Honeywell to Move Forward with Layoffs

Affected employees will soon be notified that layoff at Honeywell Metropolis is scheduled to begin September 21 of this year. The layoff is due to safety upgrades that should make the plant better able to withstand a seismic event.

A portion of the message from plant manager Larry Smith regarding the layoff reads:

"You will soon receive a copy in the mail of the legal notice that we are required to provide all employees who may be affected by this reduction...It includes our best information on which jobs and how many employees will be affected. It also marks the beginning of the 60-day notice period required for reductions like this under federal and state laws. It does not guarantee that employees will not be relieved of their duties over the next 60 days, and not everyone who receives the letter will be laid off, but it does ensure that all employees will receive base pay and benefits for at least 60 days from today's date." (The letter is dated July 19, 2012.)
 
The message closes by saying that Smith realizes "the news is difficult to hear, especially to those who have worked extremely hard to help our facility improve its performance over the past year. My leadership team and Human Resources will be available over the coming days and weeks to answer questions and help manage this process as best we can. In the meantime, please continue to work safely at all times."

Honeywell spokesperson Peter Dalpe says that, in terms of the upgrades, the company is still evaluating the scope and timing of them, and it is "possible that completion of the work could mean that production at the plant would be shut down for an additional 12-15 months".