The Virginian-Pilot
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For Frances Waymire, a white-haired 90-year-old who lives in a Phoenix retirement home, the world seemed a little better place this week: She’s getting her pension check back.
The turnabout came after The Virginian-Pilot wrote last week about Old Dominion Peanut Co.’s decision to discontinue her $350 monthly pension after the business suffered losses in an October fire.
Two days later, William Del Chiaro, president and chief executive of the Norfolk company, wrote a letter to say her check was being reinstated. He could not be reached by phone Friday.
“I’m going to write him a nice thank-you note,” Waymire said.
The Norfolk native retired from Old Dominion in the early 1980s after working there some 27 years as a secretary. Her boss and former company owner, now deceased, had promised the pension.
Jon W. Glass, (757) 446-2318, jon.glass@pilotonline.com
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Frances Waymire
I know Frances Waymire. She is a nice lady.
Mr, Brown was the owner when I worked there during busy seasons.
He was a nice man and I am sorry to learn of his passing.
Thank you, William Del Chiaro
For being generous and reinstating the pension. Sometimes people forget that the primary reason a business exists is to be profitable. Decisions of a business nature are made with that in mind, and sometimes that hurts people. It is the people running a business who have heart, not the business itself. Mr. William Del Chiaro, you do have a heart. Thank you.
I wouldn't have done it.....
This man had NO OBLIGATION to this woman. Who he has an obligation to is his current employees. His company caught fire, the biggest seller, which is peanut brittle, was not being sold. Do you all realize how many people got laid off because of the fire, of course not....what do you know....an old woman isn't getting her $350 that this man isn't obligated to pay. Once again, you all should be griping about the old owner who didn't set up a plan for these people to ensure that they would receive some type of pension.
It's Amazing
Well we now know what this company is willing to pay to avoid negative publicity, $350 month! Did they reinstate the other individuals that also had theirs cut?
You are right
I worked at ODP for 6 years, that company has a LOT to hide, I mean stuff that would have them closed down, I have pics and video of bugs crawling around in peanuts that were used minutes later in the making of peanut candy
I will NEVER purchase another ODP product.
It's amazing what a tiny bit of sunshine will do to a bad call!
I admit to being a frequent critic of the VP. But, in this case, my hat's off to Jon Glass and the VP for exposing the lousy deal this lady received from the Old Dominion Peanut Co. It's no surprise that the president and CEO of the company "could not be reached by phone." While his decision to reverse his earlier one is commendable, it probably would never have happened were it not for the embarrassment of the publicity. It makes one wonder how many similar ugly, unfair, painful situations and events occur that go unnoticed and without the elixir of the "light of day." Backroom deals by city councils, greedy decisions by insurance companies, HMO's, loan companies, car dealers, etc, must happen daily and are never exposed. People are just left to "deal with it." Thank you, Jon Glass! Keep up the good work!