Friday, May 21, 2010
Contact: Dan Silver
dsilver@nyrainc.com
NYRA STATEMENT ON WARN NOTICES
ELMONT, N.Y. - The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced today that it has provided notice to its employees that it expects to cease racing operations and begin the implementation of plant closures on Wednesday, June 9 at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course, and Aqueduct Racetrack. The notices, pursuant to the requirements of the Federal and New York State Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Acts (jointly referred to as the WARN Acts), were sent to more than 1,400 NYRA employees on Thursday, May 20 and indicated that layoffs can be expected to begin as early as June 9. Meanwhile, NYRA continues to pursue solutions with the State of New York that may avert the cessation of operations.
Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2009, more than 1.6 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races alone totals more than $9.3 million every race day. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com.
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