Wabtec Negotiations 2023

U.E. Local 506 President Discusses New Green Locomotive Report and Contract Negotiations

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Source:

Erie News Now

A new study done by the Keystone Research Center found that if Wabtec produced more green locomotives at their Erie plant, it could bring thousands of more jobs to the area.

Scott Slawson, the President of the U.E. Local 506 explained, "It was a report we had commissioned and what we wanted to see was if we increase locomotive production, what that would look like for the Erie facility. And, you know, as we move forward, everybody is looking towards cleaner and greener forms of energy and locomotives play a big portion in that."

New Report: Green Locomotives Mean Thousands of Jobs for Erie, Western PA

April 25, 2023

Erie, Pennsylvania

A new study, conducted by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, details the thousands of new, high-quality jobs that can be created through the manufacture of “green locomotives” at Wabtec’s Lawrence Park facility in Erie.

The study estimates the number of new jobs that would be created in the plant at between 2,600 and 4,300. In addition to direct jobs in the plant, the increased production would add between three and five thousand new jobs in Erie County due to increased demand for goods and services. The total employment impact throughout the U.S. would be between 9,860 and 14,960 jobs.

Wabtec-union negotiations set to begin; both sides hopeful about talks

Friday, April 21, 2023

Source:

Erie Times-News

Scott Slawson, who has been the president of Local 506 since 2014, said he's hopeful the union and the company can come to an agreement before the June 9 deadline without a work stoppage.

"We would never enter into negotiations with the intent of a lockout or strike. If you think that is what is going to happen, you are approaching it all wrong."

The threat of the strike is a powerful tool, one that Slawson doesn't intend to surrender before talks have begun.

"Our No. 1 goal is to get a contract," he said. "But there is a reason they call it a struggle. If you think things aren't going satisfactorily, at some point withholding your labor is always a real possibility."

Wabtec Negotiations 2023

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