Cummins Inc. plans to immediately add 140 positions at its Columbus, Ind. engine plant,
according to the Associated Press.
The new positions are intended to help meet the demand for the turbo diesel engine used in the Dodge Ram pickup truck, according to Joe Loughrey, president of the engine business.
The company last month announced plans to move some of the heavy-duty assembly positions in Columbus to its Jamestown, N.Y., plant.
Workers who lost jobs may be transferred to the new positions in Columbus, but some employees complained that the new positions come with a pay cut and a loss of seniority.
Brandon Siefert and Shannon Claybrook, both of whom have worked at the plant for about four years, said a transfer would include a 29% pay cut -- from $13.75 per hour to $9.75.
They also said they would be considered new employees if they agreed to transfer, which would result in fewer vacation days and a loss of seniority.
Cummins is just trying its best to prevent job losses, said Jason Rawlings, public relations director.
"We are trying to create opportunities for the people who will be laid off at CEP," Rawlings said. "We're doing everything we can, within the constraints of the separate labor agreement, to help as many people as we can," Rawlings said.