Major Firm in Oxnard to Lay Off 165 Workers

At least 165 workers will be laid off at Abex Corp. in Oxnard in the latest round of Ventura County defense industry cuts, officials said Tuesday.

Company officials said the move is needed to keep the aerospace company--one of Oxnard’s largest employers--afloat.

“There has been a significant decline in our business,” said Joseph Parsons, the firm’s vice president of human resources. “If you look at the aerospace industry in general, this is what’s happening to all major aerospace companies.”

The planned layoffs follow an announcement in November by Northrop Corp. that it is closing its Newbury Park plant, a move that will affect 1,800 workers. In addition, Raytheon Co. closed its missile-tracking equipment plant in Oxnard in May, laying off 400 people.

The move to eliminate a large portion of Abex’s 880-person work force has left many of the laid-off workers wondering where to turn next, especially in light of other industry cuts.

“I’ve applied to every place I can think of,” said Mark Montague, 26, a welder. “They say, ‘We’re saturated.’ There’s 1,000 other people looking for jobs in aerospace.”

According to Parsons, about 117 of the Oxnard workers represented by the employees union were told last week that their jobs were being eliminated this Friday. The remainder of the workers will be formally notified about the cuts today, Parsons said.

Although the company--which manufactures aircraft pumps and valves--will provide some of the employees with medical benefits, most of the employees were offered no severance pay, workers said.

Parsons said the company regrets having to let the employees go, but, after studying the last quarter’s figures, had no other option.

“During 1990, Abex has experienced a significant decline in defense business, both in new business and in reorders for spare parts,” Parsons said. “This trend may well continue into 1991.”

Parsons would not speculate on whether the company will be faced with other cutbacks. “I hope not,” he said.

The layoffs did not surprise Nancy Williams, director of the county’s Economic Development Assn., which has been carefully tracking other developments in the aerospace industry.

“It’s just a sign of the current trends,” Williams said. “This has been expected, and I don’t think we’ve seen the end of it. It does not look good.”

Last year, Abex laid off 60 people and projected that more jobs would be lost in the wake of cuts in the nation’s defense budget.

Jay Valdovinos, 21, a welder who was told last Friday that he was being let go, said he fears that he will be forced to move out of state to find another job.

“Jobs are getting tough to find here,” he said. “And what’s worse is I’m totally broke. I just don’t have the money to make it.”

Co-worker Ken Jones agreed.

“It’s going to be tight,” Jones said. “And I just bought a new house on Dec. 14.”