SCHUMER: AFTER ABRUPT CLOSURE WITHOUT WARNING, SCHUMER CALLS JP MORGAN’S CEO DIMON TO ASK HIM TO HELP ENSURE THAT LOCAL EMPLOYEES GET NEW JOBS BY COORDINATING WITH FAST- GROWING LOCAL BUSINESSES, LIKE CRFS
Schumer, Who Was Blindsided By JP Morgan’s Decision to Close Its Albion Facility Last Week, States That Albion Employees Should Be Prioritized for JPM Jobs in Rochester & Every Effort Should be Made to Get Other Local Firms – Which Are Growing Their Call Center Businesses – To Hire Local Employees
Schumer Says That Local Companies Like Claims Recovery Financial Services in Orleans County Could Be Ideal Option for Employment – Calls on JP Morgan to Coordinate Timing & Severance With CEO of CRFS, Which is Seeking to Fill At Least 178 Jobs
Schumer: With Growth of Other Local Call Center Businesses in Albion & WNY, Plus 150 JP Morgan Openings in Rochester, There is Real Opportunity to Take Care of Employees
On Monday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) CEO Jamie Dimon and urged that JPMC help absorb job losses in the coming months at the firm’s Albion facility by prioritizing Albion workers for jobs at JPMC in Rochester and connecting with local employers like Claims Recovery Financial Services (CRFS) – a fast-growing post-foreclosure claim recovery firm in Orleans County that is eager to hire. CRFS now employs 550 workers in Albion and Medina, is currently looking to fill 178 openings and has plans to even further expand and increase employment. Schumer also urged Dimon to prioritize Albion employees for the 150 JP Morgan Chase job openings in Rochester, which the company says are available.
Last week, JP Morgan Chase suddenly announced its plan to close its Albion facility, leaving 413 individuals unemployed as of September 3, 2013. Schumer was blindsided and expressed his bitter disappointment in the decision. Since JP Morgan Chase has told both the workers and local officials that the decision is final, Schumer has been working to help reduce the impact of impending job losses in Albion by identifying new work opportunities for JPMC Albion employees. One opportunity is with fast-growing CRFS. Schumer had what he termed an “extensive and promising,” phone conversation this weekend with CRFS CEO Jodi Gaines. Schumer said that much of the employees’ skills at JPMC in Albion are translatable to the work done at CRFS, and hopes that JP Morgan Chase can coordinate with CRFS and other local companies in Western New York in terms of timing, severance and other important factors in order to find work for the JPMC employees.
“Last week’s unexpected announcement that JP Morgan will close its Albion facility has hit the community like a ton of bricks. I was blindsided by the announcement, and upset that we were not given more of an opportunity to address the issues ahead of time. But the workers there need our help and we need to be proactive in finding Albion employees new work. First, I’ve urged JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to give preference to Albion employees for those available positions at their Rochester site. Second, I asked him to coordinate with local employers, including the growing CRFS of Orleans County, to help ensure that the vast majority of local employees can get new jobs.”
“After a personal phone call with CRFS CEO Jodi Gaines, who herself worked at the Albion mortgage facility before starting her now over 550 person company in her kitchen a decade ago, I am thoroughly impressed and pleased that she is looking to continue expanding. I know that much of the JP Morgan Chase workers’ skills are translatable to work being done at CRFS and other growing call center businesses, so it’s of the utmost importance that JP Morgan executives connect with CRFS, to link outgoing employees with new opportunities at CRFS, and to provide Gaines the flexibility she needs to help her hire as many employees as possible.”
Schumer continued, “I believe that CRFS is one of our best bets to get these soon-to-be displaced workers new employment opportunity. Connecting with this fast-growing local employer and others in Western New York is the very least JP Morgan can do to help reduce job losses in Albion.”
CRFS handles post-foreclosure loan servicing and claims processing, mostly for big banks but also for investors and other financial services clients. Jodi Gaines founded CRFS out of her kitchen in 2002 and she now employs over 550 workers in two facilities in Albion and Medina, and is looking to expand significantly. Schumer wants company executives to work closely with CRFS and connect outgoing JP Morgan Chase employees with potentially comparable work at CRFS. Specifically, Schumer asked Dimon for flexibility, which could maximize CRFS’ ability to hire as many of the employees as possible. For example, this could mean staggering the layoffs, or providing additional severance to give some employees more time to land a new job. Schumer believes through his conversation with the CEO that this could be an ideal option for JP Morgan employees, particularly given these job opening would be based locally in Orleans County.
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