The Greenbrier Companies disclosed March 19 that the company's TrentonWorks new railcar manufacturing facility in Nova Scotia, Canada, and its unionized employees ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.
The company and union employees of United Steelworkers of America Local 1231 have been operating under a collective agreement, which expired on October 31, 2006. Discussions have been tense due to the company's request for cost and productivity concessions. The facility has struggled with geographic disadvantages, the strong Canadian dollar (which makes its output more expensive) and productivity issues. The factory has been operating while under a strike vote for the past several weeks.
William A. Furman, Greenbrier's president and chief executive officer said, "I am pleased that a new agreement has been reached. It keeps our people at work and protects our customer. Also, it removes some uncertainty about the labor situation at Trenton, and some progress has been made on the severe economic disadvantages which face this facility. While we did not get everything we had hoped to achieve with the contract, we are still discussing with government representatives how the local economic outlook can be improved. TrentonWorks' future will remain on the agenda of the April meeting of Greenbrier's board of directors."
The Greenbrier Companies, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Ore., is a leading supplier of transportation equipment and services to the railroad industry. The company builds new railroad freight cars in its manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and marine barges at its U.S. facility. It also repairs and refurbishes freight cars and provides wheels and railcar parts at 30 locations across North America. Greenbrier builds new railroad freight cars and refurbishes freight cars for the European market through both its operations in Poland and various subcontractor facilities throughout Europe. Greenbrier owns approximately 10,000 railcars, and performs management services for approximately 135,000 railcars.
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