Rose himself, is completely out of touch with employees. In years past, the upper management (Division General Managers, VP's, and the CEO) were former craft employees (Conductors, Engineers, Track Workers, Carmen, etc.). Experience was valued over mere education. In the last 2-3 years, however, the primary criterion for hiring front line supervisors has shifted to the possesion of a college degree. This has largely ended the prospect of promotion for 98% of craft employees. It has also created a negative work environment as twenty-something college grads with little or no railroad background are hired to supervise employees with 30-40 years on the job. Armed with only a rule book, a management degree, and a sense of superiority that is instilled in them during the brief "Management Trainee Program", they are placed in jobs that were previously only given to employees with 10+ years of service. Imagine taking orders from one who hardly understands them himself and then being told how to accomplish the task from someone who has never done it. This is the biggest drawback to a career with BNSF (or any freight railroad in the United States).
