Teamsters Applaud Tulare County Investment Board For Upholding Federal Law

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Feb 17, 2011, 07:22 ET

Board to VWR: We Cannot Fund You for Moving Jobs Out of Brisbane

VISALIA, Calif., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) met to discuss a possible future request by VWR International, LLC to fund workforce training at a planned massive 500,000 square foot distribution facility in Visalia. VWR plans to close its facility in Brisbane, CA in order to open a new one in Visalia.

The WIB made it clear it is prohibited by federal regulations from providing taxpayer funds to VWR because its plan would dislocate the jobs of existing VWR employees in Brisbane. When Workforce Investment Act funds are requested, the WIB is entitled by law to consult with the city of Brisbane and VWR employee representatives.

"VWR wants to destroy good, middle-class jobs in Brisbane and then hire workers at low wages in Visalia. That is not how taxpayer funds should be used. We appreciate the Tulare County WIB's commitment to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law," said Rome Aloise, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 and also a Western Region Vice President.

"The federal law is very clear that these funds cannot be used to encourage businesses to relocate if it means employees would lose their jobs. We believe VWR tried to procure this funding without disclosing that their plans would do exactly this," said Doug Bloch, Political Director of Teamsters Joint Council 7.

"California taxpayers should not subsidize the destruction of good jobs by Chicago-based private equity giant Madison Dearborn, which owns VWR," Bloch added.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hard working men and women across North America including VWR workers in California, Illinois and New Jersey.

SOURCE Teamsters Joint Council 7