Almost 600 employees at the Remington Arms plant in Ilion, New York, were told Friday that they would be terminated effective Monday, the local union said.
The Remington Outdoor Company is also refusing to pay severance and accrued vacation benefits, according to a statement from the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the union that represents the workers.
Remington is obligated to pay severance and vacation benefits under a collective bargaining agreement, UMWA officials said.
Remington is terminating 585 employees, according to UMWA.
Ilion, a small Herkimer County village of 8,000 people, is the birthplace of America’s oldest gunmaker, which first started making guns there in 1816.
“This outrageous action by Remington Outdoor company is a slap in the face to the employees who built that company into the best firearms manufacturer in the world,” UMWA International president Cecil E. Roberts, said in a statement.
“UMWA Local Union 717 has already filed a series of grievances under our collective bargaining agreement, and the UMWA International Union is exploring further legal action.”
The sale of the Remington plant in Ilion to Roundhill Group, LLC was approved late last month in federal bankruptcy court as part of the Remington Outdoor Company bankruptcy case, according to court documents.
“We are now working with the new company to get the plant reopened and start putting our members back to work,” the union continued.
“But the old, failed Remington had one more kick in the pants for our members. If they think they can get away with this without a fight from the UMWA they had better think again. Our members in Local Union 717 earned those benefits.”
Court documents show the assets of Remington Outdoor Company, which has sites in Ilion, Alabama, North Carolina and Arkansas, were to be sold to four different bidders with three backup bids.
Claudia Tenney, former U.S. representative and Republican candidate for New York’s 22nd District, said she was saddened to hear the news that the employees were let go. Tenney was endorsed by the UMWA 717 for Congress.
“I personally reached out to both the White House and the Treasury Department and appealed to them for help in this hour of great need for the workers and their families,” Tenney said in a statement.
“I will keep fighting to get them the resources they need to get through this and come out stronger. The Ilion plant in Herkimer County has been making products of the highest craftsmanship since 1816 and has proven to be a vital asset to our community, our economy and our nation.”
Congressman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, who is facing Tenney for the 22nd district seat, also spoke out against the news, calling it “an affront to union jobs everywhere.”
“The hardworking men and women at the Remington factory in Ilion made a quality product for generations,” Brindisi said in a statement.
“This betrayal of the rights their union fought for is unacceptable and cannot stand. I stand with the UMWA Local Union 717 workers and as their representative in Congress I am ready and willing to fight for them and the rights they collectively bargained for.”
Vincent Bono, chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature, said Roundhill representatives were expected to be in Ilion this week and he is in the process of setting up a meeting with them to see where things stand.
Bono said he had heard Roundhill has plans to bring back around 400 employees.
The chairman said Roundhill still had some work to do before they could reopen the Ilion plant. He said Roundhill is in the process of acquiring a Federal Firearms License (FFL) which is required for them to make guns.
Bono said the application process takes 60-90 days.
“They really can’t make any firearms until they get it,” he said.
Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, New Y
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Remington Arms bankruptcy: Oldest US gunmaker lays off 585 in New York
https://www.yahoo.com/news/remington-arms-oldest-u-gunmaker-125728528.html
But Boeing, microsoft, and you all know the rest, staying fukg open..these gun manufacturers made America, and by god, they will keep America free…
Remington should be given whatever it takes to stay open, instead we watch Bidens punk ass bitch son grab millions..
Yup
Bunch of our money went to prop up automotive mfg’s
Now they say they are billions in debt
Again
All of them , nothing going to arms mfg’s
Boing and Lockheed will also spend our tax dollars without even a thought
Slavery , and Theft all rolled up into one Fck us sandwich
Best firearms company? I disagree. Especially as of the last decade.
This is what happens when a judge can allow a company to be held liable for the actions of a person with items the company made.
A legally sold firearm was supposedly used in a crime by a non authorized person and the manufacturer was held liable.
Let’s not forget that this company made a habit of spending too much and not making enough in profits. Then they decided to stop selling to the civilian market at the peak of sales.
Liability + overhead + poor choices + old thinking + sucking union tit = out of business.
Couldn’t agree more. Just like Fender Guitar, you start contracting your parts production in Mexico, you start designing your guns with plastic wear parts, the quality goes to shit. If you cannot make it as a gun manufacturer at this present date when the shelves are empty of guns, and the ammunition is as scares as hen’s teeth, you are either grossly incompetent or it is your agenda to shut down or de-engineer your product to the point that people wouldn’t hit a dog in the ass with it.
Hey Remington, I’ll tell you how to save your business. Open up about a thousand .22 long rifle cartridge plants and put dry powder in the cases so they fire half ass correctly. But that would mean you couldn’t contract out the production to Mexico.
Most don’t understand that these gun manufacturers we have made filthy rich over the years have sold out we the people. They get a lot more of our money through the government than they do pleasing us a private customers.
Like I said, if you are a gun manufacturer going out of business today, you are a sorry son of a bitch.
Then close em down, reopen with new manufacturer process and new fkg models of weapons, keeping our people working, they can’t make guns fast enough now as it is. FK Boeing and Fk NASA and all the other useless MTFRKS stealing our money.
A fella with a good gun sense and know how could give it a go, no problem.
Hell, if I had the cash I’d put you as CEO, that MTRFKR would be huge overnight. Everybody loves guns, especially American Nationals.
Yeah Remington fkd up, so what? Fix the MTHRFKR
Well not as CEO, as the BOSS, no corporate bullshit
Incorporation was their first fkg mistake
A good gun Smith is key to know plus having lots of part kits . Like everyone said above my post if you can’t build a gun that fires it becomes a rock are club . Over the years I’ve learn how to work on my own tools … mark stay safe out there it goes to everyone here . Once more I ask all member here to store more food , look for can meats , fruits in can , vegs in cans rice beans pasta peanut butter it all store well …