18,000 Amtrak workers will get bonuses, thanks to executive cuts

"to forgo 50% of the bonus packages that would have been paid out under the misplaced priorities of the previous executive bonus structure."

"End-of-year bonuses will now go to 18,000 front-line workers rather than being limited to the executive ranks. This long-overdue recognition of the employees who keep the railroad moving is a step in the right direction,"

"We are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition,"

More than 18,000 Amtrak workers will receive a $900 bonus before the end of the year, funded by cuts to executive leadership bonus packages. The Department of Transportation urged Amtrak executives to forgo 50% of their previously planned bonus payouts. Amtrak reported record fiscal 2025 performance with 34.5 million riders and over $2.7 billion in ticket revenue. Unions representing train workers praised the bonuses as recognition for frontline employees. The move contrasts with earlier decisions that limited $10,000 bonuses to 776 air traffic staff during a government shutdown, which drew union criticism.

Read at Fast Company