Employees Layoffs

The merger of Exxon and Mobil will bring bigger cost savings than expected for shareholders, though thousands more employees will lose their jobs, company executives said Wednesday. Exxon Mobil Corp. will cut almost 16,000 jobs--about 15% of its work force--by the end of 2002, an increase from the 9,000 cuts estimated when the companies announced plans to merge a year ago.

Despite a $50-million budget cut, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge probably won't face another round of mass layoffs, a legislative affairs official for the agency said. Federal spending reductions have put support for space exploration and other science programs in jeopardy, but JPL's budget will remain relatively stable at $1.5 billion for the coming year. The laboratory will probably be able to avoid "another large change in workforce," said Richard O'Toole, manager of legislative affairs.

AutoNation has laid off 145 of the 650 workers at its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as part of a reorganization. In addition, the company, the nation's largest auto retailer, has warned 50 other workers that their jobs may not last long, AutoNation spokesman Jim Donahue said. In January, AutoNation will spin off its $3.6-billion car rental arm as a new company, ANC Rental Corp., which will include the Alamo, National and CarTemps USA brands.

Costa Mesa has sent layoff notices to nearly half its employees in a dramatic austerity program being closely watched by other cities struggling with ballooning pension obligations. City officials said the cuts were the first step in a plan to outsource many services to the private sector and significantly reduce the number of workers at City Hall. The six-month termination notices affect 213 of the city's 472 full-time employees and cut across departments ? firefighters, maintenance workers, jail staff, even dogcatchers.

Tandycrafts Inc., maker of picture frames and office supplies, plans to close its plant in Van Nuys and fire up to 400 workers, or 18% of its work force, to reduce costs. Tandycrafts said it will replace the manufacturing facility with a new plant in Mexico and will move the plant's distribution and sales operations to its headquarters in Fort Worth. The company said some of the Van Nuys employees will be relocated and others will be fired, beginning in about three months.

Car retailing giant AutoNation Inc. abruptly closed 23 of its used-car superstores and laid off 1,800 workers Monday, acknowledging what its critics have been saying for months--that the environment is simply too competitive and margins too slim to make its brand of high-service, high-overhead retailing profitable in the late-model used-vehicle market. All five of the company's Southern California used-car stores were shut down at 1 p.m. Monday and their roughly 450 employees sent home.

Despite a $50-million budget cut, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge probably won't face another round of mass layoffs, a legislative affairs official for the agency said. Federal spending reductions have put support for space exploration and other science programs in jeopardy, but JPL's budget will remain relatively stable at $1.5 billion for the coming year. The laboratory will probably be able to avoid "another large change in workforce," said Richard O'Toole, manager of legislative affairs.

Warning that New Jersey faces a dire $2.8-billion budget shortfall, Gov. James E. McGreevey announced that about 600 state employees face layoffs. McGreevey, who took office last week, made the announcement at a town meeting at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair. McGreevey's announcement was one of several ominous forecasts this week by governors around the country. In Missouri, Gov. Bob Holden said he plans to eliminate nearly 700 jobs. Virginia Gov.

Boeing Co. plans to issue layoff notices today to 1,440 employees as part of continuing employment reductions amid the commercial aviation industry's prolonged downturn. About 1,250 of those receiving the 60-day notices are in Washington state's Puget Sound area, where Chicago-based Boeing builds all but one of its commercial jets. The layoff notices will go into effect Oct. 24.

At least five city employees in Glendale have received final layoff notices, and one of them has filed an appeal, officials said Thursday. "The city did everything it could" to keep layoffs to a minimum, said Richard D. Jouroyan, chairman of the city's Civil Service Commission. John F.

Boeing Co. plans to issue layoff notices today to 1,440 employees as part of continuing employment reductions amid the commercial aviation industry's prolonged downturn. About 1,250 of those receiving the 60-day notices are in Washington state's Puget Sound area, where Chicago-based Boeing builds all but one of its commercial jets. The layoff notices will go into effect Oct. 24.

Warning that New Jersey faces a dire $2.8-billion budget shortfall, Gov. James E. McGreevey announced that about 600 state employees face layoffs. McGreevey, who took office last week, made the announcement at a town meeting at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair. McGreevey's announcement was one of several ominous forecasts this week by governors around the country. In Missouri, Gov. Bob Holden said he plans to eliminate nearly 700 jobs. Virginia Gov.

Brookstone clerk Edward Enage stood Monday in front of a four-foot pile of nail clippers, gardening tools and other sharp objects that were pulled from shelves at Los Angeles International Airport. Police went through the store last week, identifying potentially dangerous goods. "They don't even want tweezers," Enage said. As LAX came fully to life Monday, passengers and workers got a taste of just how different it will be.

The merger of Exxon and Mobil will bring bigger cost savings than expected for shareholders, though thousands more employees will lose their jobs, company executives said Wednesday. Exxon Mobil Corp. will cut almost 16,000 jobs--about 15% of its work force--by the end of 2002, an increase from the 9,000 cuts estimated when the companies announced plans to merge a year ago.

Car retailing giant AutoNation Inc. abruptly closed 23 of its used-car superstores and laid off 1,800 workers Monday, acknowledging what its critics have been saying for months--that the environment is simply too competitive and margins too slim to make its brand of high-service, high-overhead retailing profitable in the late-model used-vehicle market. All five of the company's Southern California used-car stores were shut down at 1 p.m. Monday and their roughly 450 employees sent home.

AutoNation has laid off 145 of the 650 workers at its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as part of a reorganization. In addition, the company, the nation's largest auto retailer, has warned 50 other workers that their jobs may not last long, AutoNation spokesman Jim Donahue said. In January, AutoNation will spin off its $3.6-billion car rental arm as a new company, ANC Rental Corp., which will include the Alamo, National and CarTemps USA brands.

A proposal for dozens of layoffs and reassignments in the Huntington Beach Union High School District drew sharp reactions Wednesday from employees who said depleting their ranks would hurt learning in the district. Reacting to a proposal by Supt. David Hagen to bridge a $3.1-million budget deficit by eliminating 53 1/2 positions this fall, employees at Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting defended their jobs as essential to maintaining current levels of service in the district.

Tandycrafts Inc., maker of picture frames and office supplies, plans to close its plant in Van Nuys and fire up to 400 workers, or 18% of its work force, to reduce costs. Tandycrafts said it will replace the manufacturing facility with a new plant in Mexico and will move the plant's distribution and sales operations to its headquarters in Fort Worth. The company said some of the Van Nuys employees will be relocated and others will be fired, beginning in about three months.