100 More Jobs to Flee Western Massachusetts

The latest in a string of plant closings in the greater Springfield, Massachusetts area, Ludlow Textiles announced that they would be shutting down operations within the next year. The company employs over 100 workers at the facility. The company manufactures specialty fibers. Production line workers are represented by the UNITE HERE union. Officials from the union could not be reached for immediate comment.

Rick Brown, President of the Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO, expressed condolences to the workers about to be laid off. "This is a sad for the workers and a sad continuation of the erosion of the Western Massachusetts manufacturing base." Brown emphasized the need to overhaul current labor laws so that unions could have a fighting chance to organize low-paid service sector workers who make up the largest share of the labor pool. "You can't fuel an economy with Wal-Mart and Dunkin' Donut workers making $6.75 per hour for too much longer," he said.

News of the closing came to the Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO from Kathy Clark, a representative from the a small department of the Division of Employment and Training Massachusetts called Rapid Response. Clark stated the company gave its official WARN notice to employees. By law, WARN notices must be issued to employees within 60 days of layoffs. The law protects workers from becoming suddenly unemployed without sufficient notice. The company told Clark they would begin layoffs in May.