Local options can help those laid off get back on their feet
By Amy F. Reiter
Sunday January 4, 2009
Heather Coit
Eric Ferguson, branch manager of Manpower employment agency in Champaign, displays a printed circuit board test, which he demonstrates at right, a warehouse test, left, and an inspection test, foreground left, in one of the facility's testing rooms in Champaign.
When Heatcraft management announced the Danville branch's closing, Ben Gabbard felt heartsick. Four months before the notice, he had led union negotiations, getting a three-year contract for the nearly 300 union employees.
Too soon after, the 21-year employee and longtime negotiator for United Auto Workers Local 1271 had to help negotiate another contract – for a layoff package, including benefits for nonunion employees at the company.
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