Union Workers Go on Strike

One day after the merger of Erie's GE Transportation and the Pittsburgh-based locomotive maker Wabtec, union workers at the local plant are now on strike.þþThat's the word after another late night bargaining session ended without an agreement.þþIt comes on the heels of Monday's official merging of the more than 100-year old GE Transportation, and Wabtec.þþThe union said they weren't happy with Wabtec's plans to cut the pay for new hires and require the current workers to do mandatory overtime.þþWabtec says they want the local union to go by the same rules they use at their union plant near Pittsburgh.þþThose talks continued even after the merger became official on Monday, and it all came to a head early Tuesday morning.þþThe union issued this statement:þþÿUE Local 506 and 618 worked long into Tuesday morning and were not able to convince the company to negotiate an acceptable short term agreement that preserves the wages, benefits, and working conditions of GE/Wabtec employees.þþ'We are extremely disappointed that the company could not see its way to agree to continue the terms and conditions that we have worked under for decades. Their refusal leaves us with no choice but to go out on strike to protect our and our children’s future.' Said Scott Slawson, President of UE Local 506.þþKarlene Torrance of UE Local 618 said, 'We are gratified by the outpouring of support we have received from our friends, neighbors, and community in Erie. We will need their support now more than ever.'ÿ