Hickory furniture plant fails to pay employees – WSOC TV

HICKORY, N.C. — Frustrated employees at a furniture plant in Hickory told Channel 9 they haven't seen a paycheck in three weeks, and some claim their 401Ks have been affected, too.

The parking lot at Quaker Furniture Incorporated has been empty and the main gate closed.

A bookkeeper said the owner is renegotiating lines of credit and hopes to reopen soon.

It has been three weeks since Annette Anderson or Pamela Stevens said they've gotten a paycheck from Quaker Furniture.

They called the company to find out if they'll get their money.

"They just give us the runaround,” Anderson said. “There (are) no funds. There (are) no paychecks that can be released."

"They tell us they can't release the checks because there's no money," Stevens said. “They say they'll call us when they have the checks ready and we can have them."

Other employees said Thursday that not only have they not been paid, but the company also failed to put money into their 401Ks, even though it was deducted from paychecks earlier this year.

Anderson showed Channel 9 a copy of the company's new handbook given out last month.

"Quaker Furniture takes all reasonable steps to ensure that employees are paid promptly on the scheduled payday," it states.

"It's really irritating, frustrating, heartbroken, you name it,” Anderson said. “It is there. I mean, you work and you're expecting a paycheck every week."

The company told Channel 9 Thursday the owner is working to renegotiate lines of credit and hopes to pay the 34 employees soon.

The bookkeeper said the company is trying to be fully operational as early as next week, but some of the workers are skeptical that will happen.

"Very frustrating,” Stevens said. “We work for the money and it is ours."

A handful of employees said they also had money deducted from their checks for a life insurance policy and other insurance, only to find out it, too, wasn't being paid.

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