A major, rail car manufacturer in Springfield, Massachusetts says a federal holdup that paused production and led to furloughs has ended.
CRRC MA, a Chinese-owned company operating in East Springfield, announced Wednesday that U.S. authorities have released car shells that had previously been "held at port."
Shell imports had been frozen for the past year, with U.S. Customs officials attempting to verify the train parts were not products of slave labor, due in part to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
Due to the nearly year-long pause, CRRC MA previously announced as many as 140 workers would be furloughed as production slowed.
The company now says business operations will "gradually resume" at the facility, with "a goal to recall affected employees from furlough" to continue work on MBTA and Los Angeles METRO cars.
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The full CRRC MA statement sent to WAMC can be found below:
CRRC MA today announced the release of its car shells held at port related to a detention notice from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CRRC MA is pleased with the outcome and appreciates CBP’s ongoing communication throughout the information gathering process to meet requirements of the detention notice.
With the release of the shells -- CRRC MA’s business operations will gradually resume with the goal to recall affected employees from furlough to resume the work of providing safe quality vehicles to MBTA and Los Angeles METRO.
We value our workforce and credit the corporation’s successful delivery of quality vehicles to its partners including the MBTA, LA Metro, local unions 7 & 63, and the western mass community who in 2015 welcomed us to the old Westinghouse site and were thankful for our commitment to job creation and training.
