Canadian Railroads > TRAINS Hunter Harrison issue: Executives adored him

Trains magazine, August 2018 issue, has two articles on Hunter Harrison's time at CP,
12 pages and 13 great CP photos.
"Hunter's CP Legacy"
"The Most Misunderstood Man in Railroading?"
Both written by Bill Stephens

Quoted in the articles are:

Four current and previous CP executives, including many comments from CP CEO Keith Creel.
Two rail analysts
One union leader
One shipper association president
Zero shippers.  Trains says they contacted "two dozen" shippers and "none would discuss the railway's service."

Here's a few quotes,

"If you knew him, you loved him.  If you didn't know him, you probably misunderstood him.
Never a more principled person, never a man with a larger heart.
Phenomenal railroader and more phenomenal individual and human being.
Everything he touched, he left better."
Keith Creel, CP CEO

"If some feathers were ruffled along the way, that was the sacrifice he was willing to make to do his job."
Mark Wallace, Hunter's Chief of Staff at CN, CP, CSX

"I know others didn't like him because of his gruff nature.
But let me tell you, behind this gruff guy was a heart of gold."
Anthony Reardon, CP Chairman

"After Hunter Harrison arrived, it just went nuts ... it was just an all-out war on workers at CP."
Doug Finnson, President of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference
 

Popcorn, anyone?

Posted from Android

Think the author drank the Kool-Aid.

M630 Wrote:
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> Think the author drank the Kool-Aid.

Yup and Keith Creel drank a whole tankcar load of it...


Allen

Had to climb up on my desk when I read those, man it was getting deep!!!  Most of those made him sound like a god, that alone makes me very suspicious...  No one is perfect no matter who they are.

so, after harrison left the railroads he ran, did they keep his operating practices?

66

spwolfmtn Wrote:
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> Had to climb up on my desk when I read those, man
> it was getting deep!!!  Most of those made him
> sound like a god, that alone makes me very
> suspicious...  No one is perfect no matter who
> they are.

Many executives and their companies / governments hire press agents and reputation management firms specifically to peddle nonsense like this. They create stories about this guy walking on water, or that woman inspiring a generation of go-getters, etc.  They place stories in major publications or pitch video footage of this exec being worshipped by the working folk. You saw a lot of that in the Jack Welch era at GE. There was nothing this guy couldn't turn to gold.  Or Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco, etc.

There are firms which specifically "manage" your personal or company brand by creating content for Google searches.  The reports that this exec foreclosed on a widow and drove her into the streets are pushed aside in favor of his (company's) support of Habitat for Humanity, etc. They can link these stories to other websites and increase visibility.  You want a thousand LIKEs?  We can do that for you.

Political parties and their PACs do this all the time. So do the Ruskies, North Koreans (remember the attacks on Sony), and various other sophisticated tech folks.

Google "reputation management specialist" and you will see lots of folks who can make the slimiest b**** look like Mother Theresa.

Currently CP is trying to "undo" the damage of Harrison's era with shippers. Admitted by the current CP president.

goneon66 Wrote:
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> so, after harrison left the railroads he ran, did
> they keep his operating practices?
>
> 66

How late are the Carbondale and Vancouver trains today ?

Posted from Android

Do you really expect ppl to say what they really think? Even though Hunter's gone, slander and libel might be a concern. When ppl get canned, they're said to have "left to pursue other opportunities," you never hear the real reason. And Trains has always been a bit of an apple polisher.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/18 16:41 by CPR_4000.

You can't slander a dead person.

The TRAINS piece did indeed seem a bit like a hagiography, but I did learn a few things that made me despise him a little less.

A little.

It really would be nice to have had at least a mention that CN, post-Harrison, did have some problems that can be traced to his reign.

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Do you really expect ppl to say what they really
> think? Even though Hunter's gone, slander and
> libel might be a concern. When ppl get canned,
> they're said to have "left to pursue other
> opportunities," you never hear the real reason.
> And Trains has always been a bit of an apple
> polisher.

when senior people leave a firm, there's often a "no disparagement" clause in the separation.  Neither side bad mouths the other, the exec gets a pile of money, and everyone is happy.  Even when it's an out and out firing.

tomstp Wrote:
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> Currently CP is trying to "undo" the damage of
> Harrison's era with shippers. Admitted by the
> current CP president.

I remember CN's former CEO saying the same thing after EHH left there.  CN had to spend large sums of money to make up for the deferred maintenance left by EHH so he could get his glowing numbers for "investors".

spwolfmtn Wrote:
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> I remember CN's former CEO saying the same thing
> after EHH left there.  CN had to spend large sums
> of money to make up for the deferred maintenance
> left by EHH so he could get his glowing numbers
> for "investors".

IMHO CN's still paying a big price.  Harrison had sections of second main track, east of Jasper, AB,  removed which was a horrible error.  It was a classic short term gain, to hell with what the future brings, type of mistake.  He didn't have the foresight to recognize just how important the Port of Prince Rupert, BC would become to CN's traffic base.


Allen 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/18 23:35 by bradleymckay.

Marcus Wrote:
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> Trains magazine, August 2018 issue...........
> "I know others didn't like him because of his
> gruff nature.
> But let me tell you, behind this gruff guy was a
> heart of gold...

Yeah and Hitler probably played with puppies when he was a kid...

It's just like the old movies where everybody gets preached into heaven no matter how awful they were.

JG

Posted from Android

Good grief!! TRAINS magazine should be ashamed of themselves!

And there should be no "reputation specialists".  

Top corporate execs have apparentl forgotten that, without the rank and file, they would not have organizations to be top executives of.  They need the rank and file far, far more than the rank and file needs them.

I know Canada has legalised pot , but seriously, the Trains author was smoking.! Harrison is like Kryptonite here in Canada !

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

The article mentioned EHH increased capital expenditures on sidings and second tracks.

Is that correct?

Posted from Android