Locomotive Builders Say, ‘Keep It Made in Erie!’

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.labornotes.org/2013/05/locomotive-builders-say-%E2%80%98keep-it-made-erie%E2%80%99

May 31, 2013 / Mark Haller



GE workers in Erie, Pennsylvania, marched out of the plant and struck for two hours on each shift to protest the company's plan to send a third of their jobs to Texas. Photo: Mark Haller.

Locomotive builders in Erie, Pennsylvania, are rallying today to demand that General Electric stop the transfer of nearly a third of the plant’s jobs to a non-union, lower-wage factory in Texas.

The three actions—one for each shift—follow the profitable factory’s April 9 announcement that 950 union jobs would be moved to what GE had called an “overflow" plant in Ft. Worth. A week after the surprise announcement, the members of United Electrical Workers (UE) Local 506 walked off the job for two hours in protest (see photo of earlier action).

The original plan for that April protest was for stewards in each of the complex’s 13 buildings to punch out 30 minutes before the end of the shift and march together through the 320-acre grounds. But the desire for a solidarity march grew until the officers suggested that all members would be welcome to join the stewards.

Rallies will also be held today at GE locations in Chicago and Fairfield, Connecticut.

Lied to the City

GE made the announcement only after months of misleading Local 506 and the Erie community, claiming that Ft. Worth would not cost Erie any jobs.

FULL story at link.

[elleng]

1. Pennsylvania's felt entitled to rail work evah since the beginning!

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Just cover for GE(paid zero taxes)to bust the union.

BNSF is base in Ft.Worth,ding ding,GE's order backlog is for BNSF road units. DUH!!!

Someone should check with the Buffet in Omaha for an answer to this little dog and pony show. Hope the Union wins this one big time.

[Populist_Prole]

3. GE's been cooking this up for some time, for sure

"Overflow plant" my ass. Replacement plant is more like it. Bastards.

[Populist_Prole]

4. Bump

Sad that that an example of an important issue is buried so soon.

[Heywood J]

5. The more things change...

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/02/03/caterpillar_closes_electromotive_plant_in_london.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/caterpillar-pulls-plug-on-london-plant/article544321/

Union officials and other observers expect a new Progress Rail plant in Muncie, Ind., to be the beneficiary. The closing was announced 36 hours after Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed so-called right-to-work legislation, which makes it more difficult for unions to organize.

Good for them for spotting it early. Companies will do whatever they can and screw the rest of us.