Washington County glassmaking plant shutting down, employees say
CHARLEROI, Pa. (KDKA) -- A fixture in a Washington County community, and one of its biggest employers says it'll be closing soon, putting more than 300 people out of work.
For more than a century, the Charleroi community could count on this plant for a steady supply of jobs.
"I enjoy what I do. I run the presses," says employee Cody Nichols. "[I] never thought it would come to this."
Nichols and his 300-plus coworkers got word on Wednesday that the plant would shut down.
"They're not taking some of the equipment away, they're taking everything away, and they're shutting us down."
It was a shock to Nichols. He and his wife had just paid off their home.
"It means I [have] to start over. I have kids. I take care of my wife," Nichols said.
Nichols says some of the workers in Charleroi are being offered a chance to relocate to another plant outside Columbus, Ohio.
"It's not easy to just up and locate hours away to keep your job," Randi, Cody's wife, said.
The plant makes Pyrex glass. Nichols had worked here for more than a decade.
It means everything. It's how I support my family and pay my bills. I have family that works here, family that's worked here for years."
Sayer: Have you thought about the effect it could have on a community like this?
Nichols: Oh yeah, this is going to be detrimental to Charleroi. I'm sure this being here for over a hundred years has always helped Charleroi as a community, and I just don't know what the future will hold.
This has all left him feeling sick inside.
"I wish there was another way to go about this. That's pretty much all because, like I said, it's affecting a lot of people," Nichols added.
He says it will be tough to find another job nearby with similar pay and benefits.
"Nobody pays a decent wage anymore, plus the cost of living keeps going up. It's just going to be hard, to say the least."