Hicksville operation plans to lay off 26

A commercial lighting operation in Hicksville plans to lay off 26 employees, a quarter of its workforce, according to a state filing.

Cooper Lighting Llc will lay off the workers between June 1 and Oct. 12 for "economic" reasons, said the filing, which is mandatory under the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN. The location has 106 employees, and according to the filing specializes in commercial lighting and design.

The WARN Act requires companies with at least 50 full-time workers to notify employees, state and local governments and unions 90 days in advance of a mass layoff or closing. Companies that fail to do so risk penalties and could face payments for backwages and benefits.

The Hicksville operation is part of a division of Cooper Industries Plc, a Dublin-based company that describes itself as an electrical-components and tools manufacturer. Cooper Industries' website lists its Houston-based operation as administrative headquarters for Cooper U.S. Inc.

A spokesman from the Houston office declined to comment Monday. The Flushing-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3, which according to the filing represents some of the Hicksville workers, didn't return telephone calls.