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Accuride slashes 96 jobs
Fri, January 9, 2009
By NORMAN DE BONO
Job cuts have again struck Accuride's London plant.
The wheel manufacturer will lose 96 more jobs with layoff notices issued today, slashing the hourly workforce to less than 100.
Two years ago more than 600 worked at the Firestone Boulevard plant.
"There will be people out the door here that have 28 years of service. We did not anticipate that," Jim Skellett, chairperson of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 27 representing Accuride workers.
"We are caught in this like everyone else."
Accuride makes large wheels for the truck sector and the decline of goods being shipped due to the economic downturn has hit Accuride plants across North America, said Eva Schmitz, Accuride spokesperson.
"It is the economy and specifically the production of commercial vehicles that continues to decrease," she said. "The amount of (truck) builds is decreasing so we are making (fewer) wheels."
The 96 workers will be off the job March 6. There are now 193 hourly and 41 salaried staff. It has cut an additional 380 jobs over the past two years.
"People here are down; they are depressed and worried about their jobs or even whether this plant will close. They do not see an upturn anywhere," said Skellett.
As for the truck sector, Sterling Truck in St. Thomas is shutting its door in March, cutting 2,000 jobs and International Truck in Chatham this week announced cuts of 199 workers, joining 499 leaving the plant in February.
"When trucks are not on the road, business is not good," said Skellett.
Accuride has wheel plants in Mexico, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio and they have all suffered layoffs, said Schmitz.
In 2008 large tractor-trailer truck sales dropped about nine per cent in the U.S. from 2007 and that was down 36 per cent from 2006.
About 218,000 large trucks were sold in 2008 in the U.S. and about 182,000 medium-duty trucks.
When it comes to freight, the volume of goods moved by truck dropped 1.5 per cent in 2007 from 2006 and continued that decline through 2008.
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Nova Chemicals poised to layoff staff in Sarnia
Fri, January 9, 2009
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
SARNIA -- Nova Chemicals Corp., Canada's largest plastics producer, says it will cut 400 jobs worldwide, including an undisclosed number at its petrochemicals plant in Sarnia.
The cuts represent about 15 per cent of the company's global workforce and is part of an effort to reduce costs by about $100 million this year.
Nova, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh but has major operations in Sarnia and Alberta, blamed slumping prices and a weakening demand for plastics for the planned reductions.
Nova's petrochemicals are used in making everything from plastic grocery backs and toys to foam cups, auto parts and consumer products.
Nova revealed the latest cuts to its 2,800-employee global workforce in a conference call yesterday
Company spokesperson Jo Ann Brown says there is no indication how many jobs will be cut from the company's three Sarnia-area operations.
The Sarnia operations employ about 1,000 people combined and the company's chemical operations include plants in Alberta and the U.S.
Company chief executive Jeff Lipton, who is retiring in May, says although complete fourth quarter data for 2008 is not available, he predicts the "results will be lousy."
Nova expects to book specific charges for the layoffs when it issues its fourth-quarter and year-end results Jan. 29.
Chris Pappas, Nova's president who will replace Lipton this spring, said the reductions will be completed by the end of the second quarter this year.
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EMD layoffs forecast
Fri, January 9, 2009
Up to 400 jobs are expected to be cut despite an order for 40 new locomotives
By NORMAN DE BONO
An order for 40 new locomotives will not be enough to save jobs at Electro-Motive Diesel in London.
The Oxford Street locomotive assembly plant is expected to announce layoffs of 350 to 400 workers soon, Canadian Auto Workers officials said yesterday.
The plant employs about 900 hourly workers.
"We're not even thinking about that order right now," Terry Mason, past-chairperson of CAW Local 27, said of the CN order that was recently announced. "We have been told there will be layoffs."
Electro-Motive officials in London and in its Illinois head office declined comment on the staffing situation at the plant.
"That is all speculation, we have not announced layoffs," said Bruno Couteille, human resources director at the plant.
But news of the looming job cuts did not surprise Local 27 president Tim Carrie, because orders have been slowing.
"Everyday when I come in to work now I wonder if we will get news of another layoff or closure," said Carrie. "There is pressure on all manufacturing today. It will be a tough 2009."
Todd Ramm, EMD spokesperson, declined comment on the layoffs, but did say London is the only Electro-Motive plant in the U.S. and Canada that does full locomotive assembly. Its Illinois plant builds engines and alternators. EMD has a plant in Mexico that does assembly when there is too much capacity for London, he added.
Keith Berry, CAW chairperson at EMD, could not be reached for comment.
As for the order for the new 40 CN locomotives, it is a new, fuel efficient model called the SD70M-2 and will be delivered in early in 2010. It is expected production will start on the new locomotives in August and comes on the heels of EMD now finishing an order for 25 CN locomotives. EMD can assemble a locomotive in about one day.
"It is all part of the locomotive renewal program we have. This will improve the fuel efficiency of our fleet and reduce emissions," said Bryan Tucker, CN spokesperson.
The new locomotive is about 20 per cent more fuel efficient.
"We are very pleased, we think this is a great investment," he added.
As for the industry itself, the Association of American Railroads reported recently there were 1.19 million loads of freight shipped in the U.S. in November 2008, down 133,504 carloads or 10.1 per cent from November 2007.
The largest load declines in November last year were motor vehicles and equipment, down 25,984 loads or 32.7 per cent; chemicals down 19,621 loads, or 16.3 per cent; metals and metal products down 19,181 loads, or 39.6 per cent; and grain (down 17,134 loads, or 16.6 per cent.
Total volume was estimated at 1.62 trillion ton-miles, down 0.3 per cent from the first 11 months of 2007.
stories
Fri, January 9, 2009
By NORMAN DE BONO
Job cuts have again struck Accuride's London plant.
The wheel manufacturer will lose 96 more jobs with layoff notices issued today, slashing the hourly workforce to less than 100.
Two years ago more than 600 worked at the Firestone Boulevard plant.
"There will be people out the door here that have 28 years of service. We did not anticipate that," Jim Skellett, chairperson of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 27 representing Accuride workers.
"We are caught in this like everyone else."
Accuride makes large wheels for the truck sector and the decline of goods being shipped due to the economic downturn has hit Accuride plants across North America, said Eva Schmitz, Accuride spokesperson.
"It is the economy and specifically the production of commercial vehicles that continues to decrease," she said. "The amount of (truck) builds is decreasing so we are making (fewer) wheels."
The 96 workers will be off the job March 6. There are now 193 hourly and 41 salaried staff. It has cut an additional 380 jobs over the past two years.
"People here are down; they are depressed and worried about their jobs or even whether this plant will close. They do not see an upturn anywhere," said Skellett.
As for the truck sector, Sterling Truck in St. Thomas is shutting its door in March, cutting 2,000 jobs and International Truck in Chatham this week announced cuts of 199 workers, joining 499 leaving the plant in February.
"When trucks are not on the road, business is not good," said Skellett.
Accuride has wheel plants in Mexico, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio and they have all suffered layoffs, said Schmitz.
In 2008 large tractor-trailer truck sales dropped about nine per cent in the U.S. from 2007 and that was down 36 per cent from 2006.
About 218,000 large trucks were sold in 2008 in the U.S. and about 182,000 medium-duty trucks.
When it comes to freight, the volume of goods moved by truck dropped 1.5 per cent in 2007 from 2006 and continued that decline through 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nova Chemicals poised to layoff staff in Sarnia
Fri, January 9, 2009
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
SARNIA -- Nova Chemicals Corp., Canada's largest plastics producer, says it will cut 400 jobs worldwide, including an undisclosed number at its petrochemicals plant in Sarnia.
The cuts represent about 15 per cent of the company's global workforce and is part of an effort to reduce costs by about $100 million this year.
Nova, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh but has major operations in Sarnia and Alberta, blamed slumping prices and a weakening demand for plastics for the planned reductions.
Nova's petrochemicals are used in making everything from plastic grocery backs and toys to foam cups, auto parts and consumer products.
Nova revealed the latest cuts to its 2,800-employee global workforce in a conference call yesterday
Company spokesperson Jo Ann Brown says there is no indication how many jobs will be cut from the company's three Sarnia-area operations.
The Sarnia operations employ about 1,000 people combined and the company's chemical operations include plants in Alberta and the U.S.
Company chief executive Jeff Lipton, who is retiring in May, says although complete fourth quarter data for 2008 is not available, he predicts the "results will be lousy."
Nova expects to book specific charges for the layoffs when it issues its fourth-quarter and year-end results Jan. 29.
Chris Pappas, Nova's president who will replace Lipton this spring, said the reductions will be completed by the end of the second quarter this year.
---------------------------------------------------------------
EMD layoffs forecast
Fri, January 9, 2009
Up to 400 jobs are expected to be cut despite an order for 40 new locomotives
By NORMAN DE BONO
An order for 40 new locomotives will not be enough to save jobs at Electro-Motive Diesel in London.
The Oxford Street locomotive assembly plant is expected to announce layoffs of 350 to 400 workers soon, Canadian Auto Workers officials said yesterday.
The plant employs about 900 hourly workers.
"We're not even thinking about that order right now," Terry Mason, past-chairperson of CAW Local 27, said of the CN order that was recently announced. "We have been told there will be layoffs."
Electro-Motive officials in London and in its Illinois head office declined comment on the staffing situation at the plant.
"That is all speculation, we have not announced layoffs," said Bruno Couteille, human resources director at the plant.
But news of the looming job cuts did not surprise Local 27 president Tim Carrie, because orders have been slowing.
"Everyday when I come in to work now I wonder if we will get news of another layoff or closure," said Carrie. "There is pressure on all manufacturing today. It will be a tough 2009."
Todd Ramm, EMD spokesperson, declined comment on the layoffs, but did say London is the only Electro-Motive plant in the U.S. and Canada that does full locomotive assembly. Its Illinois plant builds engines and alternators. EMD has a plant in Mexico that does assembly when there is too much capacity for London, he added.
Keith Berry, CAW chairperson at EMD, could not be reached for comment.
As for the order for the new 40 CN locomotives, it is a new, fuel efficient model called the SD70M-2 and will be delivered in early in 2010. It is expected production will start on the new locomotives in August and comes on the heels of EMD now finishing an order for 25 CN locomotives. EMD can assemble a locomotive in about one day.
"It is all part of the locomotive renewal program we have. This will improve the fuel efficiency of our fleet and reduce emissions," said Bryan Tucker, CN spokesperson.
The new locomotive is about 20 per cent more fuel efficient.
"We are very pleased, we think this is a great investment," he added.
As for the industry itself, the Association of American Railroads reported recently there were 1.19 million loads of freight shipped in the U.S. in November 2008, down 133,504 carloads or 10.1 per cent from November 2007.
The largest load declines in November last year were motor vehicles and equipment, down 25,984 loads or 32.7 per cent; chemicals down 19,621 loads, or 16.3 per cent; metals and metal products down 19,181 loads, or 39.6 per cent; and grain (down 17,134 loads, or 16.6 per cent.
Total volume was estimated at 1.62 trillion ton-miles, down 0.3 per cent from the first 11 months of 2007.
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