Our new jobs in Bristol.

Update January 2008: we had hoped the endless strings of mass layoffs would end, but in January 2008 here we go again.

KINGSPORT — City officials are researching just how Quebecor World’s bankruptcy filing will impact the company’s gift of property to the city in downtown Kingsport. Quebecor World announced earlier this week it has filed for protection under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in Canada. A number of Quebecor World’s U.S. subsidiaries are also covered by the filing in Canada as well as in the United States under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. According to U.S. bankruptcy law, a court can look back at property conveyed by the bankrupt organization within the past two years before the bankruptcy filing. The court could decide to nullify the conveyance and seize the property in the bankruptcy process. In December, Quebecor World donated its downtown book manufactur- ing operation to the city of Kingsport. The company shut the plant down in 2006, leaving vacant approximately 1 million square feet, with 54 separate buildings on more than 20 acres bordered by West Center, Clinchfield, Sullivan and Roller streets. Ref. Kingport Times-News 1-22-08. Quebecor has fired over 1000 workers over the last several years.

BRISTOL, Tenn. – GlaxoSmithKline will begin laying off workers at its pharmaceutical plant here in April...The company plans to lay off all 236 people currently employed at its industrial park facility, then cease operations. Layoffs are scheduled to begin April 7 and be completed by Oct. 31, 2009..."Between 20 and 30 people will be leaving in April and the rest will be phased out depending on volumes... BHC 1-22-08

Food service distributor IJ Company trimming work force

By MATTHEW LANE

JOHNSON CITY - Due to the loss of a major customer, the IJ Company announced Monday it would reduce its work force by 31 percent over the next four months.

Tommy Dail, president and chief operating officer of IJ, said 91 jobs at the Johnson City facility are slated to be eliminated by Feb. 16, 2004. "We recognize the significance of this job loss to IJ employees and their families, as well as the local economy, and therefore we opted to notify the work force and community leaders well in advance of required notification dates," Dail said.

Over the past couple of months, IJ has been negotiating a contract renewal with its largest customer, which has been serviced out of the Johnson City facility for the past 12 years. However, Dail said the customer elected to contract with other companies in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

"The IJ Company is committed to operating the facility in Johnson City and to providing jobs in the East Tennessee market," Dail said. "The company is aggressively looking for new opportunities to bring more business to the Johnson City operation. However, it is unlikely that we will replace the loss of business in time to prevent a major reduction in force."

Company officials said IJ will provide impacted employees with transitional benefits including transitional and retention pay, vacation buyouts, and an on-site career center to assist employees and their families.

"Although much of the work force will remain intact through February 2004, the IJ career center is open now," said Bonnie Daniels, vice president of human resources. "In addition to engaging the services of a national outplacement group, representatives will be working with city, county and state services in a coordinated effort to help everyone through this transition."

P.C. Snapp, executive director of the Johnson City/Washington County/Jonesborough Economic Development Board, said Monday's announcement is something you never want to hear.

"It's bad news because IJ has been a blue chip company in Johnson City a long time. They expanded to the old Fleming Foods building three or four years ago," Snapp said. "They are a very good company. I talked with them this morning, and hopefully they have some more irons in the fire.

"Anytime anything like that happens, it's certainly tragic for the families involved." Headquartered in Knoxville, the IJ Company has been in business since 1946. It is the 10th-largest broad-line food service distributor in the United States.

Copyright November 18, 2003 Kingsport Times-News.

On top of disrupting school over religion, we have a Rev. Poff that wants to ban Halloween as Satanic.

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