The imminent closure of a Washington County glass plant has left hundreds of local workers facing an uncertain future. The Charleroi plant, a community cornerstone for over a century, is slated to shut down permanently, affecting more than 300 employees. "It's very overwhelming, stressful. I’ve got this sick feeling inside," employee Cody Nichols expressed his dismay in a statement reported by WPXI, having spent a decade at the facility producing Pyrex bakeware.
Details of the shutdown came to light when management informed employees on Wednesday that the plant would cease operations by year's end, with machinery being moved to an Anchor Hocking plant in Lancaster, Ohio. This news blindsided the plant’s workers, emphasizing the facility's long-standing presence. "A place like this that makes quality glassware, you would think they’d be around forever like they have been," Nichols said, per WPXI. "Just like that, it’s all gone." Union representatives from the United Steelworkers Local 53-G shared that employees were told up to 150 jobs could be available at the Ohio plant.
According to interviews with employees, the Charleroi plant's closure is a personal blow to workers and a potential detriment to the local economy. "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," Nichols reflected in an interview, as reported by CBS News Pittsburgh. His concerns echo the sentiment of many who see the plant as an integral part of the town's fabric.
The transfer to the Ohio location is not a viable option for all workers due to the logistics and personal impact of relocating. "It's not easy to just up and locate hours away to keep your job," said Cody's wife, Randi, highlighting an additional challenge for the Nichols family and others in a similar situation. Finding nearby employment that offers comparable wages and benefits is daunting, especially as Nichols, who recently paid off his home, considers the well-being of his children and family. "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," Nichols conveyed in an interview detailed by CBS News Pittsburgh.
