LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 250 people will lose their jobs when a southern Indiana supply chain warehouse changes hands.
Jammie Willen, an equipment operator at Legacy Supply Chain Services' warehouse, said he was "stunned" to learn of its' closing.
“I enjoy my job and what I do here,” said Willen, who also serves as the president of IUE-CWA Local 84807. “I just feel really sad this is taking place ... really at a loss of words.”
Willen and the other employees received a WARN notice from the company that runs the warehouse, Tri-Starr Management Services, on Monday.
The letter said “Tri-Starr Management Services, Inc. will conduct employee separations in connection with the cessation of its operations” at Legacy located at 1251 Port Road in Jeffersonville.
The facility ships parts for GE Appliances.
GE Appliances has four parts warehouses across the country, and currently, there are three different service providers managing them, according to Julie Wood, senior director of corporate communications at GE Appliances.
“We made the strategic decision to move from three service providers to one to simplify operations and better serve customers," Wood said. "Dart Logistics has been selected as the new provider and will handle the staffing and managing of the facility as of March 9. The Jeffersonville warehouse is not closing."
Willen said Dart has requested that employees reapply for their jobs through a temporary staffing agency. Willen would like Dart to absorb all of the Legacy employees without going through the temporary staffing agency.
“Dart is taking over, and they've told us to reapply for positions,” Willen said. “We have no idea whether we are going to be hired or not and whether our wages are going to remain the same, whether we will have health care benefits. We're long-term employees here. We know what we're doing. We do the job effectively and efficiently, and we deserve to be treated in a fair and decent manner.”
Willen said wages at Legacy are between $14 and a little more than $18 an hour. He calls the benefits at Legacy "great."
“The loss of our insurance is devastating to us,” Willen said.
Wood said GE Appliances is hiring, and “any impacted Legacy employees are welcome to also apply” to work at Appliance Park.
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