Liverpool (WSYR-TV) -- Revonate, an affiliate of Seneca Data, announced they’ll no longer refurbish computers for a major Taiwanese company. About 25 workers are now out of a job.
Former Revonate employee Bill Wafful pictured the days leading up to the holidays much different.
“There was a backlog…overtime, they were going gangbusters,” Wafful said, after being laid off on Tuesday.
The news of the cuts came out of nowhere for some of the employees.
“You could have heard a pin drop, people were quiet, people were looking at each other, some people started to cry, some where in disbelief shaking their heads ," said Wafful.
Wafful started working at the computer company about three months ago, after retiring from a government job. He wanted to make some extra cash to do the things we all wish for after retirement.
“I was hoping we could save up to go on vacation. I haven't been on a real vacation in a while and to build up money when I get close to social security,” Wafful said.
But Wafful knows there are others far worse off, like those who depended on their jobs at Revonate to get by.
"You really can't relate to it until you go through it. You see people, they're devastated, they don't know where they're going to get their next paycheck, how they're going to pay for their holidays," Wafful said.
A spokesperson for Seneca Data says operations at the Revonate plant are continuing and the plant is still open.
The layoffs at Revonate do not affect Seneca Data in North Syracuse. As far as the possibility of even more job cuts, Seneca Data said they are assessing their plan as they go forward.
