Excuse my French, but that Sucks!
As always, their business plan, never seems to consider our business plan! It's situations like this, that remind me of those, " Be Professional " Speeches, they give on opening day. I'm sure the Lay-off's came as a total surprise on return day, RIGHT! In those famous words of one tech I know, " Looks like they bent some techs over and loaded them like a shot gun "!
Dave does have a better idea, the Commercial Sector isn't going to give you anymore than you already got, which is next to nothing! Three to ten weeks work, twice a year, if your lucky! Three hundred bucks a week on unemployment, for another twenty six weeks! They wonder why the Experienced Technicians are leaving all that glory behind?
How much bait did they throw out? Did they give the old, stick around for a couple of weeks, we'll be hiring again! Funny how they want the trained experienced techs, to sit at the house on their own dime! Next thing you know they'll be calling a lay-off a furlow, or something strange like that! Anything to keep the techs in town, without pay!
Good luck, remember it's a New Year and hopefully a better one,
RG!