By: Tara Kunkle

As of late the economy and the stock market has not been very stable. Many companies, not only in Middletown, but all over are going through some tuff times. Between having to cut jobs, put off projects, reduce benefits, etc. companies are taking whatever measures necessary to ensure their survival.

Locally the Atrium Medical Center recently announced they will be cutting an undisclosed number of job positions and repositioning others. While Miami University will be postponing different projects and having a hiring freeze.

The staff cuts from Atrium Medical Center will be coming from both health care and non patient caregiver positions. They are trying their best to place the employees in different positions to keep there jobs, but that not always an option for every position. The hospital will be cutting their retiree Medicare supplement plan, and they have already cut five senior director positions and closed the Bariatric Wellness Center in hopes these moves will allow them to stay stable financially.

Miami University will be having many budget changes including a hiring freeze and several capital projects will be postponed. Most of these will affect the campuses in Oxford and Middletown. The hiring freeze will take affect for classified and unclassified staff. The construction for Bicentennial Student Center will be delayed along with a couple others.

Despite the tough times Middletown City Council was able to ratify a six month extension to the city firefighters’ contract which included a new three-year pact that goes into effect January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2011. The contracts had already been approved by the International Association of Firefighters Local 336.  The three year pact includes a 3% pay increase each of the three years.

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