There's still a chance for the fancy fridge industry to improve. Sub Zero union spokesman Dave Goodspeed says a possible lay-off for 350 workers at the Madison plant is a worst case scenario if business doesn't turn around by May 1st. As for workers that are laid off, Goodspeed says there's always a chance they'll be brought back. "In order to qualify for unemployment, they've got to engage in job searches," says Goodspeed. "Howevem they've got eighteen months of recall, under the collective bargaining agreement," which puts workers out until December 1st of 2010.
Last spring, Sub Zero-Wolf Appliance announced 235 positions could be cut because of the sluggish economy, but it never did come to that. Last month, 79 workers were laid off. Goodspeed says the timing isn't great, as traditionally February, March, and April are bad months for production.