Kodak announces plans to cut employees, hours

WINSOR — Due to weak economic conditions, Kodak Colorado plans to cut about 50 employees at its Windsor facility, mostly through early retirement.

Spokeswoman Lucille Mantelli said local nonmanagement employees had not been offered voluntary retirement in more than 10 years.

“There were quite a few eligible, so we offered it across the plant site,” she said. April 22 will be the last day of work for those employees, she said.

The Windsor site also plans to reduce operations in its sensitizing division, where paper and film is coated for finishing. Mantelli said starting March 24 division will reduce operations from 6.5 days to 5.5 days a week. “It’s only in that one manufacturing area,” she said.

In late January, Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) reported year-end earnings of $770 million and issued employees a 7.15 percent wage dividend. But anticipating weak sales for the coming year, the company announced a 3 percent global work-force reduction. Mantelli said the 50 jobs cut at the Windsor facility were not related to January’s announcement.

Near end-of-day trading, Kodak shares were down 27 cents at $29.13.

on Facebook on LinkedIn