Published: November 26, 2008 11:23 am      

CSC cuts 80 jobs in Williamsburg

Mayor Harrison: City is working to get jobs back by spring

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Eighty employees were laid off late last week at CSC in Williamsburg, but the town’s mayor is hopeful the positions might be reinstated next year.

The location is part of CSC’s Enforcement, Security and Intelligence division, which provides information technology services to government clients, particularly in national security and immigration services.

CSC Spokesperson Michelle Sicola Herd confirmed the layoffs, but did not give detail on the circumstances that led to the job losses.

“In compliance with our contractual requirements to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Records Digitization Facility in Williamsburg, Kentucky, CSC reduced staff by approximately 80 jobs,” read a statement released by CSC. “This reduction in force is consistent with CSC’s practice of aligning its resources to best meet current and future business demands while providing the highest quality of services to our clients.”

Computer Sciences Corporation is a global information technology (IT) services company with approximately 78,000 employees world-wide.

In 2006, CSC acquired Datatrac Information Services, Inc., which has locations in Corbin, Williamsburg and Barbourville now operating as CSC. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif.

Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison said CSC officials notified him and the Williamsburg police chief of the layoffs on Friday morning. He said the number of employees fluctuates, but that on average, roughly 200 people are employed at CSC Williamsburg.

“It’s an alarming chunk of people, and my heart goes out to them because of it being around the holidays,” Harrison said. “Anytime is bad, but especially around the holidays.”

Harrison said he’s already made phone calls to agencies in Washington, as well as to Sen. Mitch McConnell and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers’ offices, to see if anything can be done to restore the jobs by restoring CSC’s government contract for records digitization.

“It’s not due to anything that our workforce did,” Harrison said. “... Matter of fact, they (CSC officials) praised our workforce.... they actually exceeded the government’s quota but the government didn’t fund the number of people to keep that quota going.”

Harrison said he was told that funding for the project may return, and he was hopeful the jobs might be recreated in the spring.

“Eighty jobs in a city the size of Williamsburg is a lot, but I am going to continue to make some phone calls to see if it can do any good,” Harrison said. “I feel like that we need to impress how important this is for our community.”

So far, the Corbin and Barbourville locations have not been affected by the layoffs.

“CSC has reviewed open positions on other local projects and has provided this information to displaced employees in an effort to find employment elsewhere within CSC,” read the company’s statement on the layoffs. “CSC remains fully committed to ensuring that the USCIS receives the same high-quality service that they have come to expect from us on the Records Digitization Project.”

CSC isn’t the only area company facing layoffs. Earlier this week, WYMT-TV reported that Truseal in Barbourville laid off another 23 people. The company, which makes insulation for window panels, has faced a series of layoffs due to the slow housing market. The station reported that 15 workers lost their jobs in October.