June brings warnings of 1,400 layoffs in Illinois

Janitorial, food-service and coal jobs are among the casualties of mass layoffs in June.

Workers at The American Coal Company in Galatia, Illinois, are bracing for pink slips come August. The Saline County business is likely to fire more than 650 workers, according to notices filed with the state.

When local media reported on the possibility of the layoffs in June, American Coal attributed the downsizing to “the ongoing destruction of the United States coal industry by President Barack Obama and his supporters and regulatory agencies; actions by the Sierra Club; and the increased utilization of natural gas to generate electricity.”

The American Coal workers are among 1,400 other Illinoisans facing layoffs at large employers in June, according to a monthly state report released July 2 in accordance with the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act.

Many of the jobs losses came in tandem with the end of the school year, as districts decided whether to renew contracts with service providers. Aramark Educational Services filed notice of more than 100 layoffs due to expiring contracts in New Trier School District and Wheaton School District. Sodexo Inc. plans to fire more than 100 food-service workers after losing a school contract in Naperville. Illinois Central School Bus will shed nearly 80 workers.

While significant, these losses in particular belie the reality that the state’s service sector is experiencing strong jobs gains while Illinois’ industrial economy – including firms like American Coal – continues to struggle.