Local companies look to dodge job cuts - Oneonta Daily Star
Uncertainty about the economy and job security is echoing through the region.
MeadWestvaco in Sidney is rehiring some shipping and production workers laid off last year, said union President Virginia England this week, but how long they'll be working is uncertain.
Each year, the Communications Workers of America 14164 usually sees about 150 seasonal layoffs at the calendar manufacturer, England said, but about a year ago, the number was 250 and now it's 295.
MeadWestvaco officials confirmed 295 employees are on temporary layoff but are expected to be called back this year. Employees are laid off during slower production times and retain eligibility to return as business improves.
The same layoff cycle is expected this year, MWV officials said, and there are no plans for permanent layoffs beyond those last year.
MeadWestvaco, Amphenol in Sidney and Mold-A-Matic Corp. in Oneonta are manufacturers in the three-county area that cut employees last year. The state Labor Department recently reported the Otsego, Delaware and Chenango region had a 5.9 unemployment rate for January through November 2008, the highest since a 6.1 percent unemployment rate in 1995.