"It makes me sad:" Workers of Racine County business say they were laid off, paychecks recalled

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Former employees at a retail distribution business here say not only were they laid off last week, the company is also responsible for a collector going after their last paycheck. FOX6 News talked to one couple that says they worked a combined 50 years at Promotions Unlimited. Last Friday, the doors were closed, the lights turned off, and for some workers, the trouble was just beginning.

Debbie Mazzie

"I said, 'Really, my $13.86 that you paid me for the last 26 years doesn't mean anything to you?!' That's all I made, 26 years and I never got a raise," said Debbie Mazzie. Mazzie lost her job on January 13th. Her partner, Terry York, along with the rest of the 75 or so employees left at Promotions Unlimited, got the same news last Friday when the retail distributor closed down altogether. York said she saw it coming.

"Vendors weren't getting paid and, me being the sales person, having to tell the stores where items were being back-ordered, 'Oh, I'm sorry, you're not gonna get those' -- and not having a reason. Just, basically, blowing them off," York said.

Terry York

Mazzie says it was well-known within the company that finances were rough because suppliers were demanding money in advance. "You have Proctor and Gamble, Georgia Pacific, Mars, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Clorox – all saying you had to pay up front instead of getting 45-day terms, 60-day terms, 90-day terms where you had time to get money in and get money going out," Mazzie said. The Burlington couple was already angry over getting no compensation for lost vacation time. Then, they heard the company was reversing the direct deposits on employees' last paychecks. Workers believe the third-party that handled payroll for the company issued the checks during the final week. When that company went to get its reimbursement from the company, it found out there was no money there so it went to take back the paychecks. "We were one of the lucky ones. That it was still pending when we got there at 9 o'clock yesterday morning and were able to stop it," York said. Although there were a couple of cars in the company's lot on Friday, no one answered the door. "Mr. Profit," a mascot of some sort, still hangs on the wall in the lobby. Attempts by FOX6 News to reach owner Lorraine Greenberg were unsuccessful.

Promotions Unlimited

"I gave them everything. It was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of traveling time and I was there -- rain, snow, shine, ice, fog. You name it, I was there every day. It makes me sad, very sad," York said.

Senator Van Wanggaard

The office of State Senator Van Wanggaard has indicated this issue is being looked into. Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development say they have gotten one wage theft complaint so far -- and encourages anyone else who is affected to file as well. A Labor Standards Compliant form can be found here. Since the company had more than 50 employees, it might have also broken the law by not informing the state of a mass layoff. That is a separate complaint and the form for a WARN Act violation can be found here.