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No layoffs at American Standard; 30-day production pause planned
The American Standards Brand manufacturing facility in Nevada, formerly known as Crane Plumbing, is not laying off half of the work force as rumored. "There is no layoff," according to Jill Strueck, director of corporate communications for the New Jersey-based firm.
"No one is losing their jobs," Strueck said. The company, however, is planning "a 30 day curtailment of operations" in order to do a little house cleaning. The company will use the time to clear some existing inventory and set the facility up a little differently, according to Strueck.
Plant manager Mark Brickner said, "it's not a big deal," and Strueck confirmed that brief statement. The temporary halt in production will give the new plant manager time "to organize things the way he wants them," said Strueck. He sort of "hit the ground running" at the plant and hasn't had time to do that, she said.
Strueck said the combination of inventory reduction, reorganization, spring cleaning and some "slight modifications" will allow the future operation of the plant to be much more efficient.
The temporary slow down was presented to the local union beforehand and all employees will return to work and resume production as usual as soon as the brief "curtailment" is over. Many workers had the option of choosing to take the time off or continue working. All those not working will be eligible for and receive unemployment benefits, according to Strueck.
About half of the plant's 121 hourly employees "will be affected by the curtailment," according to Strueck. They will be off from the first of April through the end of the month. Many of them took the time off voluntarily. Mike Williams from the slip and glaze department has been at American Standard for 2 years and likes his job. Williams said, "It's a good time of year to be off." He said if there were a foot of snow on the ground, he may have stayed to work. As it is, Williams said he is going to take advantage of the time off to do a lot of snagging, mushroom hunting and turkey hunting.
The Crane Plumbing Company opened the doors of its Nevada facility in 1970 and has been a major employer in the community since that time. They merged with American Standard in February of 2008. American Standard, is a leading North American manufacturer of bath and kitchen products.