Universal Logistics eliminating a shift in Detroit, laying off 92 workers

Both divisions operate at 6500 Huber St. in Detroit. 

At Universal Logistics Insight, the layoffs are being spurred by the cancellation of the “entirety” of the company’s second shift operations at Huber Street, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification advisory sent to the state. The ending of the shift “is expected to be permanent,” according to the letter.

The workers are represented by Local 299 of the Teamsters. “Bumping rights exist at this facility governed by the collective bargaining agreement between the company and the Teamsters,” the letter, signed by Dennis Glackin, vice president of labor relations, states. “Employees with enough seniority to hold and/or bump into first shift will be allowed to do so.”

The letter covering Universal Logistics Insight says the layoffs there will include 37 forklift drivers and 25 clerical workers.

At Universal Dedicated, the 30 layoffs will all be drivers. The cuts are also coming as a result of the cancellation of the second shift.

The separate WARN notice for those workers also notes they are organized by the Teamsters and that they have bumping rights into the first shift as well.

It’s the second known layoffs at a division of Universal Logistics in recent weeks. Universal Capacity Solutions in Nashville, Tennessee, a brokerage, shut completely in late August.

An email to Universal (NASDAQ: ULH) had not been responded to by publication time.

The company’s web page described its Dedicated division, where all the driver layoffs are occurring, as using its own equipment “for committed capacity and closed-loop transportation.” Among the services are “inbound to manufacturing and outbound final delivery.”

Universal Logistics Insight is a subsidiary specific to Michigan, according to the company’s 10-K annual filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Logistics segment at Universal as a whole provides a wide range of services, including warehousing and material handling.

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