Following the sudden closure of multiple Friendly’s restaurants in upstate New York earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is making a plan to make sure employees aren't caught off guard when their employer shuts down the company.
Schumer, D-New York, said a loophole in the WARN Act allowed the chain to close up shop with just a day’s notice. But if the employees worked in a factory setting, they would have received a WARN notice, which provides workers with a 60-day advance notice that a company will be closing and jobs will be lost.
Friendly's was not legally required to give any notice because the employees all worked under the same employer — just at different locations.
"It doesn't matter how many people work in each workplace,” Schumer said “If you're a company that lays off 50 people, you must notify them and give them 60 days notice before firing them.”
Former employees also said they were not paid any severance, though the company said it did give them what it calls “transitional pay.”
A few weeks ago, Schumer called for an investigation into Friendly’s closures by the federal government. Fourteen of the restaurant’s locations suddenly shut their doors at the beginning of April.
Central New York
- Clay (Great Northern Mall, 4081 Route 31)
- Dewitt (3275 Erie Boulevard E.)
- Oswego (192-196 W. Bridge Street)
- Syracuse (3701 James Street)
Rochester-Finger Lakes Region:
- Gates (2 Spencerport Road)
- Greece (3935 Dewey Avenue)
- Greece (3081 West Ridge Road)
Buffalo- Western New York:
- Blasdell (3540 McKinley Parkway)
- Amherst (4350 Maple Road)
- Williamsville (6651 Transit Road)
Southern Tier:
- Binghamton (1148 Front Street)
- Endicott (301 E. Main Street)
- Oneonta (377 Main Street)
Spectrum News acquired a letter sent to the restaurant's locations from CEO George Michel, which in part, said there were certain "locations in geographic areas that have changed dramatically in some cases since those restaurants first opened."