McClatchy-Tribune News Service | As Caterpillar rebounds from
one of its worst years ever, rehiring continues at its Pontiac plant,
with 23 laid-off employees expected to return to work.

Four of those employees were on the job Monday, while another 19 are
expected to come back next week, said Larry Stine, financial secretary
for United Auto Workers Local 2096, which represents employees at the
plant.

”Things are picking up a little bit and are getting a little better as far as products we are manufacturing,” Stine said.

About 200 full-time employees and 98 supplemental employees were laid off last year. The plant also instituted “rolling layoffs” that involved short-term furloughs of two weeks. Those ended last year.

Rehires began in November, and about 63 employees were called back. Stine said 93 laid-off workers remain on a recall list. Supplemental employees were not called back, and the rest of the full-time employees were dropped from the recall list, he said.

Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan said demand for the company’s construction equipment and engines is up, after dismal 2009 sales of $32.4 billion, a drop of nearly 40 percent from 2008.

But Dugan said worldwide sales this year are expected to increase from 10 to 25 percent.

”In late 2008, we were up at a peak and very strong, but then it just went deep down into a valley by the end of 2008 and continued throughout 2009,” he said. “It appears we’re headed back up, but we don’t know how quick it is or how steep that climb might be.”

The Pontiac plant has about 550 employees, and is among the city’s largest employers. About 400 are UAW members.