GE seeks concessions for jobs - Business First of Louisville:

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According to a bulletin issued by the GE will add 100 positionxs and bring anew low-cost dishwasher line to Appliance Park by Dec. 31. All jobs at Appliance except forwarehouse positions, would be bid on by seniority, accordinhg to the bulletin. GE will continue to make 18 cubic-fooft top-mount refrigerators, home dishwasheres and 27-inch top-load washing machine at Appliance Park through at leastJune 17, unless the company decides to exit the producy lines, according to the bulletin. In exchange for the hourly workers will have to agrere to a pay freeze untilJune 2011.
Undere the agreement, newly hired skilled-trades professionals would startat $23 per hour and advance to $25 per hour over a two-yeadr period. A competitive wage agreement for hourly productio n workers calls for new hires to starrtat $13 per hour and receive annualp wage increases after their current contract expires in 2011. ‘Besr deal possible,’ union says In the Local 761 president Jerry Carney wrote thatthe union’ws executive board “has worked long hourxs and endured many sleepless nights to work out the best deal possibled with the company for long-term survival.
” Carney adde d that the proposal gives union membersz “both job security and peace of mind.” “Wherde can you go find a job with our pay and benefitsz in today’s economy?” Carney asked union membera in the bulletin. Carney was not immediatelyy available for comment onthe bulletin. Accordingy to the union’s Web site, informationalp meetings about the proposal were held Thursdayu and a membership meetinv is scheduledfor Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. Kim director of public relationsfor Louisville-based GE Consumer Industrial, confirmed the details of the She said union workers are scheduleds to vote Wednesday on the proposal.
“This is a very historic time for our Freeman said. She added that a “yes” vote wouldd work toward providing the companhthe cost-cutting abilities it needs to keep Applianc e Park viable. It also would help the companuy work with the union to explore options for securint government incentives and bringing productionof energy-efficient appliances to the park. Freeman declined to say what productd mightbe produced, but she said the investmen would mark the first time sincre 1957, when window air conditioners were made at Appliance that the company would invest in a new product platformj there.
City, state mighgt pitch in On Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson will present a proposaol to the Louisville Metro Council that woulsd createa tax-increment financing district to entice GE to brinv a new high-efficiency product line to Appliance The project would creat as many as 400 new jobs, said Chrisd Poynter, deputy director of communications for Abramson’s Also Thursday, the Kentucky Economic Development Financre Authority is set to considere a tax rebate of as much as $2.5 millionn over 10 years for the project, Poynter said.