SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — The Penn Traffic Co. has told New York officials it expects to close dozens of supermarkets in upstate New York and lay off more than 4,000 employees.
The Syracuse-based supermarket operator’s layoff notice filed with the state Labor Department says it will close 53 P&C and Quality Markets in central and western New York by Feb. 15. The affected stores and warehouses, located from the state’s southwest corner to the Canadian border in the north, employ 4,132 people.
In Norwich, the P&C Supermarket at 54 East Main St. employs 64 union and 2 non-union workers, the filing states. The supermarket has operated in Norwich since April of 2006, when it replaced Tops Friendly Markets.
Penn Traffic says the layoffs include 669 jobs at two suburban Syracuse warehouses the company uses through C&S Wholesale Grocers.
Penn Traffic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. It also operates stores in Pennsylvania, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Calls to the company weren’t returned Tuesday. It was unclear if stores outside of New York also will be affected. The company has said that it still hopes to raise enough money to avoid shutdowns, according to a letter obtained by television station WSTM in Syracuse.