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Willoughby, Ohio-Based Quartz Facility to Lay Off 25 Percent of Workers

Posted on: Thursday, 18 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Aug. 17--Willoughby-based GE Quartz Inc. will trim its work force by nearly 25 percent at the end of this week, citing a slow and shifting market as reason for a volume reduction.

Effective Monday, the subsidiary of General Electric is eliminating 40 positions at its facility at 4901 Campbell Road. The company currently employs 163 hourly workers, said Chuck Masilonis, president of Local 707, the Cleveland chapter of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers union.

The positions eliminated include fabricators, inspectors, coordinators and operators, Masilonis said. The GE Lucalox plant that shares the property with the quartz facility will not be affected.

"It's an indefinite reduction in force," said Masilonis, who has worked at GE Quartz for 26 years and will have no layoffs in his department.

"Twenty-four (workers) will probably hit the street. We will probably have seven retirements, and we're trying to find some employment at other GE plants."

The laid-off workers will receive an income extension aid benefit that will supplement any government unemployment funds for which they are eligible, said Jason Snyder, human resource manager at GE Quartz.

Workers will also continue receiving medical and dental benefits for 12 months and will have preferential status when applying for jobs at other GE locations, Snyder said.

GE Quartz is a world leader in the development and manufacturing of fused quartz materials and products for the semi-conductor, fiber optic and lighting industries. The volume reduction, which was made known to employees Aug. 11, is a response to the market, Snyder said.

"There is some softness in the lighting market, and there is also a softness and changing customer requirements in the semi-conductor business," Snyder said.

The changing customer requirements, Snyder said, include demand for larger diameter lamp tubing the Willoughby facility is not equipped to produce.

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GE,

Source: The News-Herald

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