Bombardier has stopped production on a Chicago Transit Authority railcar after problems surfaced with one part. Photo: railway-technology.com
(01/06/12) Bombardier transportation has temporarily laid off about 100 workers from its assembly plant in Plattsburgh.
The company let go about 60 production workers and 40 temporary workers on Tuesday. About 210 people are still working at the plant.
Maryanne Roberts is a spokeswoman for Bombardier—she says
the layoffs stem from a quality issue with a part from an outside supplier.
Bombadier first noticed the problem in November with a
commuter rail car the company is making for the Chicago Transit Authority. The
part is a wheel casting—they’re used to attach wheels and axles to a railcar
body. The problem resurfaced in December, and Bombardier decided it needs to
inspect all of the potentially-defective parts.
Unfortunately
we had to temporarily shut down the production line for railcars we’re building
for the CTA. We’re doing everything we can to start up production and recall
everyone as soon as possible.
Roberts says the issue—and the layoffs—were “unforeseen” and
“unfortunate”. But she says Bombardier is planning to have some of those
workers back on the line soon—and hoping to have the others back in the next
month or so:
On the
positive side we’re about to ramp up another production line, for NJ transit—so
we’ll be recalling some of those workers to work on the NJ cars this month and
next. And hopefully in that same time period we’ll be resuming that line for
Chicago.
The company expects to recall about 20 laid-off workers to
make New Jersey railcars this month, and 20 more next month.
Comment on this story
