In a Feb 13 press release the packaging materials producer Cascades announced that it will “optimize” its containerboard packaging operations by permanently closing its facility in Newtown, Connecticut.
Alongside closing the Newtown facility another plant in Canada will be shut down and an already idled facility will not reopen. Cascades noted that the facilities combined represent the capacity to produce 175,000 short tons, or 500 million square feet of corrugated packaging.
Cascades will lay off 310 workers, 71 of them employed at the Newtown plant. The Newtown layoffs are set to start on April 12 and continue until the plant is fully closed on April 26.
A letter sent to both Newtown First Selectman Jeffrey Capeci and the Connecticut Department of Labor noted that the action is expected to be permanent.
The collective bargaining agreement in place at the Newton facility will allow the use of bumping rights by senior employees, however as the plant will completely close this will only allow them to delay their layoff by two weeks at most.
