Timken and UAW Sign New Labor Contract for Torrington Workers

The Timken Company (USA) and the United Auto Workers Local 1645 said they have reached a new contract agreement, covering former Torrington employees at Timken facilities in Torrington, Connecticut; specifically, employees at the Standard Plant. The contract runs through September 8, 2007, replacing the three-year Standard Plant contract forged with Torrington in 2001. It seems there may be few, if any, Local 1645 workers still employed by then. Timken announced in late July it will be shutting down the last of its bearing manufacturing operations still housed at the old Torrington Standard Plant, putting 59 hourly and 6 salary employees out of work by mid-2005. Another 44 employees from Timken's automotive machine shop in the Standard Plant will transfer to the "Excelsior" Building across town, named for the Torrington Company's original name. After selling off the fixed-wing aircraft bearing business and transferring its 190 employees to Roller Bearing Company of America (RBC), Timken was using only 60,000 square feet of the massive, century-old 550,000 square foot, five-story building.