United Furniture Company Fires Thousands By Text Message Just Days Before Thanksgiving

(CTN News) – It was reported just before Thanksgiving that United Furniture Industries, based in Mississippi, had laid off nearly its entire workforce.

According to a report from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, there were approximately 2,700 workers who lost their jobs on Monday as a result of the recession.

The company, which has become one of the largest furniture businesses in the country, sent a memo to its workers via email and text message late Monday night. It instructed them not to report to work at the beginning of Tuesday.

United Furniture Industries wrote in a follow-up email to employees that the layoff is “expected to be permanent and all benefits will be terminated immediately without COBRA coverage.”

As part of the COBRA program, people who lose employment have the option to keep their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage if certain conditions are met.

In many cases, the employees who were fired had been asleep when the emails were sent. In some cases, they had not even noticed the emails before they left for their shifts on Tuesday morning.

There were a number of truck drivers out making deliveries who were told to return to a United Furniture store as soon as possible to return their vehicles.

According to the company’s board of directors, the layoffs were necessary as a result of “unforeseen business circumstances” that had to be taken into account.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that any other details were vague and FOX Business has not received a response to its request for comment.

There were also layoffs at United’s locations in North Carolina and California as a result of these changes.

In the words of former employee Marcus Nivens, “that’s just not cool to have it happen to you like that. That’s just not cool at all.”

United Airlines was reported to have laid off 300 staff members over the summer, according to the station.

There have been some legal actions taken by former workers in relation to the mass firings, according to Freight Waves.

A company called United Furniture Industries, based in Okolona, Mississippi, manufactures furniture both under its own brand and under the Lane Home Furnishings brand.

Why did United Furniture shut down?

The company blamed the layoffs it announced in July on decisions by major customers decided to not make purchases for which United had made inventory.

A search of the federal bankruptcy court online system showed no new filings involving United. The privately held company makes upholstered and case goods furniture.

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