According to the Oklahoma Department of Labor, over 300 workers will be let go at the beginning of next year due to the temporary, partial closure of a United Parcel Service plant in Oklahoma City.
A UPS Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) states that all 304 employees at 901 S Portland Ave. will be affected by layoffs due to “changing business realities” in the company’s network.
According to federal law, firms with 100 or more employees must notify workers 60 calendar days in advance of plant closures or mass layoffs that affect 50 or more employees, or 33% of the workforce.
“As a part of our Network of the Future initiative, we’re modernizing our Oklahoma City UPS facility,” UPS spokesperson Brian Hughes stated. “This temporary, partial closure won’t impact customer service, and we have plans in place to continue servicing the Oklahoma City community.”
Both union and nonunion employees will be impacted by the layoffs in Oklahoma, which comprise 286 HUB personnel, 15 pre-loaders, 1 package clerk, and 2 revenue recovery employees.
Employees were notified three days in advance by the Georgia-based firm, who then sent out the warning on November 18. There will be layoffs on January 15.
In an effort to supplement its Shawnee, Stillwater, and Portland Avenue sites, UPS constructed a new branch in Oklahoma City around a year ago at 8825 N Interstate 35.
Nonetheless, the business declared in April that it will close about 200 of its locations in the United States. However, at the time, it made no announcements regarding closures in Oklahoma.
The widespread shutdown and enormous layoffs coincide with UPS’s legal troubles.
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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said that United Parcel Service will pay a fine of up to $45 million for misvaluing a business unit.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said that UPS falsified “its earnings because it failed to follow generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in valuing one of its worst performing businesses.”
