Layoffs possible at North Fork bus firm

Sunrise Coach Lines Inc., which provides public bus transportation on the North Fork under a county contract, may close some operations and lay off 37 people, according to a notification the company filed with the state last week.

The notice listed a closing date as early as July 1. But the Greenport-based bus company's lawyer said the layoffs might not happen and he filed the notice to comply with the state WARN law.

The bus company's five-year contract with Suffolk County has expired, and the county has put the work out for bid, said the attorney, Keven Danow of Danow McMullan & Panoss in Manhattan. He stressed the company, with about 100 employees, isn't going out of business and could avoid the layoffs.

"There is no expectation that they are going to go out of business," he said. "We have no expectation that we are not going to win this bid. But the WARN Act is the WARN Act."

Under the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN, companies with at least 50 full-time employees have to notify employees, local governments and unions of expected mass layoffs or closings 90 days in advance. Otherwise, the companies could face penalties and payments of back wages and benefits.