County Executive Issues Statement on Wabtec Closure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2023
Media Contact: Chris Carroll
Phone: 814-860-0794
Email: ccarroll@eriecountypa.gov
COUNTY EXECUTIVE ISSUES STATEMENT ON WABTEC STRIKE DEVELOPMENT
ERIE, PA – Erie County Executive Brenton Davis issues a statement on the possibility of a Wabtec closure in Erie County.
“I have recently confirmed that Wabtec was visited by representatives of a major third-party contractor that manufactures many, if not all, of the locomotive components currently assembled at the Erie plant. This is a troubling development that suggests the company could be considering a plant closure. We cannot let this happen. Erie needs both Wabtec and the UE 506 to reach a tentative settlement and for the UE to put a contract proposal up for a vote of its members.”
“This plant should not disappear without at least a vote of the workers whose livelihoods are at stake. Any strike, lay off, or plant closure would have grave effects on our local economy and in the households of those abruptly unemployed. As County Executive, I am prepared to do whatever it takes to see this situation resolved and manufacturing is preserved in Erie.”