WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – As New York Air Brake shifts some operations to Mexico, the last of 125 employees to get laid off walked out of the Watertown facility for the very last time Friday. As one door of opportunity closes, another one will open for some workers.
Historically, New York Air Brake has had a great relationship with the union that represents its workers.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 65 representative Ron Warner says that is until recently when things took a turn.
“For a company that has been established for this long, in New York, in Watertown, to just make this decision to be more profitable – just – I don’t understand it,” he said.
The decision he’s referring to came out in September. The company announced it would shift some operations to Mexico where a lot of its clients and one of its competitors recently moved.
As a result, around 125 employees were laid off. The last 60 or so walked out the doors for the last time on Friday.
“For the company to turn their back on them, and I really have no other way to put it than that, these union members have taken concessions over the years, I mean, this facility has been here for, like, 130 years,” said Warner.
Warner says those who were laid off have been given severance packages, and the union has been working to find them new jobs.
Those jobs could be found right in the town of Watertown at MetalCraft Marine, a company that builds boats. It just landed a $43.8 million contract with the U.S. Navy and is looking to double its workforce: another 18 employees. Contracts Manager Bob Clark says the company’s arms are wide open.
“There’s a lot of skillsets that are very similar to ours, and that’s a good thing. It makes bringing people in a lot easier because the period of training is a lot shorter,” he said.
New York Air Brake President Ulisses Camilo wrote in a statement, “We extend our gratitude and best wishes to the men and women affected by this reorganization as they take the next step in their professional journey. Our relationship with IAM Local 761 remains strong and mutually beneficial. We look forward to working together as we begin to shape our Watertown operations for the future.”
Out of more than 100 union workers at New York Air Brake, around 25 will remain. They’ll work on a new rail disc brake product line set to start in 2023.
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