INDIANAPOLIS -- Rexnord Bearings has made the decision official: It will move its Indianapolis operations to Monterrey, Mexico, and take 350 production jobs with it.
The decision was announced in October but made final Monday following a month of meetings with representatives from Steelworkers Union Local 1999.
Sources close to the negotiations told Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez that the union offered a wage freeze and for employees to take on additional responsibilities without additional pay. The city of Indianapolis also reportedly was talking to the company about a possible tax abatement.
Ultimately, none of those offers were enough to keep the company in Indianapolis.
Talks were scheduled to begin Tuesday about severance and benefits details for employees facing job loss.
Rexnord is looking to save $15.5 million from its Indianapolis plant by moving those jobs to Mexico and Texas.
Call 6 Investigates reported in October that to reach those savings in Indiana, the company would have to drop wages from $25 an hour to about $8 an hour.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett released the following statement regarding Rexnord's announcement:
"I am incredibly disappointed in Rexnord's decision to disregard the experience, the investment, the sacrifice and the good faith efforts of their long-time employees with the decision to uproot this plant and move 300 good-paying Indianapolis jobs to Mexico.
From the beginning, I've made clear that my top priority is the well-being of the families affected. That is why, nearly a month ago, we expanded the City's Carrier Task Force to begin marshaling local, state and federal resources to aid Rexnord employees. Despite today's announcement, we will continue to work with the community and union leaders to connect affected workers with the job training and assistance they need during this difficult time. In addition, we will begin the process of seeking to recover for the taxpayers of Marion County any and all applicable financial incentives that have been provided to Rexnord over the years."
Rexnord's plant, which is located on Indianapolis' west side, makes ball bearings, roller bearings and other associated products.
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In October, RTV6 invited Rexnord employees to take part in a conversation on Facebook Live night to discuss the job loss to other countries. You can watch that discussion below:
Rexnord's move comes just 8 months after 1,400 Carrier workers found out their jobs were being phased out of an Indianapolis manufacturing plant and instead moved to Carrier's facility in Monterrey.
A video of the announcement went viral, triggering outrage from as high up as GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. It also became the focus of multiple Call 6 Investigations, prompting special reports. You can find all of those stories here.
