Employees at Norfolk Southern’s Juniata Locomotive Shop leave work at the end of the first shift on Tuesday afternoon in Altoona. About 100 workers were furloughed at the shop on Tuesday, as part of “targeted hiring and furloughing” components of the railroad company’s strategic plan, it announced. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Norfolk Southern on Tuesday announced the layoff of about 100 employees at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona.

“In today’s rapidly changing environment, Norfolk Southern continues to focus on ensuring that we have the optimal number of people and assets at every location across our system in order to operate safely and efficiently. As we execute our new strategic plan, we expect that targeted hiring and furloughing will remain components of our operating model. Today, that entailed the furlough of approximately 100 employees at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona. Furloughed employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions elsewhere at Norfolk Southern,” the company said in a statement.

“Consistent with our strategic plan and current business levels, our ability to streamline operations and use fewer locomotives has required the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our locomotive mechanical forces due to the decreased demand for locomotive repair. Norfolk Southern will continue to evaluate staffing needs as our business evolves,” the statement continued.

In May, Norfolk Southern laid off 50 workers in Juniata as a result of the implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading, designed to increase efficiency, add profits and satisfy shareholders.

Tuesday’s layoffs bring employment at the shop down to about 650. In the 1920s, the Altoona shops employed about 17,000.

Local lawmakers were not happy to hear about the layoffs.

“It is deeply disappointing that Norfolk Southern has chosen to reduce its workforce in central Pennsylvania — especially as this announcement comes just one day after our nation paused to celebrate the value of American workers,” U.S. Rep John Joyce, R-13th District, said in a statement.

“In Congress, I am fighting to pass pro-growth, pro-worker legislation to support these hardworking Americans, and I am committed to helping families affected by this news to move forward in our region,” Joyce said.

“My heart goes out to these individuals who will be negatively impacted by these layoffs,” state Sen. Judy Ward, R-30th District, said in a statement. “We need to make sure that everything that can be done is done to provide the needed support for these workers and their families.”

State representatives Jim Gregory and Lou Schmitt also were not happy with Norfolk Southern’s decision.

“I join my fellow legislators in offering my support to those in the 80th District who face these job losses,” Gregory, R-80th District, said in a statement. “We will work together to bring more jobs to Blair County. We also need to encourage our business leaders to work with us to develop new ways of dealing with the changing landscape of rail service jobs in Blair and Pennsylvania.”

“My thoughts are with these hardworking railroaders and their families in this time of great difficulty for them,” Schmitt, R-79th District, said in a statement. “It is my understanding that these displaced railroaders will have the opportunity to apply for jobs within the Norfolk Southern system. My office stands ready to help facilitate assistance through the relevant state governmental agencies.”

President/CEO Joe Hurd of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce called the news disappointing, but not surprising.

“Norfolk Southern, like so many employers nationwide, is evaluating their processes based on a variety of factors. Many of the results of those evaluations impact the workforce,” Hurd said. “We’re hoping that these layoffs are the final ones, and we’ll do what we can to help as many of those affected to find other opportunities close to home.”

The focus now moves on to helping those who were furloughed.

“As with the previous downsizing, our immediate priority is focused on the workforce and ensuring that our CareerLink and Rapid Response partners are engaged and ready to assist,” said President/CEO Steve McKnight of Altoona Blair County Development Corp. “The regional labor market remains very tight with low levels of unemployment. This is especially true for high-demand skill workers like machinists, electricians and pipefitters. For those impacted, there are opportunities to match their skills with new employment opportunities and remain in our community, which we hope they do.”

“My understanding is those laid off included welders and electricians. I know welders are in big demand — there are jobs in the southwestern part of the state,” said Robert Kutz, president of the Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council. “I hope they come in right away to get things going for these people as soon as possible.”

The chamber, ABCD Corp., CareerLink and Southern Alleghenies are collaborating on a job fair to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Jaffa Shrine Center to help match job seekers with job providers, Hurd said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.