Big "M" giving pink slips in iDEN department.

Taken from South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Motorola cutting 60 cell phone jobs in Plantation

By Ian Katz
Business Writer

February 2, 2005

Motorola Inc. is laying off about 60 workers from its cellular phone manufacturing complex in Plantation.

According to severance papers obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, about 2 percent of the facility's work force is being eliminated. About 3,000 people work at the Plantation complex.

The laid-off employees work in manufacturing operations for Motorola's Integrated Digital Enhanced Network, or iDEN, and include some technicians, and repair and quality control workers. The layoffs will take effect in late February.

The company said in January it was phasing out production of cell phone models made in Plantation, but would replace them with new phones.

Motorola spokespeople did not return phone calls and e-mails for comment. However, a frequently-asked-questions document given to employees with the severance papers stated:

"Motorola is taking decisive action to respond to changing market conditions and customer demands. We are making these changes in order to make Motorola more competitive and to help ensure our continued success."

The company has no plans to close the Plantation center, the document said. "We have a strong technical base and product development business," it said.

Motorola is giving the employees three weeks of severance pay and continued medical benefits through the end of April.

If they sign a release, employees will receive five additional weeks of pay -- for a total of eight weeks -- and medical coverage through June. Employees will be billed for the premiums on their continued medical coverage. The severance papers did not say what the release requires.

The company is also offering the employees outplacement services from human resources consulting firm Drake Beam Morin for 30 days and a two-day "career continuation workshop," according to the severance papers.

Up to 90 percent of the workers in Plantation belong to the iDEN division. The complex also includes fewer than 100 people working for the Latin America division and some members of Motorola's government and enterprise unit.

Nextel's proposed merger with Sprint Corp. has raised speculation of layoffs at Motorola. Though Motorola is Nextel's main supplier, it also produces communications devices for other companies.

Last year Motorola reduced the number of shifts in Plantation from three to two. In December, the company finished shutting down its operations in Boynton Beach, where it employed 3,500 people five years ago.

Ian Katz can be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4664.

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oh man looks like motorola is just killing these people those 3500 now the 60 of the 1000 workers maybe motorola should make better phones that dont break as easily instead of firing people.