UPS laying off more than 200 workers at New Stanton facility
NEW STANTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- More than 200 workers will soon be out of a job when UPS closes day sorting operations at its New Stanton facility in just under two months.
Kim Busch is processing the news that the job she's had for nearly 24 years at UPS in New Stanton is now in jeopardy.
"It's devastating," Busch said.
Most recently, she's been working part-time as a revenue recovery auditor four to five hours a day. However, she said those hours are already dwindling. She described what happened this past Monday.
"They really stopped our belt at three hours, so they have to pay us for that three and a half," Busch said.
She and her colleagues got the official word a few days earlier, last Friday, that the shipping provider would be shutting down its day shift on April 15. While Busch may get a few hours one day a week for the time being, she said others were already let go.
"Some of them were told last Friday, 'you're not working at all next week,'" Busch said.
According to the notification letter from the company, they'll be laying off 206 employees, specifically 167 part-time hourly workers, one full-time hourly worker, 31 part-time management employees and seven full-time management employees.
The letter said affected workers will be offered positions at other facilities if they become available.
KDKA-TV reached out to UPS for comment. A spokesperson said in a statement, "Our employees are extremely important to us, and we understand the impact this may have on their families. We will work with those who may be impacted throughout the process to provide support."
Busch said she and others with the Teamsters Local 30 union met Wednesday to figure out their next steps.
"Some people, if they don't have enough seniority, they're not going to have a job, and some of us will be able to move on to the other shifts," Busch said.
Busch looked forward to retiring after 25 years there. She just hopes she still gets to do that.
"It's sad, you know, it's your livelihood," Busch said.
Busch said she doesn't believe Amazon moving up the hillside had anything to do with the decision and said they lost a lot of volume years before it moved in. She said some of that volume has shifted to automated buildings, but she feels they can only do so much.
"When the volume does pick up, they can't do anymore, and that's where we would come into play," Busch said.
