BNSF Railway Company Mock Interview
Practice 30 BNSF Railway interview questions covering safety protocols, operational scenarios, and rail industry standards.
Question 2 of 30
How do you feel about being part of a unionized environment?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Need to Know
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Community Answers
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Your interviewer is curious how familiar you are with the role, with their union, and whether this is a unionized role. Many of the roles with BNSF require a union membership, but not all of them. "BNSF Railway is made up of eight major departments. By the very nature of their responsibilities, some jobs are scheduled positions (hourly wages and overtime, with union representation) and others are exempt (salaried, with no overtime or union representation)."
This question is also nuanced in that it puts your communication skills and your sense of diplomacy to the test. Before sharing any personal opinions or sentiments about unions with your interviewer, it's important to consider that they might not share your views. You aim to build a rapport and gain their trust in your communication skills, especially when representing the views and opinions of the company.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
After several months of negotiations, in August 2023, BNSF and the BLET (The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen) made a breakthrough in ratifying a new system-wide agreement that improves work-life balance for approximately 8,000 locomotive engineers. The agreement includes up to eight paid sick leave days and grants access to scheduled time off, allowing for more predictable scheduling and enabling engineers to take paid sick leave. But, before the agreement was reached, it generated a fair share of negative publicity for BNSF, from news agencies ranging from AP News to Vice News. There were threats of a strike until the federal government got involved and the President signed a bill to block a strike. So, best to avoid diving into such subjects without a clear understanding of the views of the hiring authority. Especially since you cannot know whether their position is one that is represented by a union or not.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"I've worked with a couple of unions, and held a couple of jobs that were non-union, and I would say it all depends on the company and the union. I worked a government job, and the union that represented us did a good job of working with the agency I was employed by, and there was a higher quality of life all around. I also worked in a union job where the union, and the union members, were more interested in creating contentious issues than they were interested in actually doing their jobs. But, it all depends on the situation. Other than what I read in the news, I don't know much about the BLET. What can you tell me about the dynamic between BNSF, the BLET, and its members?"
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Anonymous Answer
I am new to the union environment. I am eager to know more. How has the union benefited the employee experience and the company's culture?
Marcie's Feedback
Nice! Your answer shows that you are curious, eager to learn, and open to participating in a union, which is great. It's also good that you have asked for more information as this indicates that you are interested in learning more. Prior to the interview, consider brushing up on your knowledge of unions so you can talk about what you think you'll like about belonging to a union. Good job!
Anonymous Answer
A unionized environment would be new to me; however, I am eager and open to learning more about it. I would appreciate it if you could tell me a little bit more about how active the BNSF union is, and how it benefits the company culture and the employees' lives.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! This is a great answer because it shows that you're open to learning more about being part of a union, which the interviewer will undoubtedly appreciate. Requesting further information about the union and an explanation of how it helps employees and the company culture also shows that you're thoughtful and smart. Nice job!
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