Mass layoff at Sirna & Sons in Norwalk

NORWALK — Nearly 50 jobs are being cut at a Norwalk-based food distributor. Sirna & Sons Produce notified state and local officials earlier this month that it plans to discontinue distribution operations at its 650 U.S. 20 facility and transition to a smaller cross-dock site. The move will result in 45 permanent layoffs effective Dec. 2, though the company noted the date may be extended "by a few days," but not beyond Dec. 15, according to the notice. About the WARN Act Notice A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act notice is a federal requirement administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the department, the WARN Act requires employers with 100 or more full-time workers to provide at least 60 days' written notice before conducting mass layoffs or plant closures. The notice is designed to give employees, their families and local communities time to prepare for job loss and to access retraining or reemployment services. According to the filing, the affected positions include: * 12 selectors * Eight driver-operators * Seven receivers * Six repackers * Two dispatchers * Two sanitation associates * Two specialty selectors * One facility maintenance associate, office clerk, driver helper, quality control associate, shipping lead and shipping supervisor. Sirna & Sons emphasized that there will be no "bumping rights," as its workforce is not unionized, and the company reserved all rights under the WARN Act. What are 'bumping rights' In employment law, bumping rights refer to the ability of a more senior employee whose position is being eliminated to "bump" or displace a less senior employee in another role within the company. These rights typically exist only under union contracts or collective bargaining agreements. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers are not required to offer bumping rights unless such agreements are in place. Because Sirna & Sons' Norwalk facility is not unionized, no employees may displace others as part of the layoff. Company background and operations Founded in 1939, Sirna & Sons Produce is a fourth-generation, family-run wholesale food distributor headquartered in Ravenna, Ohio. The company supplies fresh produce and related products six days a week to restaurants, hotels, schools and institutions throughout Ohio, central Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, according to its website. The company operates two main facilities: * Its corporate headquarters and main distribution center in Ravenna, Ohio, a 50,000-square-foot complex built in 2006. * The Norwalk facility, which opened in 2001 and was expanded in 2010 by an additional 10,800 square feet. The company does not publicly disclose a total employee count on its website, nor does it list additional manufacturing or distribution facilities beyond Ravenna and Norwalk. Calls by the newspaper were not immediately returned.