BNA - Guild News

Sept. 25, 2003

Large RIF Hits Production Department

In a Washington Post interview published Monday September 22nd, BNA Chief Operating Officer Greg McCaffrey said BNA’s “earnings are strong” and “we’ve done quite well” despite the sagging economy.

Tell that to the eleven BNA employees who’ve been told in the last couple of weeks their jobs are being cut.

The ax fell for nine people in the production department September 24th. That was the biggest group to be laid off from BNA in recent memory. It includes one person with 15 years service and another with 13 years. None has fewer than four years with BNA.

The two other recent RIFs hit two four-year employees in separate departments.

As with all RIFs, the Guild is working to avoid as many involuntary departures as possible – by helping the individuals find other positions within BNA and by making sure BNA seeks volunteers who might want to take the RIF instead.

Under the contract, employees targeted for a RIF must be given preference if a job for which they are qualified opens up. It also requires the company to offer the RIF to anyone else within the job classification in the same section, and then company wide. A provision added in the new contract also establishes a company-wide volunteer RIF list (see accompanying story).

The nine production department employees have been told their last days will be November 24th – three days before Thanksgiving.

-- Reza Namdar
Unit Chair

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