TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jay Withey, the man who saved more than two dozen people during the deadly Christmas blizzard in Buffalo two years ago, was one of the 1,500 people laid off by Sumitomo Rubber in the Town of Tonawanda.
"Last week they gave us a week off with pay," said Withey. "Then no notice that any of this was coming...We had no idea."
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. You can watch our previous report below and read more here.
Withey is also known as "Merry Christmas Jay" for when he became stuck in the deadly 2022 storm himself. He broke into a Buffalo school and physically pulled people inside from their stranded cars. After weathering out the storm for more than 24 hours, he left the school staff a note, and signed it "Merry Christmas Jay."
Withey found uninstalled brake pads in his truck and used them to break the glass of the school window. Once inside he disarmed the alarm and then made several trips to rescue others and bring them into the school.
Withey told me last year that the people he saved became like family members to him. That's also how he also described his now former coworkers from Sumitomo.
"Pretty tight-knit," said Withey. "It's like a big family, but everyone's pretty let down."
Withey worked with his cousin, Matthew Mondo, and this "tight-knit" group to turn raw materials into rubber.
"It's like a landlord booting you out with no cause," said Mondo.
He is uncertain of where he will work next and is now concerned.
"If this was a Buffalo-owned company it would've never happened," explained Withey.
As someone who risked his life for the people of Buffalo, he knows how the City of Good Neighbors can help during this difficult time.
"When you go through something, you don’t go through it alone in Buffalo," said Withey. "If I get in anywhere, and I can help anyone get a job, or use my connections to help anyone else out who works here, I'm absolutely going to do so."
Withey was one of the dozens of employees who came together Monday to voice their anger and outrage over the abrupt closure and staged a rally-like get-together across from the facility on Sheridan Drive.
Some of the employees had worked there for just months, others had worked there for decades. They all told me they had no warning the entire facility would be shutting down for good. You can watch our report below and read more here.
