World Kitchen plant closure delayed a third time
The closing of the World Kitchen plant in Charleroi has been delayed for the third time.
A day before the plant was to close Friday and a celebration was planned to mark its long history, notice was received that the plant will remain open for at least three more months.
“The Lancaster, Ohio, plant could not fill the orders that were needed because they can’t make the same quality as what’s down here,” said Councilman Larry Celaschi. “You had a shift that was out the door yesterday. This is hard on them because they don’t have the numbers in order to do what they did down here at 100%.”
Celaschi said Daniele Byrne, vice president of United Steelworkers Union 53G, which represents workers at the plant, was forced to call plant employees Friday to see if those who thought they had worked their last shift would come back.
When reached by phone Friday, Byrne said she was busy and could not answer questions.
A communication from Anchor Hocking received in January listed Friday as the last day of business. The plant was to remain in operation in a two-feeder capacity until then, down from four feeders. Many employees had already left to take new jobs, resulting in a diminishing workforce.
“I’m worried about the workers, what this is doing to their health, their mind, their body, their spirit,” Celaschi said. “You had workers leaving there to start their next phase of their work life or to try to find work. Now, they’re held hostage for three more months without any solid long-term answers. They have to come back or they’re not eligible to get any unemployment. I don’t think there’s enough communication between corporate, the International Steelworkers Union and the employees to give them a very clear picture here. This is a misuse of a workforce. It’s unfair, and it’s unhealthy.”
Mayor Gregg Doerfler admitted the whole process was confusing.
“They claim that they can’t make the same product in Ohio, then why are you moving to Ohio if you can’t make it?” he said. “All you keep doing is messing with these poor people’s lives. You say there’s going to be layoffs, and all these people are going out and getting other jobs and you keep saying we’re going to delay. It just upsets me that they’re messing with these people’s lives like this.”
A special dedication had been scheduled for Friday to celebrate 132 years of glass making, complete with a flag-raising ceremony in honor of all of the plant’s employees during that time.
The plant’s whistle, which has not been in operation for some time, was to sound for 132 seconds.
The latest action marks the third delay in the closing of the plant.
Workers were first told in September that plant operations would be moved to Lancaster, Ohio, putting 270 employees out of work.
One month later, a Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notifications (WARN) letter was sent, setting a permanent closing date of Feb. 28, with the first round 173 employee terminations originally scheduled for Dec. 9.
In December, a WARN notice was received that pushed the first round of layoffs to Jan. 27, with the final round now set for April 16.
In January, Anchor Hocking sent a communication to “All Charleroi Employees” stating that “due to business necessity the Charleroi Plant operations will be extended.” The same notice said the plant was to remain in operation in a two-feeder capacity until Friday.
World Kitchen manufactures kitchenware and tableware, including Corelle and Pyrex brands.
Signs bearing “Keep making Pyrex in Charleroi” are posted throughout the town.
The plant originally opened in 1893 as MacBeth-Evans Glass Co. Ownership has changed hands numerous times in its long history, with the most recent owners being New York-based Centre Lane Partners, following the acquisition of the appliances division of Instant Brands. Anchor Hocking is another company under the Centre Lane umbrella.