CSX Nearly Halfway to Meeting 2012 Veteran Hiring Pledge

CSX Nearly Halfway to Meeting 2012 Veteran Hiring Pledge

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – July 10, 2012 – CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) is nearly halfway to meeting its pledge to hire approximately 1,000 veterans this year, joining other railroads and rail suppliers in support of the White House Joining Forces initiative. Joining Forces is a national partnership organized by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to support America’s military service members and their families.
“We are honored to join the nation’s railroads in recognizing the contributions of our veterans and continuing to offer them fulfilling career opportunities,” said Lisa Mancini, senior vice president and chief administrative officer, CSX.  “The nearly one in five current CSX employees who are active or former service members bring unique skills, accountability and teamwork to their jobs, helping our railroads operate safely and efficiently.”
CSX’s announcement coincides with an industry-wide commitment, led by the American Association of Railroads (AAR), to hire more than 5,000 veterans in 2012. AAR president and CEO Edward R. Hamberger, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and White House Joining Forces executive director Captain Bradley Cooper emphasized at a press conference today that the nation’s rail industry is well-positioned to provide career opportunities for men and women transitioning from active duty.
“The commitment from AAR and companies in the railway industry to veteran hiring is exactly the type of effort we hoped to see when the First Lady and Dr. Biden launched Joining Forces last year – companies stepping up to hire our nation’s veterans,” Cooper said. “The railway industry clearly recognizes that hiring veterans is good for their companies’ bottom line and we are appreciative of their efforts to serve veterans as well as they have served this country.”
CSX’s long-standing commitment to supporting military service members has been recognized by numerous organizations, most recently by CivilianJobs.com as the Most Valuable Employer for Military. CSX is the only two-time recipient of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, and is regularly ranked among the top three companies on G.I. Jobs magazine’s Top 100 Military Friendly Employers list.
The company supports employees who are National Guard or Reserve members by extending salary and benefits to employees called up to active duty. In addition, CSX serves more military facilities than any other major U.S. railroad, handling thousands of carloads annually for overseas deployments and training exercises.
For more information about Joining Forces, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.
About CSX
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation’s leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. CSX’s network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX’s network connects more than 240 short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).