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Anchor Glass Container shuts down

By Angie Santello 3 min read

SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE – Anchor Glass Container Corp. suddenly shut down its Fayette County plant Thursday night, sending home 300 employees after management announced the company would close the plant indefinitely. According to a news release from the plant’s headquarters, the company’s board of directors decided to close the South Connellsville facility at its meeting Thursday.

“The board made this decision, taking into consideration the excess supply conditions currently prevailing in the glass container industry and the company’s analysis of the economics of each Anchor Glass facility,” the release said. “This analysis is part of an ongoing and comprehensive operation review begun in the third quarter to increase the company’s asset productivity and free cash flow.”

Darrin Campbell, chief executive officer of Anchor Glass, said, “This was a very difficult decision, particularly considering the dedication, talent and hard work of the South Connellsville employees. However, our recently completed analysis of Anchor Glass’ existing capacity given the current industry environment indicated that this plant’s economics could not be improved materially.”

About 300 employees will be affected and will receive pay in lieu of notice and severance, including continuation of benefits. Many of the workers live in the Connellsville area.

That doesn’t halt the frustrations of local union officials, employees and management of the glass company, some who have been at the plant for 30 or more years.

“There’s nothing we can do to help the situation,” Union President of Local 149 Charles Tressler said.

Tressler said it’s in the contract that management will have to give employees 90 days notice, or give them 90 days worth of pay. Management will have to do the latter, he said.

“This will devastate the whole area,” Tressler said. “It’s going to devastate the economy.”

Tressler, who is 59 years old, said it’s going to be difficult to find a job anywhere else at his age.

Union President of Local 124 Charles Echard said, “It’s devastating for everybody.”

And he said he’s not happy with the way the shutdown was handled, done with little advance notice at an awkward time and seemingly in secrecy.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Echard.

John Shallenberger, cold end manager at the plant, said it wasn’t something that was in management’s plans.

“A lot of good people will be out of a job,” he said.

A former union president who lives in Connellsville was on vacation when the shutdown occurred. He said he received a phone call around 9 p.m. notifying him not to return to work, and that the plant was shut down.

“I got 10 years there. I’m trying to provide for my wife and I. It’s a pretty hard decision,” he said.

The shutdown occurred around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tressler said five union presidents were called into a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. and the plant shutdown an hour later.

“I was standing outside with another union president. He was smoking. I watched these cars pull up, people stepped out with flashlights,” Tressler said.

Not long after, workers on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift were ushered outside and the plant was shut down.

“Management told them they would pay them for the rest of the night,” Tressler said.

Tressler said rumors from “salary people” or management previously circulated that the plant was going to shut down, but union workers were told to ignore it.

Union representatives are scheduled to meet today at 2 p.m. at the South Connellsville Fire Hall.

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