Panasonic pulls production in Buffalo
Credit: WKBW Buffalo
Duration: 02:29s
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NEXT TONIGHT...HUNDREDS OFEMPLOYEES ATPANASONIC WENTHOME TODAY WITHTOUGH NEWS... THATTHEY WILL BE LOSINGTHEIR JOB ATSOLARCITY'SRIVERBEND SITE THISSPRING.TESLA BROKEGROUND ATRIVERBEND IN 2014...PANASONIC OPENEDUP SHOP IN 2017AND THREE YEARSLATER... PANASONIC ISCEASING OPERATIONSAS OF MAY 31ST OTHIS YEAR...LEAVINGTHE FUTURE OF 403EMPLOYEES UP IN THEAIR.WE HAVE TEAMCOVERAGE TONIGHT..7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER ALITOUHEY BEGINS WITHREACTION FROM BOTHTHE GOVERNOR ANDMAYOR...FROM RUMORS TOREALITY.LIKE SOMANY--BUFFALOMAYOR BYRONBROWN SAYS HEBEGAN HEARINGRUMBLINGS TUESDAYTHAT PANASONIC WASCEASING SOLARPRODUCTION HEREGIGAFACTORY TWO ATBUFFALO'S RIVERBENDFACILITY.THEN WEDNESDAYMORNING--IN HISOFFICE--CONFIRMATION COMING FROMTHREE PANASONICREPS...ALI: WHAT DID YOU SAYTO THEM WHEN THEYTOLD YOU THE NEWS?WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY ADISAPPOINTMENT.
IASKED THEM IF THEJOBS WOULD BETRANSFERREDANYWHERE ELSE INTHE COUNTRY, THEYSAID NBUT NEXT STEPS FORTHE 403 IMPACTEDWORKERS IS LARGELYUNKNOWN.THIS LETTER HANDEDOUT TO ALLEMPLOYEES DURING AMEETING WEDNESDAYMORNING--DOESN'TSAY.PANASONIC DOESPLAN TO HOLD TWOON SITE JOB FAIRS TOASSIST WITH OTHERJOB OPPORTUNITIES.RIVERBEND'S OTHERTENANT...TESLA HASINDICATED IT WILLALSO HIRE AS MANYEMPLOYEES ASPOSSIBLE.BUT IT'S UNCLEARHOW MANY TELSAPLANS TO TAKE ON.THECOMPANY--WHICHWAS THE BIGGESTBENEFICIARY TO THESTATE'S BUFFALOBILLION--ALREADY METITS JOB QUOTA OF1,500 WORKERS TOAVOID A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FINE.SO DESPITE THEPANASONICCLOSURE--GOVERNORANDREW CUOMO SAYSHE STILL BELIEVES INTHE STATE'SINVESTMENT...CUOMO: IT CREATEMORE THAN 1,460 JOBS.IT HAS EXCEEDED ITSGOAL, PERIODBROWN AGREES ANDSAYS HE STILL HAGOAL, PERIOD.BROWN AGREES ANDSAYS HE STILL HASCONFIDENCE IN ONEOF THE LARGESTINVESTMENTS INSTATE HISTORY.ALI: DO YOU THINK THISTARNISHES THELEGACY OF SOLARCITY?
NO, I DON'TTHINK IT TARNISHESTHE LEGACY.
THEREARE OVER 1,500PEOPLE WORKING.ALI STAND UP CLOSE:EMPLOYEES WILLCONTINUE WORKINGUNTIL THE END OF MAY.ALL ARE BEINGOFFEREDSOMESEVERANCE BASED ONTHE LENGTH OF THEIREMPOYMENT.PANASONIC WILL BECOMPLETELY MOVEDOUT OF THE PLANT BYSEPTEMBER.
IN THENEWSROOM, ALI