Copiague laundry may have to lay off 45

A Copiague commercial laundry said it might have to lay off nearly a third of its workforce because of the loss of a major client.

But if enough replacement business comes in at North Shore Linen Inc., the planned layoff of 45 employees might not happen or could occur on a smaller scale, controller Eddie Chaim said Tuesday.

The company filed a WARN notice with the State Labor Department dated Monday after losing a client that accounted for 25 percent to 30 percent of the company's business, Chaim said.

Companies who plan to close or plan a substantial layoff have to file a 90-day notice under the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification act, or WARN. The department then posts the notices on its website.

Companies that don't comply with WARN face stiff penalties. So Chaim said North Shore Linen's attorneys advised him to file a notice with the state just in case.

"But we have a few things in the fire, and we're actively seeking to replace that business," he said. "We're optimistic that we'll be able to replace a good portion of that business."

North Shore, which has 150 employees, primarily serves restaurants, Chaim said, but clients also include nursing homes and hotels.