CLEVELAND — In a May 13 letter to Ohio’s Office of Workforce Development, the International Exposition Center announced the temporary furlough of 176 employees in March would be extended in light of the extended governmental shutdown orders. The lay offs included 76 full-time and part-time employees and 100 seasonal employees.
The I-X Center said when these furloughs were first announced, with the first round announced in March and the second done on April 3, the company didn’t think there was a probable reason that the furloughs would last more than six months. But things change, as now the company believes these temporary furloughs could last more than six months.
At this time the company is unable to predict when the I-X center will reopen to the public or when the company will be able to bring back the affected employees. Neither the March 22 order nor the April 27 order include the I-X Center as an essential business.
For any union employee affected by the mass layoff, bumping rights may exist, but were not implicated by the initial furloughs.
Read the full letter here.
