BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — It has been two weeks since Sumitomo Rubber abruptly shut down in the Town of Tonawanda, but on Monday, there was a bright spot for the more than 1,500 employees who are out of work.
The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County prioritized handing out 500 turkeys with grocery store gift cards to ease the financial burden this holiday season.
Like a well-oiled machine, the United Way organized the giveaway in their parking lot off Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
Sumitomo said the closure comes after an extended examination of the facility's viability. The evaluation found mounting material and logistics costs, dated infrastructure, intermittent financial performance and changing market conditions.
“At United Way, we pay attention to what's happening in the community,” declared Trina Burruss, president & CEO, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County.
Burruss said they activated their Community Resilience Fund that hasn't been used the 2022 blizzard to assist these workers who were blindsided by the factory's closure and she promised more help is on the way for them.
“We're also going to provide support over the next few months, six months exactly for our program called work-life solutions, which is United Way employees who are providing support through resources in the community,” described Burruss. “The employees from Sumitomo will be able to call and help get help from those employees that work for us for the next six months."
Burruss explained that people are used to seeing the agency support other not-for-profit organizations, but said it is important for the United Way to react to this large job loss.
“I think it's a blessing. It's going to help a lot of people,” remarked Corwin Ekweozor, former Sumitomo employee.
Members of United Steelworkers and their Women of Steel, the union that represents the tire workers, helped with the giveaway.
USW member Lori Abbott lost her job at the tire plant but was also helping with this event.
"It's very stressful because you want to get somewhere where you've got another strong union, possibly, so it's a job, looking for a job,” reflected Abbott.
"How are you surviving?" I inquired.
“Oh, savings, yeah, savings,” replied Abbott.
Workers I spoke with said this is a wonderful gesture from the community as they try to figure out where they will work next.
"How are you coping?” I asked.
“Well basically I’m taking it one day at a time, still looking for work, trying to do what I’ve got to do,” responded James Barclay, former Sumitomo employee.
“And it's really hard for them. They're still looking to see what they're going to do, especially people that have worked there for 15, 20 years, they have no idea what they're going to do,” Ekweozor commented.
The former tire workers told me this giveaway gives them “hope."
