Military magazine cites three Class Is as 'Best for Vets' employers

Three Class Is have landed on Military Times EDGE magazine's 2013 list of "Best for Vets" employers. The rankings include Union Pacific Railroad at No. 5, BNSF Railway Co. at No. 13 and Norfolk Southern Corp. at No. 44.

The magazine's rankings are based on veteran recruiting, corporate culture, reserve policies and other criteria.

UP — which landed in the Top 10 for the third-straight year — earned the recognition for its recruiting, mentoring, on-the-job training and spouse employment. About 23 percent of the Class I's 3,900 new hires in 2012 were veterans.

"We take pride in hiring veterans and military reserve personnel because of their strong work ethic, knowledge and leadership skills," said UP Vice President of Human Resources Roy Schroer in a prepared statement.

In addition, UP last year donated $60,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project and participated in more than a dozen virtual and standard career fairs sponsored by military-based organizations.

The magazine's Best for Vets list also includes GE at No. 15, URS Corp. at No. 16 and Siemens USA at No. 29.