(The following story by Dan Gearino appeared on The Columbus Dispatch on February 3, 2009. Tim Hanely is chairman of the BLET’s Ohio State Legislative Board.)
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lower demand for new autos and parts has led Norfolk Southern Corp. to lay off 150 railroad workers in Ohio, including 20 in Columbus.
The company, based in Norfolk, Va., said the cuts began in early December. Companywide, 475 workers have been laid off.
“Our traffic volumes are down significantly,” spokesman Rudy Husband said.
The company has cut workers at several rail yards in Columbus, he said. Among them is Buckeye Yard on the West Side, which has dropped from three shifts to one.
The lost jobs in Columbus might return soon because of anticipated growth at Rickenbacker Airport, said Tim Hanely, who handles state legislative issues for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union.
“That’s going to increase the demand for employees in central Ohio,” he said. The airport is home to a new terminal that serves as a connection between rail and other modes of transportation.
Hanely, whose union represents some of the workers, estimated that Norfolk Southern had about 300 employees in the region before layoffs. The company did not list its pre-layoff total.
Stephen C. Tobias, chief operating officer for Norfolk Southern, told analysts last week that Columbus is one of three cities where the company is able to “substantially reduce” operations. The two others are Reading, Pa., and Sheffield, Ala.