DuPont lays off 29 in Western New York

TONAWANDA, NY — DuPont has cut 29 jobs from their Tonawanda plant, less than the 55 estimated job cuts the company announced in December, according to The Buffalo News.


A total of 27 employees received severance packages, while two employees were transferred within the company, the story stated.


Gary Guralny, president of United Steelworkers of America Local 6992, said: "I think the company worked with us real well to not put anybody out the gate that wasn’t prepared to leave."


Fifteen of the laid-off employees were members of United Steelworkers of America Local 6992, the story noted.


According to the story, DuPont, in a cost-saving measure, has enlisted its own employees take over some work, such as maintenance duties, that contractors were performing.


With the intent to generate greater productivity, the plant wants to implement a “high-performance work system” that rewards employees with higher wages in exchange for receiving training in a larger number of tasks, the story added.