Workers are losing their jobs at two plastics packaging sites, marking the second such move in recent weeks by one of the companies involved.
Officials at both Silgan Holdings Inc. and Pretium Packaging LLC have told state officials of plans to lay off workers — Silgan in Pennsylvania, Pretium in California.
Pretium told the California Employment Development Department that the company's site in Anaheim will permanently close "on or before July 31" in a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, letter. The move impacts 101 positions.
"It is anticipated that all Anaheim employees will be laid off in phases between May and July 2022, Pretium wrote. A wide range of positions are impacted by the move, according to the letter. Positions with the large job losses include 28 inspector/packers, 14 machine operators, 12 material handlers, 11 production leads, six quality control technicians, five warehouse associates and five maintenance technicians.
Silgan, meanwhile, has told the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry that 42 job losses at its Langhorne, Pa., location are scheduled to begin June 13 and be completed by December.
A letter from the company to the state indicated "that due to changes in customer demand, Silgan is planning to downsize its Langhorne facility." Silgan termed the move as a "reduction in operations and indefinite layoff of employees."
Calls to Silgan seeking additional details about the layoffs were not immediately returned May. 23.
Pretium's move follows similar action by the company at a site in Ypsilanti, Mich., just weeks ago. That closure, the company said at the time, would eliminate 53 jobs, This location was acquired by Pretium as part of an earlier deal for Alpha Consolidated Holdings Inc. and its 10 manufacturing sites.
Pretium's Anaheim site, meanwhile, is one of three locations the firm has in Southern California, including a warehouse in Riverside and another manufacturing plant in Escondido, according to the company's website.
The letters to California and Pennsylvania labor officials come from the WARN Act, a federal measure that was created in 1988. The law is designed to give workers additional time to find new employment following their notice of layoff. WARN requires at least 60 days' notice of plant closings or mass layoffs.