Joy Global to temporarily lay off 100+ workers in heavy fabrication, welding department
WEST MILWAUKEE -- Joy Global officials say they are planning to temporarily idle work in its heavy fabrication and welding department starting in late November. That means it will temporarily lay off 113 workers at its facility near Miller Park Way and National Ave. in West Milwaukee.
John Koetz, President of Surface Mining for Joy Global said the following:
Last week we learned of an expected layoff from Caterpillar, and earlier this week, an announcement from GE in Waukesha.
The light workloads at Joy Global were a sign for employees like Chris Chapelle.
"We knew layoffs were coming and it was slow and bad. I was a little shocked they were going to close the whole thing down," Chapelle said. "It was very somber. I've been laid off. I've been there 40 years, and I've been laid off four times. A lot of the older guys have been through it before, but the younger guys haven`t really seen this side of what it's like in mining."
Chapelle says it's more important than ever for these workers to stand by one another and keep their hopes high.
"There's not a lot of other jobs out there in those fields right now, so it's going to be hard for them. I'm hoping when conditions pick up, guys will be called back and be able to earn a living there. It's been a good place to work," Chapelle said.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development website is a helpful resource that provides information about the types of programs, benefits, and services that may be available to dislocated workers.
Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.
