Alcatel-Lucent set to lay off 127 workers in Haverhill
May 18th, 2008 | by admin |Alcatel-Lucent will lay off 127 workers at its telecom equipment plant on the Haverhill-North Andover line on July 2. The layoff is the third since December, and the largest since the France-based company announced plans to close the plant by the end of the year.
They layoff will affect both union and temporary workers, leaving just 60 to 70 workers at the plant, said Gary Nillson, president of the Communication Workers of America, Local 1365.
“Whoever is left will just basically be finishing production,” Nillson said. “The company is still filling orders.”
The Haverhill-North Andover plant makes fiber-optic networking equipment for telephone, cable television, Internet, and other telecom sectors.
Alcatel-Lucent, which recently posted its fifth straight quarterly loss, is closing the plant as part of a broad cost-cutting plan.
Most manufacturing jobs will be shipped to Italy, while some administrative and management functions will stay closer to home, moving to an Alcatel-Lucent plant in Westford.
The layoff planned for July 2 was originally planned for June 27.
It was delayed a week to allow for an easier transition for employees to make arrangements to move to new health insurance coverage, a company spokeswoman said.
“We’re told that making that switch at the beginning of the month is easier than at the end,” said Mary Ward, spokeswoman at Alcatel-Lucent’s North American headquarters, based in Murray Hill, N.J.
The struggling telecom firm reported a $283 million quarterly loss earlier this month, mostly because of lack of product demand.
Revenues have also been hurt by the weakening US dollar, Ward noted.
Alcatel-Lucent reports earnings in euros, but must convert sales in the United States from dollars.
“So much of our revenue is linked to the US dollar,” she said. “The exchange rate is an additional challenge for us.”
Newburyport Y set for unveiling House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi tomorrow will help cut the ribbon on a $3.5 million renovation to YWCA Greater Newburyport, which coincides with the Y’s 125th anniversary. Like other YWCAs, the Newburyport facility provides support for women and families.
Corporate donations for the capital campaign poured in from throughout the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire. A $500,000 Challenge Gift from an anonymous donor was the single largest gift. The YWCA successfully matched it last year, officials said.
The remaining $2.6 million was raised by a mix of community contributions and private financing.
Naming rights, starting at $10,000, gave businesses and individuals the chance to put their name on a piece of the Y. The top three donors included an anonymous gift of $200,000 for a new swimming pool; $175,000 from the Mary Alice Arakelian Foundation, a nonprofit based in Newburyport, for the lobby; and $100,000 from the Institute of Savings Charitable Foundation of Newburyport, for the therapy pool.
Smaller gifts came from some 30 other local charities and foundations, along with Y members. Contractors and service firms also donated time and advice for the building project.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is to start at 4 p.m., and will be open to the public.
In addition to DiMasi, officials scheduled to attend include state Senator Steven Baddour, state Representative Michael Costello, and Newburyport Mayor John Moak.
Datebook The Revere Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday will honor its past presidents during a meet-and-greet reception to recruit new members. An explanation of the chamber’s programs and benefits is also planned. The chamber has had 18 presidents since it was organized in 1979. The current president is Jeffrey M. Howe of Citizens Bank. The free event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Prospect House at 420 Reservoir Ave. in Revere. To reserve a spot, call the chamber at 781-289-8009. . . . The Women’s Business Center in Portsmouth, N.H., will hold “Media Marketing: How to Creatively Advertise Within Your Budget,” a workshop Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Campus, located off Route 1, in Portsmouth. The cost is $15 for members and $25 for guests. To register, call 603-430-2892, ext. 1, or visit womenbiz.org. . . . “Sales: The Art and Science of Selling,” a free workshop for small businesses, will be held Tuesday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Enterprise Center at Salem State College at 421 Loring Ave. Topics to be covered include cold calls, closing sales, and making presentations. To register, visit enterprisectr.org.
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.
