ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) – A state representative wants a railroad corporation to step up, following three rounds of layoffs from Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Locomotive Shops in 2019.
Rep. Lou Schmitt has a personal connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona. His grandfather moved from Germany to work on the railroad in 1907, and his father started there in the late 1940s. During Schmitt’s time in office, hundreds of railroad workers have been laid off, causing him grief.
“The most frustrating and the most disappointing events of my first term have been the Juniata Shops railroad layoffs,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt said the Pennsylvania Railroad founded the city of Altoona in 1849, at one point considered the railroad capital of the world.
“The Pennsylvania Railroad and the railroad in general has been a key part of the Altoona economy for well over 150 years.”
Locomotive company Norfolk Southern stepped into the picture in 1998.
“The level of the workforce actually went up quite a bit when Norfolk Southern took over,” Schmitt said.
Since then, Schmitt said the workforce has been in a steady decline. In 2019, the company furloughed nearly 250 workers from its Juniata locomotive repair shops, wiping out close to a third of its workforce in the facility.
“I think if it drops much below 500, you have to start thinking about turning the lights out, and that’s something I don’t even want to contemplate,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt said the average railroad worker earns around $90,000, family-sustaining jobs that are difficult to replace.
“Any time that they have significant numbers of railroad workers that are laid off locally, it is a tough hit on our local economy,” Schmitt said.
Pennsylvania CareerLink officials said they've assisted close to 150 of the furloughed Norfolk Southern workers through their rapid response program, one-on-one services or job fairs.
“If there’s any silver lining here, it’s that these railroad workers have the kind of skills that are in demand in today’s economy,” Schmitt said.
While many have found new jobs, CareerLink officials said not all have stayed within the county, with some being hired on by manufacturers in Bedford and Cambria counties.
“If they find work elsewhere and they continue to maintain their families and their homes here in Blair County, we continue to benefit from that, but that doesn’t always happen, that’s not always the case,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt said the state directly or indirectly invests hundreds of millions of dollars into Norfolk Southern. He said the company needs to hold up its end of the bargain.
“I think Norfolk Southern needs to be a good corporate citizen, I think Norfolk Southern needs to step up to the plate and I think Norfolk Southern needs to understand that commitment is a two-way street.”
In a statement following the November layoffs, Norfolk Southern said its efforts to streamline operations meant a reduction in locomotive mechanical forces and it would continue to evaluate staffing needs.
Schmitt remains hopeful that Norfolk Southern will not be reducing its workforce any further. He wants to see growth in the coming years, saying he will do everything within his power to help railroaders in Altoona and across the commonwealth.
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