AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FREIGHTWORKS TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS

Rutherfordton, North Carolina-based FreightWorks Transportation & Logistics, a transportation company specializing in temperature-controlled refrigerated trucking, hazmat shipping, and logistics services, has announced its closure and cessation of operations.

The decision will impact approximately 200 employees, including 140 drivers.

According to a company spokesperson, “several major customers demanded massive rate and volume concessions in the last week that far exceeded the scale of what we could absorb.” The tipping point occurred when one of the company's largest contract customers reduced a significant percentage of their business.

“Our first priorities are to our employees, our customers, and our creditors. Based on recent events, the most responsible path forward is to wind the company down in an expedited manner. We want to make sure employees are paid, loads are delivered and other financial disruption is minimized. We express our deepest gratitude to our team for their dedication, loyalty, and exceptional service.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FOSS MARITIME

Seattle, Washington-based Foss Maritime, a division of Saltchuk Resources and the largest tug, towing, and maritime consultancy on the West Coast, has announced that it is closing its North Queen Anne shipyard located in Seattle, Washington, and laying off 115 workers.

Work at the shipyard ended October 30, 2021, and layoffs will be effective December 29, 2021. Operations, including the construction, conversion, maintenance, and repair of vessels will be transferred to other Pacific Northwest shipyards.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT UPS (11/19/24)

Am I Next? Selective management buyouts at UPS.

NOVEMBER 19, 2024 — 404 LAYOFFS WITH PARTIAL CLOSURE OF DENVER, COLORADO FACILITY

The company has announced the partial closure of its Commerce City, Colorado facility for remodeling and will lay off 400+ employees on January 1, 202.

According to a company spokesperson, “Network of the Future is targeting all activities for automation within our four walls. These building consolidations and automations yield real savings. For example, we’ll have fewer feeder runs. We’ll be able to eliminate both a.m. and p.m. ground and air feeds in many, many locations.

The company plans to close up to 200 facilities to consolidate operations and save on labor costs as the company looks toward automation.”

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 — MORE LAYOFFS AHEAD

After the company announced that it would cut 12,000 employees earlier in 2024, the company announced more unspecified cuts.

A spokesperson confirmed that the company plans to reduce its headcount of non-union management workers further. “Earlier this year, we announced efforts to align the size of our management staff with the size of our company. We continue to look for ways to increase productivity through process improvements, technology advancements and organization realignment.”

JULY 7, 2024 — 540 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND EMPLOYEES

The company has announced that it will temporarily close its customer center in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 23, 2024, impacting 540 employees.

According to a company statement, “The company expects an enhanced version of the Baltimore facility to reopen in late 2025. Our employees are extremely important to us, and we are working to place as many employees as possible in other positions at our onsite temporary hub or in nearby facilities. We remain committed to working with them throughout this transition and providing support. This temporary closure won't impact customer service and we have plans in place to continue servicing the Baltimore community."

MARCH 28. 2024 — 333 ONTARIO AIRPORT HUB

UPS plans to eliminate a shift at its regional air hub located at Ontario International Airport in California next month, resulting in 333 layoffs, effective April 27

According to a statement, “We often evaluate our operations and flex our network to meet volume demands. This allows us to continue delivering industry-leading service while also maintaining competitive prices.”

FEBRUARY 26, 2024 — 321 LAYOFFS IN PORTLAND, OREGON.

UPS plans to eliminate its day sorting operations at its Swan Island facility in Portland, Oregon, laying off 321 mostly part-time employees.

A company spokesperson noted, “The company will permanently end its daytime shift by April 19, 2024. The closure means that 272 part-time and 11 full-time employees, as well as 48 part-time and full-time managers, will lose their jobs. UPS will attempt to mitigate this loss by offering work to affected employees if other positions become available,”

JANUARY 30, 2024 — 12,000 EMPLOYEES TARGETED

The company has announced 12,000 job cuts after reporting a decline in the volume of packages being shipped. Most of the job cuts would be made in the first half of the year and affect managerial staff.

It should be noted that the reduction in force comes after union negotiations to increase driver’s pay.

According to CEO Carole Tomé, the workforce reduction is part of an effort to align resources in 2024 and will save the company nearly $1 billion.

FEBRUARY 22, 2022 — UPS NOTES WORKFORCE DECLINED BY 9,000 EMPLOYEES IN 2021

In their 2021 annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, UPS noted that its workforce was reduced by about 9,000 employees in 2021.

“We have approximately 534,000 employees (excluding temporary seasonal employees), of which 444,000 are in the U.S. and 90,000 are located internationally. Our global workforce includes approximately 89,000 management employees (44% of whom are part-time) and 445,000 hourly employees (51% of whom are part-time). More than 70% of our U.S. employees are represented by unions, primarily those employees handling or transporting packages. In addition, approximately 3,100 of our pilots are represented by the Independent Pilots Association.”

DECEMBER 3, 2021 — MASS LAYOFFS IN GLOBAL BUSINESS OFFICES IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

UPS has announced that it is reducing its headcount at multiple locations throughout the United States,

According to a UPS statement, "UPS is transitioning some of the work currently done at one of our Global Business Services offices in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Louisville, KY, and Scranton, PA to another location. We are having one-on-one meetings with the affected employees to discuss their next steps with the company, which includes the opportunity to apply for open positions at UPS."

— Dunmore, Pennsylvania will lose 232 employees between February 25, 2022, and June 30, 2022, including employees in finance and accounting.

[More information as it is released]

OCTOBER 1, 2020 — Original post…

Atlanta, Georgia-based, United Parcel Service, the iconic package delivery and supply chain management company, has decided to reduce personnel costs using a mixture of voluntary and involuntary layoffs.

The company announced that it will be offering buyouts to some of its management employees in non-operational positions in a move to curtail operating costs. The buyouts will be staged, with some employees leaving by the end of 2020 and the remainder by mid-2021. These buyouts will determine how many employees may face involuntary layoffs in the near future.

According to a company spokesperson, “UPS is providing voluntary severance offers to some employees as part of its transformation. Aligning our talent with the needs of our company and customers is critical to becoming a stronger, more agile UPS.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?