Staff Reports
Quality Markets will lose 71 jobs by February according to a state labor department filing by parent company Penn Traffic.
The Syracuse-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week and notified the state labor department that it will lay off 4,142 employees by Feb. 15. The layoffs include 66 United Food and Commercial Workers Local One employees and five non-union employees at Quality Markets, Rochester Road. Penn Traffic will be closing a plant in the Syracuse area.
According to the Nov. 19 state “WARN” filing by Penn Traffic, the reason cited for the layoffs was economic. WARN stands for Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification, which means employers must file notification of mass layoffs 90 days before they take place. Penn Traffic operates Quality Markets, as well as P&C; Foods and Bi-Lo grocery stores.
Penn Traffic President and Chief Executive Officer Gregory Young said in a statement the company is looking to sell some of its stores. According to bankruptcy documents, the company wants to sell all or part of their assets, otherwise Penn Traffic would close all of their stores.
“Our P&C;, Quality and Bi-Lo supermarkets remain open for business to serve our customers and communities,” Young said. “We intend to continue to work closely with our vendor partners to provide the fresh products and good value that our customers have come to expect from our stores.”
The Penn Traffic Co. sent letters to their facilities, stating the company is actively working to either find a buyer or financing.
