For Information Contact:
Brian Adey
798-5800
Ethan Allen Employees, Families
Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo today pledged a long-term partnership to help the employees and families affected by the planned closing of the Ethan Allen plant in Boonville.
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“We have a community in crisis, and we will devote every possible resource we can to help the people whose lives are being drastically impacted by the company’s action,” Griffo said. “The one message I want to make clear to our friends and neighbors in Boonville today is that they are not alone, that we will be there to help in every possible way, and that county government will uphold our commitment to be there for them now, and in the months to come. I will be the leading advocate for these workers and their families to ensure they get every possible bit of assistance they can receive.”
Griffo
said key county officials will meet this week with local officials in
Boonville to develop a response plan. “We need to provide emotional as
well as economic support because the ripples of this will touch everyone
in the Boonville area,” Griffo said. “We need to develop a
coordinated, compassionate and wide-ranging response because this is a
community in need.”
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Griffo said County Government departments will work in coordination with state and other partners to provide a coordinated response. “The Working Solutions system has a rapid response mechanism in place that will be led by the New York State Department of Labor and will provide information and assistance to the plant’s employees,” Griffo said. “The Oneida County Office of Workforce Development, a member of the Working Solutions Partnership and operator of the Working Solutions Rome Center, will play a major role in helping these highly skilled workers. ”
Griffo also said every effort will be made to urge the company to reverse its decision. “The work ethic of the people in our region is second to none. We know they provide quality workmanship,” Griffo said. “The company already has the advantage of low-cost municipal power. If there are issues we can address with the company that can change their mind, we will address them. However, Ethan Allen has already received significant public funding to support its Boonville operation, and we were under the impression that this assistance would keep jobs in our area. As late as last fall, there were no indications to us that closure was being considered.”
Griffo noted that international competition and overall business conditions are impacting manufacturers. “We understand that forest products manufacturers are facing tough times,” Griffo said. “However, we are very disappointed that after several years of contacts by both EDGE and the state Empire State Development Corporation, we were not given any further chance to work with the local plant before this closing was announced.”
Griffo
said county efforts are part of a coordinated plan. The Rapid Response
program established under the Workforce Investment Act designates the New
York State Department of Labor as the lead agency to contact workers. At
upcoming informational sessions, state officials will give employees an
overview of the region’s labor market, offer information about
Unemployment Insurance regulations and inform employees about employment
services for which they are eligible. Officials will explain to the
laid-off workers how the region’s system of Working
Solutions One-Stops can help them connect with services and
information they need.
“We are bringing together the resources of our Working Solutions partnership to help these neighbors cope with their layoffs. We want to make sure that Ethan Allen workers understand all the services and options available to them in the weeks and months to come,” Griffo said.
Information about all the services offered to the region’s employers and job seekers through the Working Solutions consortium is available on the Web at working-solutions.org.