You might think that working in a candy factory would be the happiest job of all time. After all, you’re making a product that brings a smile to so many faces. Unfortunately, as with all jobs, candy factory workers often face hardships. Just recently, employees at the Necco factory faced abrupt layoffs. Now, so many hardworking people are unexpectedly struggling to find work.
Hundreds of factory workers were affected by the layoff put in place by factory owners Round Hill Investments LLC. Round Hill only bought the factory, which was being auctioned due to bankruptcy, two months ago. That means the workers were likely celebrating the safety of their jobs weeks prior, which makes this news especially disappointing. Necco has been creating Necco Wafers and Candy Hearts for over 170 years.
On the upside, it seems like Necco Wafers and Candy Hearts aren’t in jeopardy just yet, as Round Hill confirmed that they sold the Revere, Massachusetts property to another company.
“Round Hill Investments was very excited to acquire Necco’s historic brands and to be part of their national resurgence,” the company said to The Boston Globe. “After careful engagement and consideration, however, the firm decided to sell the brands to another national confection manufacturer and today announced the closure of the operations in Revere, Massachusetts.”
As expected, the workers aren’t happy about losing their jobs with such short notice. Grubstreet reports that two past employees, named Dexter Main and Francesco D’Amelio, even chose to start a class action lawsuit based on the lack of preparation time.
As Round Hill likely knew about this deal for some time, they believe that springing the news on the factory workers last minute violates the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
Main and D’Amelio aren’t seeking out too much — just 60 days of back pay and the cost of their attorneys.
Losing your job is incredibly difficult — no matter what your profession is and no matter how long you’ve been prepared for it. Hopefully, these employees will get a little bit of help as they look for their next opportunity.
To learn more about worker’s rights, read up on the Department of Labor’s website.
