SCHUMER SAYS HE IS CONFIDENT CUMMINS IS COMMITTED TO JAMESTOWN ENGINE PLANT & LOCAL JOBS; SENATOR CALLED CUMMINS CEO TOM LINEBARGER IN LIGHT OF NEWS THAT THE COMPANY, CHAUTAUQUA’S LARGEST PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYER, COULD BE LAYING OFF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS WORLDWIDE

Cummins Recently Announced Plans To Lay Off As Many As 2,000 Workers Worldwide – Schumer Called Company’s CEO To Urge Him To Keep Jobs In Jamestown Engine Plant

Schumer, Following Call to Cummins CEO, Says He is Optimistic There Will Be No Reductions In Workforce Levels At Jamestown Plant, Which Employs 1,500 Residents Locally

Schumer: Cummins Sees Jamestown Operation as One of its Very Best Assets

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer recently said, during a phone call with Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger, Linebarger gave a strong indication that Cummins is committed to its engine manufacturing plant in Jamestown. Schumer made the call following recent news that Cummins would be cutting as many as 2,000 jobs worldwide. Schumer urged the CEO not to scale back work levels and to remain committed to the highly skilled and productive employees in Jamestown.

Following the call, Schumer said he was confident the plant has a good future and feels optimistic that the over 1,500 Jamestown jobs would be well-positioned to withstand the current global cost-cutting measures Cummins is considering. Mr. Linebarger expressed strong confidence in the Jamestown operation and indicated that the heavy truck market is a very positive asset for the firm.

“I spoke directly with Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger, and I feel very confident that Cummins remains deeply committed to its workforce levels in Jamestown despite its efforts to cut costs at its facilities worldwide,” said Schumer. “Preserving these vital Chautauqua County jobs for Cummins’ world-class workforce is a top priority of mine, and I will continue to watch this situation like a hawk and stay in touch with the company and with local leaders so that we are doing all we can to help Cummins thrive in Jamestown for a long time to come. It is fair to say that Cummings is very pleased with the performance of the Jamestown operation – which is one of their very best in the world – and that the heavy truck market is a positive and profitable line of business for them.”

Schumer explained the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant currently employs more than 1,500 people and is Chautauqua County’s largest private sector employer. Following the news in October that the company could be cutting as many as 2,000 jobs worldwide, Schumer called the CEO to urge him and the company to remain committed to their Chautauqua County workforce and the highly productive workers that are employed in the Jamestown facility.

Schumer, who has long been an advocate of keeping workforce levels high at the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant, said any reduction in employees at the Jamestown plant could have a major impact on the region. The Cummins CEO’s assurance that the company is committed to its Jamestown facility is promising news for local jobs, and the Senator vowed to continue monitoring the situation to ensure local employment levels are protected. Cummins employs roughly 54,000 people worldwide.

The Jamestown facility itself is about 1 million sq. ft. and produces roughly 400 engines per day for semi-trucks, RV’s, trains, and tractors. In February, John Deere announced that the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant would be the site to produce the QSX15 engine, a heavy-duty tractor engine meant for large-scale farming equipment. This represented a significant investment in both Cummins and the Jamestown Engine Plant, which Schumer says widened the scope of manufacturing in Western New York.

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