187 Workers Lost Jobs When Linden Sam's Club Closed

LINDEN, NJ — 187 employees lost their jobs when the Linden Sam's Club closed abruptly last month, the New Jersey Department of Labor said.

In a WARN (The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) notice posted this week, the state department said 524 Sam's Club employees across the state lost their jobs in the closures. WARN notices are required by law when companies plan large-scale layoffs.

Some employees might be transferred to other Sam's Club locations, or to nearby Walmarts, the company said in January. They did not say how these transfers might be facilitated, or how many employees would benefit.

Two New Jersey locations closed suddenly on Jan. 11, with a third one closing shortly after: Mount Olive, Linden, and Princeton. Nationwide, 63 stores were closed. It was not clear how many employees across the country lost jobs.

Up to 12 of the 63 closed stores will be converted into e-commerce centers, the company previously said in statement, in an effort to speed up delivery of online orders. The first store to be converted will be the Memphis, Tennessee location. The company has not yet announced if any of the New Jersey stores will be converted.

"Transforming our business means managing our real estate portfolio and Walmart needs a strong fleet of Sam's Clubs that are fit for the future," John Furner, president and CEO of Sam's Club, said in a statement in early January. "We know this is difficult news for our associates and we are working to place as many of them as possible at nearby locations. Our focus today has been on those associates and their communities, and communicating with them."

• Read More: Sam's Club In Linden Closes Abruptly

Union County also offered assistance to any county resident who was laid off by Sam's Club Store closings. An estimated 200 full-time and part-time employees were laid off from the Linden store.

"We offer our sympathies to our residents who were laid off by this abrupt and unexpected closing," said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Christopher Hudak, a resident of Linden, in a joint statement. "We would like these former employees to know that the County stands prepared to immediately assist with employment services through our various agencies, and we urge all to take advantage of them."

Freeholder Granados, a liaison to the Workforce Development Board, and Freeholder Hudak have already ensured these county offices have been notified of the closing and are available to assist (more information is available at ucnj.org/sams-club-closures/):

Union County Workforce Innovation Business Center

Employment and skills training center, sponsored by the Freeholder Board, in conjunction with a number of partners.

Union County College, Kellogg Building, 5th Floor, 40 West Jersey St. in Elizabeth, 908-965-2992.

Union County One-Stop Career Centers

The American Job Center Operator manages the Union County American Job Centers, including the management and coordination of all workforce services with Union County workforce partners and the Freeholder Board, as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Services include career counseling, training, and career advancement for residents and employers.

Elizabeth, 921 Elizabeth Ave., Elizabeth, 908-558-8000.

Plainfield, 200 West Second St., Plainfield, 908-757-9090.

Sam's Club said in a tweet said the closures were to "better align our locations with our strategy." They confirmed that pharmacies in closed stores would stay open at least two weeks, and that they "will work with each state's Board of Pharmacy to help guide this transition."

(Image via Google Maps)

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