Community leaders joining forces to help Westlake Chemical employees impacted by layoffs
Aberdeen business announced job cuts impacting 100 employees
ABERDEEN, MISS. (WCBI) – District One Supervisor Chuck Moffett said an early morning phone call from a close relative broke the news about the Westlake job cuts.
“I have seen it affect family, friends, and neighbors,” Moffett said.
Westlake announced in late December that the company was laying off 100 employees at its Aberdeen plant due to global market conditions and oversupply of PVC products. The cuts impact high-paying jobs. Moffett says Westlake has been a strong partner with the county for decades.
“One question that was asked to a Westlake representative was. Was there anything the local government could have done to stop this? They said it had nothing to do with local government. We have never questioned any ad valorem exemptions they have ever requested,” Moffett said.
Anytime a community loses 100 high-paying jobs, it is a big hit. But there are also a lot of people working behind the scenes to help those workers find jobs in the region.
“Our concern is now to help those from Westlake get jobs. We have gone through a reorganization, from supervisors, Chamber, municipalities, and we are all working on the same goal,” said District Three Supervisor Rubel West.
Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kelly Martin said an upcoming job fair is just one resource for the impacted workers.
“We are working with MDES and MDA to get them on site, to help with employee information, the city of Aberdeen is donating a location for the job fair, we have a great support system come around, to help the individuals move foward,” Martin said.
She also said there are likely opportunities for the Westlake employees to use their skills at nearby manufacturers.
