Dec. 10--Orbitz Worldwide and General Mills are among Illinois employers warning of nearly 1,900 layoffs in the coming months, according to notices filed with state regulators.
General Mills, which is closing its longtime West Chicago plant next summer, will lay off 444 workers beginning in January. Opened in 1959, the plant produces Bugles snacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Hamburger Helper products for the Minneapolis-based company. It is being shut down as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative, the company said.
Acquired by former rival travel company Expedia in September, Chicago-based Orbitz Worldwide did not disclose the number of layoffs in the filing. In November, it was reported that Expedia plans to cut 326 employees in Chicago, or nearly 40 percent of the local Orbitz workforce.
Gate Gourmet, which lost its catering contract with United Airlines at O'Hare International Airport, is laying off 821 employees in January, when LSG Sky Chefs takes over the business. But many of the employees have found jobs with the new caterer, according to Christina Ulosevich, a Gate Gourmet spokeswoman.
"We have worked closely with LSG to secure jobs for the majority of employees who currently serve United in Chicago," Ulosevich said. "We have a shared goal of protecting the interests of our employees and ensuring the most equitable position for them."
The Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires businesses with 75 or more employees to provide the state with 60 days advance notice of pending plant closures or mass layoffs. The notices, filed last month, were released by the state Wednesday.
Other employers filing notice include St. Mary's Hospital in Streator, which is discontinuing inpatient services and laying off 350 employees in January.
The closing of harness horse racing tracks Balmoral Park in Crete and Maywood Park in Melrose Park also contributed to the monthly total. Balmoral is laying off 52 workers and Maywood is laying off 29 beginning next month, according to the filing. Both tracks had been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
rchannick@tribpub.com
