DECEMBER 21, 2023 — FACILITY CLOSURE
Wabtec is laying off 94 employees and the closure of its Wilmerding, Pennsylvania facility, starting in February/March and ending by July 1, 2024.
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 — 40 MORE JOBS LOST IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA
A company spokesperson noted, "In response to market realities, the company announced we will reduce our hourly workforce in Erie by approximately 40 employees during the 1st Quarter of 2021.
These decisions are never easy, but necessary in light of current volume realities.
We remain committed to delivering on our customer commitments and providing impacted employees with resources and benefits to manage this transition.”
OCTOBER 16, 2020 — WABTEC PLANNING 150 LAYOFFS IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA
According to a company statement, “The freight locomotive market continues to be challenging with carload volume significantly down versus last year and the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact communities and the economy. As of October 1, 2020, North American rail carloads and US rail traffic are down roughly 10%, respectively, versus last year, and locomotive parking remains at a high.
With these continued challenges, Wabtec is adjusting its operations in Erie, PA, to align with today’s volume realities. This adjustment will result in a reduction to our hourly workforce by roughly 150 front-line employees during the fourth quarter. Decisions like this are never easy, but it comes as the result of an in-depth evaluation of the market and how to best position the company for success given today’s unprecedented environment. The company remains fully committed to all customer commitments and providing impacted employees with resources and benefits.”
OCTOBER 21, 2019 — WABTEC ANNOUNCES 100 LAYOFFS IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA
In response to a difficult locomotive market, Wabtec has announced that it will be laying off 100 employees in Erie, Pennsylvania.
A company spokesperson noted, “Decisions like this are never easy, but it comes as the result of an in-depth evaluation of the market and how best to position the company for success given today’s cyclical environment. The company remains committed to all customer commitments and providing the impacted employees with resources and benefits. Erie will continue to remain our largest single location with approximately 2,000 hourly and salaried employees.”
FEBRUARY 25, 2019 — DIVESTITURE OF GE TRANSPORTATION COMPLETE
“ Wabtec Corporation announced that it has completed its merger with GE Transportation, a former business unit of GE. This merger establishes Wabtec as a Fortune 500, global transportation and logistics leader by combining Wabtec’s broad range of freight, transit, and electronics products with GE Transportation’s best-in-class equipment, services, and digital solutions in the locomotive, mining, marine, stationary power and drilling industries. Wabtec has also been notified that it will now be included in the S&P 500 Index. The deal is valued at $11.1 billion. GE retains an investor in Wabtec.
OCTOBER 26, 2018 — GE CONSIDERING DIVESTITURE OF TRANSPORTATION DIVISION
According to published reports in the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Financial News, General Electric is considering leaving its railroad business (GE Transportation division) as part of a $20 BILLION divestiture of underperforming assets. GE options include an outright sale, a partnership, or a merger with another entity. This is not the only asset on the table.
AUGUST 27, 2017 — Original Post ...
General Electric will stop its manufacturing activities at its 125-year-old Peterborough plant leading to the layoff of more than 350 employees by the fall of 2018 to honor existing orders but will retain approximately 50 people to provide engineering services. According to published reports, there has been a significant decline in the global demand for its product. The Ontario, Canada plant produced a wide variety of motors including large engines for oil and mining, diesel locomotive engines, turbines, and hydroelectric generators. The main union representing GE’s workers complains that the company is outsourcing the work to other foreign nations and remains concerned over health claims of previous workers. A union representative was quoted as saying, "Now the company is rewarding the loyalty of the community by pulling up the stakes and moving jobs out of the country."
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?