Press statement: “Unions Call for Investigation of Smith Corona Lay Offs”

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PRESS STATEMENT

Unions Call for Investigation of Smith Corona Lay Offs

Last week the Cortland community was rocked by Smith Corona's
announcement of another major workforce reduction. According to
media accounts and company statements 350 workers were laid off,
some with seniority dating back to 1985. This lay off came on the
heels of another lay off in January of over 100 workers. Tho: of
us in the labor movement who have been figh'' | ° ¥ NG AVS
and improve employment for workers are once again shocked and
disheartened by the acquiescence of the community in the face of
this kind of corporate slaughter.

Today, we, members of this community are expressing our
outrage at what has happened and the way it has happened. We are
pledging ourselves to unite our forces to protect our homes, our
communities and our livelihoods. We are members of labor unions,
environmental groups and community members. We are speaking out
today not simply for Smith Corona workers who were given no notice
of their lay offs, but for all workers, unionized and non-unionized
who are at the mercy of corporate greed.

Smith Corona had no qualms announcing that while they were
throwing 350 Cortland area workers onto the street that they were
employing 300 additional workers in Singapore. There is only one
message in this for Cortland workers and that is "watch out” cause
you are next. If you can't compete with Korean, Mexican and Puerto
Rican workers for the lowest wages and worst working conditions you
can kiss your jobs goodbye.

There is another message for communities like Cortland all
across America and that is "watch out" cause you are next. Our
only allegiance is to money, and whether we make it in Cortland or
Korea makes no difference to us.

Global competition has put communities like Cortland all
across the United States in a dangerously vulnerable position.
Understanding this, the labor movement fought for more than 7 years
for all workers and communities to get restrictions on plant
closings and mass lay offs. Companies like Smith Corona viciously
fought against such legislation. Nevertheless, in April of 1989
the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN) went into
effect. And while most of us consider this law weak and

ineffective there are some restrictions which corporations must
adhere to or face penalties.

The law requires companies of more than 100 workers, who lay
off 33% of their workforce in a month or in 90 waveeif it is for
the same reason to provide the community and the effected workers
with 60 days notification. There are management consulting firms
traveling the country now training corporations like Smith Corona

how to subvert and avoid obeying the law however. And the
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weaknesses of this legislation are very apparent when you see how

easy it is to avoid the thresholds which activate the notification
requirements.

The catch 22 for workers and communities is that unless you
have access to company records you do not know the whole truth.
Absent a union at the Smith Corona plant, neither the community

nor the workers have any easy way, sort of a law suit, to get
access to company records.

That is why the Tompkins/Cortland Labor Coalition has
initiated several activities to investigate whether or not Smith
Corona has in fact violated the law. First, we are using all
accessible public records we can find to calculate how many workers
have been laid off since December 1, 1989. Second, we are calling
on all laid off and current Smith Corona workers who have any
information on December, January, February or March lay offs to
come forward. We will accept in strict confidence letters or phone
calls from anyone who has information which might help us get a
clearer picture of what has transpired in the past 90 days at Smith
Corona. Letters can be written to the Tompkins/Cortland Labor
Coalition, 109 West State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 or call 257-
5670. Third, we are offering our services to any current workers
from Smith Corona who are interested in learning how to protect
their rights under the federal plant closing and mass lay off law.

Individually and isolated we cannot respond as workers or a
community to the brutal machinations of corporate power. But

united we can work as a community to build a brighter economic
future, with public accountability and economic justice.

For more information contact Coert Bonthius, Coordinator,

Tompkins/Cortland Labor Coalition, 109 West State Street. Ith
NY o°24850', ©2567-5670: eet, aca,