NW Ind. factory delays some of planned 100 layoffs

HAMMOND, Ind.— A northwestern Indiana factory that makes springs for rail cars is delaying some of the planned layoffs of nearly 100 workers.

Amsted Rail had announced layoffs starting in mid-December for its Hammond factory but has told state officials it's holding off on the layoffs of about 40 workers until February. At least a dozen workers are being recalled in January for training.

Bill Carey of United Steelworkers Local 2003 tells The Times of Munster (http://bit.ly/WVqS1n ) that the company's business has been cyclical, leading to layoffs when orders decline.

The company has blamed the layoffs on a "dramatic downturn" in business. Hammond officials in June approved property-tax breaks for a planned $7.7 million investment over the next two years to add equipment and renovate the factory.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com