Wabtec Corp., owner of the former GE Transportation plant in Lawrence Park Township, says workers at its locomotive plant in Fort Worth, Texas, have every right to support the United Electrical, Radio and Machine workers of America.
But in strong terms, the Pittsburgh-based company is warning its nonunion workforce in Texas that it wouldn't be in their best interest. This comes after Wabtec has acknowledged the receipt of a letter from about 30 employees who have expressed interest in joining the UE.
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,"
Why has the Erie workforce gotten smaller?
It's worth noting, that one of the reasons Wabtec's Erie workforce has declined has been the addition of the company's nonunion locomotive plant in Fort Worth, which opened in 2012. Employment in Fort Worth has since grown to 680 people.
The addition of that plant is only part of what has changed, said Scott Slawson, president of UE Local 506 at the company's Erie facility.
"Fort Worth does play into it, but the times are different," Slawson said. "We are just not selling locomotives like we used to. At some of our peak numbers, we were around 3,900 (hourly) people and were selling close to 1,000 locomotives a year.
"We are not doing anywhere near that today," he said.
'We applaud all workers who take the step to unionize'
Slawson called it a "brave step" for workers in Fort Worth to explore an association with the UE.
"We applaud all workers who take the step to unionize," Slawson said. "We (the UE) have organized over 30,000 workers in the last two years."
The company is urging employees not to support unionization efforts, citing existing benefits in Fort Worth that include a peer review process, attendance bonus and four ten-hour shifts a week,
Wabtec argues that a union could change all of that.
"According to an online post from the company, "If a union is voted in, Wabtec is prohibited from dealing with employees directly over workplace issues (wages, schedules, and benefits). Instead, all changes must be negotiated with the union. That means no “special” deals for employees and no teaming or collaboration."
Wabtec says it's not in your best interest
According to Wabtec's letter,, "We have talked about this issue before, but we want to state again: We do not believe the UE is in the best interest of you, your families, our plant, our customer or our community."
In a separate online post, Wabtec notes that it takes an average of 465 days to negotiate a first contract and asks: "Can you go 465 days without a raise?"
The company also reminds workers in Fort Worth that union workers in Erie have gone on strike twice since 2019.
According to the letter, "We ask that you keep an open mind and think critically about what the UE-salespeople and political activists are telling you. Most importantly, you need to ask yourself: Is this too good to be true?"
Slawson says strike paid dividends
Slawson doesn't deny that two strikes have taken place — although the more recent work stoppage was for 70 days, not 128 days as Wabtec reported in its communication with Fort Worth workers.
Slawson said an improved pay and benefits package will offset lost pay associated with the strike, which ended in August of 2023.
He also said the union, which has added about 100 members since then, has been working more effectively with management over the last year.
"We are finding more common ground and are not nearly as combative as we used to be," he said.
If workers in Fort worth do unionize, their union counterparts in Erie would be happy to offer advice," Slawson said. But, "they would be their own local and they would do their own thing."
Tim Bader, a spokesman for the Wabtec, said the company is aware that the UE is communicating with its employees.
"We believe in an open dialogue, focused on facts," Bader said in a statement. "Wabtec respects the rights of team members to engage with unions, while also recognizing those who do not want to do so. Wabtec respects its relationship with UE leadership and union members at other locations but does not believe that joining the UE is in the best interests of our Fort Worth team members.”
Despite improved relations with management in Erie, Slawson described the company's approach as aggressive.
"The company does not want workers to have a voice," he said. "That is why they have to convince people they shouldn't join the union."
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com .
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Wabtec cites lost jobs in Erie as evidence that Fort Worth workers should not unionize
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