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Closing of Curwood plant shocks employees Continued from pg. 1 "Some customer service functions will remain in Georgetown until they are transitioned to the other Curwood facilities. Curwood will continue to operate a warehouse and business office in Georgetown," said Miller. She explained some sales employees will remain at the business office. Details on that office's location, have not been arranged yet, she added. Miller said the decision to close the Georgetown facility "was based on the company's desire to consolidate production capacity in the high barrier flexible packaging business." The company will continue "servicing the Canadian flexible packaging market with products in the meat, cheese, liquid, snacks, coffee and specialty markets," said Miller. The employees at the plant will receive severance pay and counseling to help them find new jobs, she said. Norm Beattie, president of CEP Local 591G, said the "state-of-the-art packaging plant has a long and profitable history in Georgetown, with current Canadian sales in excess of $50 million." "There is no reason to close this plant other than to shift the work to the United States," said Beattie. Hancock said the employees who will be losing their jobs include office employees and the plant staff who work as press operators and coating and laminating equipment operators at a rate ranging from $22 to $25 an hour. The unionized employees were in the midst of union negotiations and have been Curwood Packaging Ltd. on Armstrong Avenue will close its doors by the end of March according to company officials. The sudden closure will mean the loss of 137 jobs according to the company. Photo by Ted Brown without a contract since October. pany and are owed more than this," "I'm one of the lowest seniority said CEP Ontario vice president there," said Hancock who has Cecil Makowski, who is calling on worked at the company for 18 years. the company to meet with union "Probably about 70 per cent of the officials and politicians "to explore employees have been there 15 years alternatives to the plant closure." or longer." "The employees of Curwood are Hancock said, "everyone is in dif- experiencing a huge impact here," ferent situations," when asked how said the mayor. "The Town will do the closure will impact the employ- everything it can to improve the outees. come. It appears that we cannot conHalton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette vince the owners to keep the plant said Thursday he was "shocked by open. We will work with them and the sudden nature of this announce- the various levels of government, ment," and told Curwood head and the union, to make all financial office officials he would be willing to settlements as favourable as possifly to Wisconsin to meet with them ble." to try to persuade them to continue "This closure affects hundreds of in Halton Hills. Georgetown area families and my However, he said he was told a thoughts are with them in this diffipersonal visit wouldn't change the cult time," said Chong. decision to close the plant, and when He said his office has contacted he and Wellington-Halton Hills MP the local Government of Canada Michael Chong went to the plant office to ensure EI benefits and other Thursday to try to speak to head employment services are readily office staff there, company officials available for the affected employees. refused to meet with the two politi"It is my hope that Curwood cians. cushions this blow by providing CEP representatives said compa- good packages for the workers at the ny officials have also refused to meet Georgetown plant," said Chong. with them. --By Lisa Tallyn, staff writer "These employees built this