Twenty-four Alcoa employees are being laid off, an official at the aluminum production plant confirmed Wednesday morning, citing economic conditions of the aluminum industry.
Plant manager Britt Scheer said in a telephone interview that six salary employees were sent home Thursday with severance pay — and that 18 hourly-paid employees will be sent home by Aug. 1.
All employees, Scheer said, received either a severance package or other benefits collected by union bargaining agreements.
“These are really cutbacks because of the economic conditions of the aluminum industry, and are not only specific to this plant but related to the whole aluminum industry,” Scheer said. “It’s a tough decision, but an unavoidable one in the current market environment.”
Asked if employees might be called back, he said the cutbacks are “long-term layoffs with no foreseen date to bring (them) back.
“Things could change, but this should keep us more economically stable for the rest of the year, at least. It’s a difficult situation for the plant, and there was no way to avoid it.”
Shawnie Carrier, executive director of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance, said, “We’ve been working with Alcoa since I’ve been her for the last two years, and very heavily the last two months, to alleviate the situation they’re in. The plant is adjusting the plant staffing as a result of the changing market conditions in the aluminum market industry.
“Based on the current marketing environment, this was unavoidable.” Carrier added that she will continue working with Alcoa to keep other jobs intact during the difficult economic times.
She said, “We’ve got commitment from the state and local commitment to help them in any way that we can to help keep the jobs that they have after these layoffs.”
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Twenty-four Alcoa employees are being laid off, an official at the aluminum production plant confirmed Wednesday morning, citing economic conditions of the aluminum industry.
Plant manager Britt Scheer said in a telephone interview that six salary employees were sent home Thursday with severance pay — and that 18 hourly-paid employees will be sent home by Aug. 1.
All employees, Scheer said, received either a severance package or other benefits collected by union bargaining agreements.
“These are really cutbacks because of the economic conditions of the aluminum industry, and are not only specific to this plant but related to the whole aluminum industry,” Scheer said. “It’s a tough decision, but an unavoidable one in the current market environment.”
Asked if employees might be called back, he said the cutbacks are “long-term layoffs with no foreseen date to bring (them) back.
“Things could change, but this should keep us more economically stable for the rest of the year, at least. It’s a difficult situation for the plant, and there was no way to avoid it.”
Shawnie Carrier, executive director of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance, said, “We’ve been working with Alcoa since I’ve been her for the last two years, and very heavily the last two months, to alleviate the situation they’re in. The plant is adjusting the plant staffing as a result of the changing market conditions in the aluminum market industry.
“Based on the current marketing environment, this was unavoidable.” Carrier added that she will continue working with Alcoa to keep other jobs intact during the difficult economic times.
She said, “We’ve got commitment from the state and local commitment to help them in any way that we can to help keep the jobs that they have after these layoffs.”
