BRATTLEBORO-The Vermont Department of Labor has received notice that C&S Wholesale Grocers is planning layoffs at its Old Ferry Road warehouse and distribution center starting in March.
Labor Commissioner Mike Harrington said on Jan. 10 that the planned layoffs will involve fewer than 50 employees and will not take place for at least 45 days. The Keene, New Hampshire–based company's decision was first reported by the Brattleboro Reformer.
The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires companies with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 days advance notice before a layoff of 50 or more employees at a single site. Harrington, in a text message, said C&S filed a notice but labor department lawyers were reviewing it to see if it was required.
Rachel Dumeny, a spokesperson for the labor department, said workers who are laid off will be eligible for state assistance.
"We strongly encourage any affected individuals to apply for unemployment insurance benefits and connect with our job center specialists," said Dumeny.
C&S did not offer any direct comment to VTDigger or the Reformer on the layoffs.
"It is a long-standing practice of C&S Wholesale Grocers not to comment on questions concerning corporate transactions or personnel changes," wrote Lauren La Bruno, vice president of communications, change management, and community relations in an email to the Reformer. "However, I can tell you that C&S continuously looks for ways to drive value for our customers and accelerate our ability to deliver best-in-class services."
Founded in 1918 in Worcester, Massachusetts, C&S is one of the largest wholesale grocery suppliers in the United States, serving more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, and institutions with nearly 137,000 different products. It employs more than 15,000 at its 31 warehouses and office locations in 13 states across the nation.
In 1981, the company built a 300,000-square foot warehouse in Brattleboro, its only location in Vermont.
This News item by Klara Bauters originally appeared in VTDigger and was republished in The Commons with permission.