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Disney ABC Cancels Plans To Layoff Dozens Of Tech Workers

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Rachel Stoltzfoos Staff Reporter
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Disney ABC Television Group reversed a decision to lay off about 35 tech workers this week, following recent reports that Disney laid off hundreds of tech workers in January after forcing them to train their replacements.

Two weeks ago, Disney ABC told a team of between 30 and 35 application developers they were being laid off, some at the end of July, and that their jobs were going to an IT contractor with large offshore operations, reported Computer World. But on Thursday, Disney ABC told the workers plans had changed and they would not be laid off.

Some of the workers were already in the process of training their replacements in “knowledge transfer” sessions — the same term used to describe how the hundreds of tech workers laid off in January trained their foreign replacements. (RELATED: Rubio, Jeb Silent After Disney Layoffs As Dem Demands Investigation)

Disney ABC refused to confirm or comment on the reversal, but Computer World reports it was confirmed by another Disney ABC source. One of the tech workers who would have been laid off told Computer World the move is related to the recent negative press.

“They [Disney officials], want this to go away — right now,” the worker told Computer World.

The workers were told the foreign work force would take over maintenance and application development, which could allow some of them to fill more interesting positions.

The January Disney layoffs were cast similarly. The workers were told the department’s emphasis was shifting to innovation, and that the foreign workforce would take over the maintenance work. They were encouraged to apply for the new positions opening up. (RELATED: Disney Blacklisted Displaced American Workers)

One of the laid off workers told The Daily Caller News Foundation he was initially optimistic, but a few months into the “knowledge transfer” process, after getting zero responses to his applications for the new positions, he realized the jobs didn’t exist. He knows of just a few people who managed to stay on with Disney.

For its part, Disney says it fired 250 workers, but rehired 120 in some capacity.

Disney ABC’s decision not to lay off the 35 workers also follows news the Department of Labor is investigating Tata and Infosys, two outsourcing firms Southern California Edison used to layoff hundreds of American workers after forcing them to train their replacement.

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