Posted 9:46 am Thursday, February 02, 2012
Carrier Officials, Union Reportedly Agree On Severance Package For Layoffs
By CASEY MURPHY
Business Editor
Carrier Corp. representatives and union members reportedly have agreed on a severance package for employees if layoffs begin.
On Jan. 20, Carrier officials told employees it could close its Tyler plant by late 2013 or early 2014, eliminating hundreds of jobs with an economic impact into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Tyler Economic Development Council President and CEO Tom Mullins said today that company officials and union members agreed on a severance package that involves some kind of combination of a one-time settlement related to the number of years an employee has worked there and with benefits given for a period of time after they leave Carrier.
He said employee layoffs will be done gradually over the next couple of years and will most likely start late this summer.
Representatives from the city of Tyler, Smith County and the Tyler Economic Development Council had planned to meet with Carrier representatives but Carrier had cancelled the meeting, needing more time to work on the details of the severance package, Mullins said, adding that they plan to reschedule the meeting.
“There is no decision at this point” of the plant’s closure, Michelle Caldwell, communications manager for Carrier's residential headquarters in Indianapolis, said Jan. 20. “This morning, it was announced that if Carrier constantly evaluates operational improvement opportunities, it is proposing the closure of the Tyler plant.”
She said the proposed closure is “subject to Carrier's collective bargaining obligations with the union.” And under the proposal, the factory will continue operations and will serve customers without interruption through the end of 2013.
Ms. Caldwell said about 500 employees, including transportation positions, could be affected if the Tyler facility is shuttered.
Mullins said Carrier has 405 employees at its two facilities in Tyler. Positions vary from assembly to distribution and engineering to administrative, he said.
Since 1902, Carrier has provided air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems.
A wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., Carrier delivers global solutions across the broadest range of heating, cooling and refrigeration applications, according to www.corp. carrier.com.
Business Editor
Carrier Corp. representatives and union members reportedly have agreed on a severance package for employees if layoffs begin.
On Jan. 20, Carrier officials told employees it could close its Tyler plant by late 2013 or early 2014, eliminating hundreds of jobs with an economic impact into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Tyler Economic Development Council President and CEO Tom Mullins said today that company officials and union members agreed on a severance package that involves some kind of combination of a one-time settlement related to the number of years an employee has worked there and with benefits given for a period of time after they leave Carrier.
He said employee layoffs will be done gradually over the next couple of years and will most likely start late this summer.
Representatives from the city of Tyler, Smith County and the Tyler Economic Development Council had planned to meet with Carrier representatives but Carrier had cancelled the meeting, needing more time to work on the details of the severance package, Mullins said, adding that they plan to reschedule the meeting.
“There is no decision at this point” of the plant’s closure, Michelle Caldwell, communications manager for Carrier's residential headquarters in Indianapolis, said Jan. 20. “This morning, it was announced that if Carrier constantly evaluates operational improvement opportunities, it is proposing the closure of the Tyler plant.”
She said the proposed closure is “subject to Carrier's collective bargaining obligations with the union.” And under the proposal, the factory will continue operations and will serve customers without interruption through the end of 2013.
Ms. Caldwell said about 500 employees, including transportation positions, could be affected if the Tyler facility is shuttered.
Mullins said Carrier has 405 employees at its two facilities in Tyler. Positions vary from assembly to distribution and engineering to administrative, he said.
Since 1902, Carrier has provided air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems.
A wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., Carrier delivers global solutions across the broadest range of heating, cooling and refrigeration applications, according to www.corp. carrier.com.
