Now, Local 506 of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers says it has definitive proof that workers at the company’s century-old plant are actually more efficient than their counterparts in Texas.

The union announced this afternoon that a financial analysis conducted by the accounting firm of Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh and Co. found that building a locomotive takes substantially more labor hours at the plant in Fort Worth than here in Erie.

Specifically, the firm’s James Schaffner concluded, “With respect to locomotive production, the Erie plant’s production (efficiency) is twice that of the Fort Worth facility at April 30, 2013.”

The accounting firm’s analysis was based on a production and employment records that were provided to the union as part of the ongoing decision bargaining process. That process, required by union contract, began after April 9 when GE Transportation announced its plan to eliminate 950 union jobs in Erie and to move much of that work to a new plant in Fort Worth.

While the union is touting the conclusion of that study, union leaders said in their statement that it would not produce specific documents or numbers that are subject to a confidentiality agreement with the company.

Scott Duke, president of Local 506, rejected from the outset the company’s claim that workers in Erie were spending less time actually working, resulting in productivity that lagged 20 percent behind the Fort Worth facility.

Duke called that claim ludicrous.

“Our union is doing something right,” he said. “We managed to help this company make over a billion dollars in last year and get off to a very strong 2013. Give us a chance and we will outperform Caterpillar every day of the week as we always have.”

The union said Schaffner also concluded that the Erie plant was more efficient in the production of motorized wheels for off-highway vehicles.

Negotiations between the company and the union are scheduled to end by midnight Saturday.

GE Transportation is expected to comment on the study later today.

It appears, that there might be some wiggle room on that deadline.

Erie County Executive Barry Grossman said he spoke this afternoon to Lorenzo Simonelli, chief executive of GE Transportation.

Grossman said Simonelli told him that the company, which previously rejected a union proposal to extend the deadline, might consider an extension “if the union demonstrated movement.”

The key issue that union workers are being asked to move on is a company proposal that they accept a wage freeze, Grossman said, citing a source close to the negotiations.

The union, which has been in negotiations for nearly two months, is asking the company to revisit its plans, announced April 9, to eliminate 950 jobs at its Erie plant, moving much of that work to a new facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Union leaders, who represent about 3,500 employees at the local plant, have said they were willing to consider changes in work rules, but would not consider a wage freeze. Union members have two years remaining on a four-year contract that provided for annual raises.

The campaign – the slogan for which is “Hello, Erie!” — is a result of recent legislation that increased Erie County’s hotel tax from 5 percent to 7 percent. The additional 2 percent goes directly to VisitErie, Erie County’s designated tourism promotion agency.

As part of the campaign; television, billboards, print and digital ads plus a new smartphone mobile app will invite viewers to visit the area and discover Erie’s numerous attractions. The mobile app features an Eat, Stay, Play Directory with turn-by-turn directions, social media connectivity and a one-touch “Call” button to help visitors.

The campaign kicks off next week in Cleveland with a special co-op advertising program involving two of the area’s largest tourism attractions: Waldameer Park and Presque Isle Downs and Casino. This is the first time a partnership and a marketing campaign of this scale has been created to market Erie to the Cleveland market. Each co-op partner invested $25,000, with VisitErie matching their funds.

Erie based ad agency, Bensur Creative Marketing Group, developed the marketing campaign and will implement it with the help of two other local companies: Engel O’Neill and Ferralli Studios.

There are still some bargains out there, however. The stations near the Peach Street and the Route 97 interchanges with Interstate 90 are still posting prices at $3.39.

Even with the hike, we are still below the national average of $3.60 a gallon, according to gasbuddy.com.

Leadership of Local 506 of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers says the union can save $20 million a year in exchange for the company agreeing to keep all 950 Erie jobs that the company proposed cutting in April.

But as a condition, the union proposed that the company transform its new Fort Worth plant into an overflow facility that would be used only when the Erie plant is producing at capacity.

That proposal has received a chilly reception from company officials.

In a statement from spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson, the company said, “Our initial view is that the proposal does not position GE Transportation for long-term success or help improve our competitive standing in the marketplace. However, we are currently reviewing the proposal with the union in today’s decision bargaining discussion.”

That bargaining process, set to end Saturday, was set in motion April 9 when the company announced plans to eliminate 100 management and 950 union jobs at its century-old Erie plant. The company cited a decline in orders and what it called productivity issues at the local  plant.

The decision bargaining process, required by contract, gives the union an opportunity to offer proposals that might reduce the number of planned cuts.

The union reacted negatively last week to a.company proposal that calls for a two-tier wage structure for new employees and asks the union to agree to mandatory overtime, job consolidations and restrictions on job movement and bidding.

The union’s newsletter says its plan would save the company $20 million a year in 2013 and 2014 by correcting a parts-flow issue in the plant, reducing absenteeism, rearranging the break scheduled and eliminating severance and retraining costs that would be caused by job cutbacks.

The union also proposed the company invest in a state-of-the-art machining center at the Erie plant for the production of drive systems for off-highway mining trucks.

Despite the company’s initial reaction to the union proposal, Erickson said the proposal would be reviewed during today’s bargaining session.

“We are committed to good faith negotiations and we are doing everything we can to address the serious competitive challenges our business is facing in the global economy,” she said.

After 15 bargaining sessions that began nearly two months ago, the company on Thursday submitted a proposal to the leadership of Local 506 of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers

That process was launched in April after the company announced plans to eliminate 1,050 jobs in Erie, including 950 union positions. As part of that process, the union has 60 days to bargain with the company and to seek a way to reduce the number of planned layoffs.

Scott Duke, president of Local 506, said this morning that he couldn’t comment.

However, an internal union newsletter obtained by the Erie Times-News blasts the company’s proposal.

According to the union: “In addition to going after wage increases, GE has demanded that the union agree to mandatory overtime, a new round of code consolidation and restrictions on job movement and bidding. GE also has demanded a two-tier competitive wage even though it admits they will not achieve any cost savings, because no new hiring is expected.”

It’s not immediately clear from the newsletter how many jobs would be saved, but the union suggests it wouldn’t be many.

According to the newsletter: “Making matters even worse, the company’s wish list of demands doesn’t even come close to saving all the jobs. Under its proposal, the vast majority of the jobs that GE idenitifed for transfer on April 9 would still be moved to Texas and to vendors.”

The company, which has talked in the past about the growing competition from Caterpillar Inc., issued a statement that restates its concerns about that competition.

“GE Transportation has made locomotives in Erie for nearly a century,  and we need to adapt to the changing conditions,” company spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson said. “Competition for every locomotive order is intensifying, and we need to adjust to maintain our customers and grow the business.  We offered a proposal to the union that helps us remain competitive and saves a significant number of jobs, and we hope they will work productively with us in negotiations to achieve the best outcome for the business, our employees and the community.”

The union newsletter quotes Duke as saying: “GE’s proposal to us was totally unacceptable. It’s not good for us and it’s not good for the community.”

He continued by saying, “GE still seems intent on moving most of the 950 jobs.”

Earlier this week, according to the newsletter, the union’s bargaining committee told the company it was agreeable to looking at making the plant more efficient, but was not interested in re-opening the contract.

Duke is expected to update union members during a membership meeting scheduled for Thursday.

The bargaining process is set to expire June 22.

The company, owned by Georgia-based Acuity Brands Inc., makes lighting for surgical suites and the health care industry. Operations are being consolidated with those of a plant in Edison, N.J.

Weber, president of Smith Provision Co., can measure the precipitation in the hot dogs he hasn’t sold.

Fact is, sales are off and Weber is blaming cool, soggy weather.

“The weather is killing everyone who is selling hot dogs or doing anything outdoors,” he said. “Its been a bit of a challenge compared to last year.”

Statistics from the National Weather Service in Cleveland bear that out.

In 2012, 1.47 inches of rain fell on Erie during the first 13 days of June. Through the first 13 days of this month, Erie was soaked with 4.07 inches of rain, nearly three times as much.

And the rainy weather didn’t just start in the past couple weeks. In May, Erie was soaked with 5.66 inches of rain, double the 2.8 inches that fell in May 2012.

Rainy weather hasn’t just taken a bite out of hot dog sales.