The Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort announced a 4.2 percent reduction in workforce on Wednesday, as part of a voluntary buyout program aimed at avoiding layoffs.

In a prepared release, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council leaders called the offer “generous.” They said 132 buyouts were granted and an undisclosed number of seekers were turned down.

“The workforce reduction included all levels of the organization, including management,” said Tribal Chief Fred Cantu, Jr., in a press release Wednesday.

Full-time casino employees, or associates, were given until noon on Oct. 31 to accept buyout terms of two-weeks pay for each year of service, capped at six months of pay.

Employees were also offered a lump sum for the cost of their health insurance benefits, payable only if they were currently enrolled in the casino’s COBRA insurance carrier.

Longevity bonus and personal time-off payments were also part of the offer, according to casino employees.

Those lump sums are subject to federal and state taxes, according to employees who took the buyout, and employees who accepted the buyout are ineligible for unemployment compensation from the state.

Joe Sowmick, public relations director for the tribe, did not return calls for comment. Neither did Greg Falsetta, casino human resources director.

In an e-mail to Central Michigan Life, Andy Asselin, casino chief executive officer, said the buyout was aimed at a dollar amount which he refused to disclose.

The release stated the casino is still hiring full and part-time positions.

The casino, at 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., employs roughly 4,000 full- and part-time employees and is the area’s second largest employer, behind Central Michigan University.

According to the casino’s employee handbook, tribal members and descendants will be the last to be laid off in a reduction and the first to be recalled.

The tribe recently fought off attempts to unionize employees by the Teamsters and the International Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America unions.

news@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Garret Ellison