BNSF’s Commitment to Veterans, Diversity & Community

Military
Veterans – with their teamwork and safety-first mentality – continue to acclimate seamlessly into BNSF positions and our culture. It is exciting to see the ranks of veterans employed by BNSF grow as we continue to receive accolades from military industry publications and organizations. In 2013, more than 1,200 or 26 percent of all new employees were veterans. Since 2005, BNSF has hired more than 6,500 veterans and currently employs more than 7,500 veterans, close to 17 percent of our total workforce.

Diversity
We continue to pursue opportunities and support organizations that encourage diversity in our workforce. Today, BNSF’s total workforce is about 20 percent minority and more than 6 percent female. Females comprise close to 20 percent of our salaried workforce.

For the seventh year in a row, BNSF was named a “Best Diversity Company” by the readers of Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology. Our commitment to diversity includes scholarship programs that benefit minority students as well as BNSF Railway Foundation donations to colleges, universities and other organizations, including the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Hispanic College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

Community
Building relationships – virtually and in our communities – is core to what we do. We enjoy sharing accomplishments and engaging with the Friends of BNSF, our online community of more than 40,000 rail enthusiasts who are interested in learning more about BNSF and connecting with us through our various social media networks.

We also participate in community events and support neighbors in need. Recent activities include:

• Alliance, Neb. – a town the railroad helped put on the map – celebrated its 125th anniversary. BNSF hosted a number of fun events and donated $10,000 to the local United Way in celebration.
• Fort Worth, Texas-based employees joined Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price in a half-day bike ride benefiting the American Diabetes Association.
• Teams in Tennessee cleaned neighborhoods near BNSF’s Memphis Yard.
• A coat drive was held by employees in Chicago to benefit the Pacific Garden Mission, a local homeless shelter.

Foundation
The BNSF Railway Foundation is at the core of our commitment to giving back to the community. In 2013, the Foundation donated $11 million to communities along our network through scholarships, sponsorships and funding to support community programs. From providing support to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to helping fund a Boys & Girls Clubs after-school program in La Conner, Wash., to supporting the Montana Land Reliance’s efforts to protect the state’s agricultural heritage, the Foundation continually looks for ways to support the communities in which we operate.

For instance, through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, BNSF and other member organizations are developing wildlife management plans to protect and restore bison and other wildlife, as well as the habitats they need. The project actively involves tribal members at the Pine Ridge and the Fort Belknap American Indian reservations (in South Dakota and Montana, respectively) in community conservation projects.