WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — Ardagh Metal Packaging is a leading global supplier of metal drink cans, but the Whitehouse plant could be closing leaving more than a hundred workers out of a job.
For 21 years, Rosie Tinoco has been working at the Whitehouse facility. She told WTOL 11 that the news of a closure was devastating.
"It was very shocking," said Tinoco, a quality control worker at the plant. "I am a single mother of seven so I don't have a plan B so I don't know where to go from here."
The possible closure plans were announced in October.
Tinoco said can production is all many of their employees know and they don't want to be laid off without a fight.
"A lot of us that work here now, our parents worked here, so a lot of us were raised on this and we're second generation can makers," said Tinoco.
Nicholas DiMasso Jr., the United Steel Workers 8316 President, said they haven't been told the reason this is happening but are working to find out.
"After that, we will review the information with the international, then we'll get together with the company and the international on the local team, the local union team, and see what we can do to bargain basically or have a conversation [about] how we keep it open," said DiMasso Jr.
The union president said they need the community's support and that the closure will negatively impact the city.
There is a chance though that it could stay open.
"Right now at this time they haven't officially said whether they are closing or not," said DiMasso. "They told us they would be giving us that information by the end of the year."
Tinoco said the employees are working inside the plant to keep production on schedule while they stay hopeful the company will change its mind.
"We do bring a lot of potential and it's a lot of our livelihood," said Tinoco.
WTOL 11 reached out to Ardagh Metal Packaging and they released this statement:
"At this time, there are no further updates, as our internal reviews of the facility and discussions with the union populations are ongoing."
The company plans to make a decision before Dec. 31.
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