MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Approximately 100 additional layoffs of non-union management employees at Mylan continued Monday as part of the company’s previous announcement Friday that they’d be “right sizing” their Morgantown work force.
Various sources told MetroNews that non-union employees were being taken out of the office one-by-one during the day Monday.
A Mylan rep would not confirm a difference between union and non-union employees in an e-mail exchange Monday, but did confirm that the 15 percent cuts to the 3,500 employees in Morgantown would be comprehensive — including both union and non-union workers.
Fifteeen percent of 3,500 is 525 total employees, but Mylan said the total number could still be smaller depending on how many employees accept compensation
About 400 union employees were informed of the cuts last week.
Monongalia County Commissioner Ed Hawkins fears what additional layoffs will do to the local economy.
“I probably anticipate more layoffs, but I do offer my sympathies for the families affected by this corporate decision,” he said.
Hawkins said he wanted to be optimistic, but said he needed to be realistic and accept the coming hit to the county’s economy.
“You take care of your people, they will take care of your business,” Hawkins said. “If you have any delusions that the eye of Mylan is on the well being of Morgantown or the state of West Virginia, I would tell you to dismiss such a fantasy.”
“As the business owner, you’re the one who is supposed to take the hit last,” he added.
Hawkins did say Monongalia County, as a whole, is much more economically diverse than it has been in previous years. That fact won’t help families unless it produces jobs for them, he said.
“Eventually, we will regroup,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a hit. It is certainly a hit to those families who are immediately affected.”
In the meantime, Hawkins said there are a lot of families in Monongalia County who have much more uncertain futures following the layoffs.
“Those are the ones to whom you have the greatest concern and hope that you can reach out and find other unemployment,” he said. “It is unlikely that this would be a call back.”
Mylan said some employees will have the right to recall, depending on the number of people who accept voluntary buy-outs.