UPS is laying off 331 workers at a Portland sorting facility as the company cites volume loss across its network. The employees, mostly part-timers with some full-time workers and managers, were informed of the layoffs through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) letter filed by UPS. The closure of the “Portland Day Sort” facility is expected to be permanent, and the company has said it will attempt to find other positions for the affected employees. The closure is expected to be finalized by April 18, 2024, and the affected individuals will be released unless otherwise required by the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
The decision to cut jobs at the sorting facility in North Portland is due to a decrease in volume in their network, resulting in the closure of operations. The rose amongst employees of the facility as a clear cut implication of the reduction in the workforce, has left the workforce stunned. The company stated in a February 13 letter that the majority of those being laid off were part-time employees, but that some full-time workers, as well as management, would also be affected. UPS has tried to cushion the blow by stating that it would try to find other positions for the workers. In the announcement, UPS said “This action is expected to be permanent due to the lack of available work at this location moving forward.” UPS has made strides by reaching an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters last year to secure a national collective bargaining deal that would have threatened the U.S. economy if it had not come to fruition. UPS hinted that several UPS locations, including the Swan Island facility, are also reducing their package sorting operations.
