It

uhalugupuzyma.blogspot.com
GE Consumer & a division of Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric Co., said it will invesr about $69 million and add about 400 jobs for theproducf line. The water heaters will meet the U.S. Department of Energy’x 2009 Energy Star standards for heat-pump water Jim Campbell, president and CEO of GE Consumer & said the company’s planned investment in the water-heatet line “clearly demonstrates GE’s confidence in Appliance Park.” He added that the companyy likely will begin hiring to fill the new positionwsby mid-2011 and production will begimn that fall.
If the water-heater line is successful, GE mighyt bring the production ofothere energy-efficient appliances to Louisville, Campbell said. “Tio me, this shows that the company is willing to invesgt in the appliance business and give us the kind of fundinfg we need to compete in the Campbell said during a news conferenc Monday atAppliance “When (GE CEO) Jeff Immelt was here speakinfg to the employees last month, he made it clear that we’r e going to operate the business like we’re going to be in it A year ago, the company sought to spin off, sell or seek a join t venture partner of the appliances The company decided last fall that it would hold on to the at least through the economic downturn.
On Thursday, May 28, the grantedr GE preliminary approvalfor $10 million in tax incentives over 10 yeare for the company to invest $69.2 million to develop a hybrird water heater production line, a dishwasherf and refrigerator component line and a data center. On Thursday night, the Louisville Metro Council voted 25-0 to approvre $2.5 million in occupational tax refunds over 10 years forthe “When we saw the opportunityu to get a new product and expands jobs, we knew we had to hit the grouned running,” Kentucky Gov.
Steve Beshear said following thenews “I think GE made the right It’s one that provides a lot of potential for the Another factor in the decisionh to add the jobs at the struggling company officials said, was the decision by International Uniomn of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers-Communicationxs Workers of America Local 761 memberws to accept various cost-cutting measures proposed by GE Consumeer and Industrial. Union members votedr Wednesday to approve theGE proposal, which GE officiale said would be key in bringing a new producg to the plant. Among the concessions are pay freezes for union workers untilJune 2011.
newly hired skilled-trades professionalss will be hired at a pay rateof $23 per hour and advanc e to $25 per hour over a two-year period. Newly hired hourly production workers will hiredf at a pay rateof $13 per hour and receiver annual wage increases after the current contract expirexs in 2011. The current starting wage for skilled workerwis $31.22 per hour. The current starting wage for hourlg production workersis $15.01 per GE also agreed to add 100 positions and bringg a new low-cost dishwasher line to Appliance Park by Dec. 31.
And it will continu making 18-cubic-foot, top-mount home dishwashers and 27-inch top-load washingh machines at Appliance Park through at leastJune 17, unless the company decides to exit the product lines. “With the competitive wage structure weagreeed to, the union has showb a willingness to work with the company to bring jobs to Appliance Park,” IUE-CWA Local 761 president Jerr Carney said.
“Hopefully, this is just the tip of the