UPS to permanently lay off more than 300 Oklahoma City workers amid facility "modernizing"

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — More than 300 employees at an Oklahoma City UPS warehouse will find themselves unemployed by mid-January as part of a facility “modernizing” initiative by the company.

Last week, UPS sent a WARN Act notice to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) informing the state that the company will be laying off 304 employees at its distribution center at 901 S. Portland Ave. in Oklahoma City.

A WARN Act notice is something employers are required, by federal law, to send local governmental entities informing them of mass layoffs at least 60 days in advance of the layoffs.

According to UPS’s WARN Act notice to the OESC, obtained by News 4, the company plans to lay off 286 HUB employees, 15 pre-loaders, one package clerk and two revenue recovery employees at the Oklahoma City facility on January 15, 2025.

News 4 reached out to a UPS spokesperson on Tuesday, who refused to answer News 4’s questions about the number of employees being laid off, and why they’re being laid off.

The spokesperson told News 4, the Oklahoma City plant will temporarily, partially close to undergo a modernization as part of UPS’s ‘Network of the Future Initiative.’

The spokesperson sent News 4 the following statement:

As a part of our Network of the Future initiative, we’re modernizing our Oklahoma City UPS facility at 901 S Portland Ave and will partially close the facility on January 15, 2025. Our employees are extremely important to us, and we are working to place as many employees as possible in other positions. We remain committed to working with them throughout this transition and providing support. This temporary, partial closure won’t impact customer service, and we have plans in place to continue servicing the Oklahoma City community.

UPS Spokesperson

Since the date of the temporary closure for modernization coincides with the date the 304 employees will be permanently laid off, News 4 asked the UPS spokesperson if the laid off employees’ jobs are being replaced by automation.

Again, the spokesperson refused to respond to the question.

Whether or not it’s the case with the UPS layoffs, OESC officials say automation is a growing reason people are finding themselves on the job market.

"You know, there's some things that there's certain occupations and types of work that are just kind of fading away,” OESC spokesperson David Crow told News 4 on Wednesday.

Crow says OESC has specific programs designed to retrain people whose professions have become obsolete with new, more in-demand skills.

"We're going to be able to connect you with training to help you out of that situation so that you can get into something that there's demand for,” Crow said.

And even if you're just a victim of "right-sizing," budget cuts or penny pinching, regardless of why you find yourself out of work, Crow says you can go to one of OESC’s 27 workforce centers open across the state to get you connected with employers in just about any field.

"When there are layoffs, which are very unfortunate, especially around the holidays, we look for opportunities to play matchmaker and get these people connected with the right folks,” Crow said. "We've got experts there who know what the jobs are in their city or town. And we're just here to help connect people."

According to the WARN Act notice, many of the employees affected by the UPS layoff in Oklahoma City are members of the Teamsters union.

On Wednesday, News 4 reached out to the union’s local chapter, Teamsters Local 886, but did not hear back.