Former workers at the Cushioneer Warehouse in DeKalb organized a socially distanced protest outside the factory on Tuesday.

Organizers with Warehouse Workers for Justice said the employees were fired for refusing to sign wage reduction forms. Workers, the organization said in a statement, believe they were fired in retribution for collectively refusing to volunteer for the wage cuts, and several of the affected workers were replaced from a local staffing agency.

In an email to the Daily Chronicle, Cushioneer president Andrew Swift said the layoffs at Cushioneer were a direct result of losing 50-60% of their orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We currently are only producing parts and shipping to customers that have been deemed essential and necessary," Swift wrote in an email. "As Cushioneer struggles to remain a viable company after such a loss of business, I made the very hard decision to layoff a number of workers, some of whom have been loyal employees for more than a decade."

In the statement from WWJ, the former employees demanded Cushioneer stop outsourcing jobs to other agencies and that laid-off employees be given the opportunity to return to the company at their original hourly rate. They also asked for a meeting to discuss safety concerns.

“It’s sad to see an employer use this crisis as a way to force wage cuts on long time employees,” said Sandy Moreno, Lead Organizer with Warehouse Workers for Justice. “Some of the employees who received this request had been with the company for over 10 years. We are coming together today to get workers their jobs back and to make sure they are working in safe conditions.”

Swift said he wanted to commend the group for its civility in protesting and respecting the rights of current workers.

He also said Cushioneer would not do anything that would get in the way for each person to apply for unemployment.

"For each and every person, it was noted that “Lack of Work” was the cause of the layoff. I have even pointed out that, our neighbor, DeKalb Forge is currently displaying a banner advertising immediate employment, and I would be more than happy to issue a recommendation, if requested."