A Springfield rail car manufacturer says it will furlough more than 160 workers in March amid a trade dispute with the federal government. It is expected the furlough will last two months.
CRRC makes train cars for the Boston area transit agency, the MBTA, and for Los Angeles. The government has refused to release shells for the vehicles and other parts being shipped from China. It cites a 2021 federal act prohibiting the import of materials made with forced labor from a certain region of that nation.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno says the Trump Administration is touting a so-called "America First" policy, but in this case, is risking good paying manufacturing jobs in his city.
"You know, we've had these materials and equipment and shells coming in for a number of years,” Sarno said. “There hasn't been any issues. So now, all of the sudden, this becomes a political football."
Sarno said he has been working with federal and state officials, including U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield to settle the dispute and that he is hopeful a resolution can be reached before the workers are off the job.
"We're going to keep fighting tooth and nail to keep these jobs in tact and keep people working," Sarno said.
In a statement, CRRC said it has provided extensive documentation to prove the materials should be allowed to enter the country, and that it expects at some point that will happen.
The company also said it would work with the impacted employees to ease the transition for them as much as possible.
“It is CRRC MA’s intent to offer employees impacted with continued healthcare during their 2-month furlough,” the statement said. “Additionally, the corporation’s Human Resources Department has coordinated with MassHire Rapid Response Team to provide employees assistance with filing unemployment claims and understanding the unemployment process."
More than a decade ago, the MBTA contracted with CRRC to build new cars for the Red and Orange subway lines, which run in and around Boston. But, not everything has gone smoothly. The project has been delayed, some of the train cars did not work properly, all of which has drawn scrutiny from state officials.
