BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It’s been seven weeks since California Resources Corporation acquired one of Kern County’s largest oil companies. Now, dozens of employees at Aera Energy got the news they were dreading.
Layoff notices have gone out on Monday for both companies.
State regulators conduct site check of Griffin Resources, after June water contamination in Bakersfield Aera Energy is one of the biggest energy companies in California, employing over 1,000 people but that number is about to change.
“I would expect that a majority of Aera employees to remain with the company, there will be layoffs, there will be layoffs on both sides,” said Francisco Leon, the president and CEO of California Resources Corporation.
Leon explained why these layoffs are happening.
“Any merger that comes in Wall Street comes typically with changes with reduction in staff. We have a great opportunity, Aera and CRC are two tremendous companies,” said Leon.
On Aug. 21, CRC sent a notice to county supervisors which was released today.
According to the WARN Letter, 69 positions will be affected in Kern, and there are 49 employees that are voluntarily terminating their employment in these positions.
Officials with CRC told 17 News there were, “approximately 20 total voluntary/involuntary reductions across all the other districts.”
‘He teaches us all a lesson’: 72-year-old crossing guard becomes staple in Northwest Bakersfield The letter also states that the employees will be receiving pay for 60 days after receiving the notice, and after that, they can sign up for severance pay.
The letter to the employees was included, which listed two Aera offices on Ming Avenue where the layoffs will take place. Most of them are senior-level positions.
“We want to try to keep that foundation, that heartbeat of the company intact we have a lot of work to do and a lot of energy to produce,” said Leon.
17 News called and emailed the vice president of CRC to ask if additional layoffs are expected but, have not heard back.
If you want to read the notice that was released, it is down below,
CalWARN-Notice-Kern-County-District-1-Supervisor Download Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
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