Posts tagged Wabtec
Wabtec cites lost jobs in Erie as evidence that Fort Worth workers should not unionize
October 4, 2024 // In a letter to employees in Fort Worth, the company says they should consider the evidence from unionized workers at Wabtec plants in Erie and Wilmerding, near Pittsburgh. According to the letter, "Employment levels are down 58% in Erie since 2011. In Wilmerding, Wabtec's former headquarters, employment levels went from 70 employees in 2020 to just 5 remaining employees today,"
Despite rising number of strikes, union memberships remains low
September 7, 2023 // While the rate of work stoppages in 2023 is on pace to break the record set last year, union membership is still lagging at a record-low. So far, there have been 251 strikes in 2023, compared to 417 in 2022, according to data compiled by Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker. Last year’s 10.1% unionization rate was the lowest on record, however, and workers have a long way to go to reach the 20% rates not seen in 20 years. While no comprehensive data exists detailing the success rate of recent worker strikes or labor disputes nationwide, some union workers have gotten their way this year.
Locomotive Manufacturer, Union Agree to End Two-Month Strike
September 6, 2023 //
Sen. John Fetterman, local leaders appear Monday at Erie UE rally attended by hundreds
August 24, 2023 // Fetterman, who concluded the rally with brief remarks, continued to display signs of the stroke he had in May of 2022. Some words came out haltingly and not necessarily in the order that the first-term senator might have intended. But Fetterman received a warm welcome from a friendly crowd as he pledged his continued support for their efforts. Fetterman, who has worked to raise money for the union strike fund, said "One of the most amazing and powerful things ever invented is called a union." UE 506 President Scott Slawson said Monday's crowd "speaks to the power of a U.S. senator." He also praised Fetterman for his support of the union at a time when he's working to overcome his own health challenges.
What’s on the line as Wabtec strike in Erie nears the two-month mark?
August 18, 2023 // The company's Erie workforce of more than 2,000, including nearly 1,400 union workers, helps sustain five local jobs for every job at the former GE Transportation plant, Bernstein said. "A plant shutdown would lead to an immediate domino effect on local businesses that rely on the patronage of the 1,400 union workers and their families," Grunke wrote. "From small shops and restaurants to service providers and suppliers, the livelihoods of countless other families hang in the balance." Scott Slawson, president of UE Local 506, which represents most of the striking workers, doesn't minimize the importance of the plant to the local economy. He's spoken of it often, both before and during the current strike.
US workers strike for green jobs
July 11, 2023 // Prototypes for green locomotives are already made at the plant. In negotiations with the employer, United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America Locals 506 and 618, proposed language that would guarantee that green locomotive work be done in Erie. Instead, Wabtec threatened move at least 275 jobs out of the plant. The two locals voted down the employer’s offer and went on strike on 22 June for a contract that will allow them to move forward with green locomotive production.
Wabtec-union negotiations set to begin; both sides hopeful about talks
April 25, 2023 // Slawson, who led what was described as one of the nation's largest industrial strikes in several years, won't make an absolute promise that a strike couldn't happen again. But he expressed optimism in a recent interview with the Erie Times-News.