New Haven Independent

The gathering was a public hearing of the Board of Aldermen at City Hall. After hearing from worker advocates about certain potentially shady dealings by the Belgian owner Herstal group, aldermen suggested they have some legal ground to stand on against the company.

“If it smells like a rat, it’s a rat,” said Alderman Jorge Perez.

“I’m not the most sophisticated person in the world,” said Perez at the hearing, which was called to digest the news from Belgium with city spokespeople, community activists, and some of the 186 Winchester workers who will soon be without jobs (in picture). “But if you move a machine down to South Carolina, and you move someone down to train workers how to run it— that doesn’t sound like a plant closing.”

“It sounds like relocation!” agreed Alfreda Edwards, who represents the stretch of Newhallville by the plant on the Board of Aldermen.

The aldermen were discussing claims heard from two labor rights champions, John Harrity of Grow Jobs Connecticut and Craig Gauthier, president of the Winchester Citizens Ad Hoc Committee, that Herstal wasn’t closing USRAC, but moving it — which would be a violation of the company’s tax-abatement agreement with the city, Harrity and Gauthier said. Herstal’s contract required it to give six months notice before relocating, said Gauthier, calling on aldermen to urge legal action, at least to leverage for better severance terms.

“You can make history by making them fulfill this obligation to workers,” Gauthier told the Board of Aldermen.

The company has responded that it violated no agreements. It said it closed the plant because the plant was losing a million dollars a month.

Echoing others’ thanks to the city for their efforts on behalf of the workers, Harrity urged aldermen to appeal to the state, too. He said his own letter to the governor asking that she help secure a buyer for the plant had had no reply. “The state has just not done enough to be helpful,” he added.

“[Herstal] takes our tax dollars, and then when their pockets get a little low they come in and close the plant,” said Donald Harris, a worker at USRAC for the past ten years. “We need your help being heard.”

“Not everyone’s going to get much further than high school, and [USRAC] was a place to go when you didn’t have any place to go,” said fellow worker David Roy. “Do something.”

But the message from both union president John Reynolds and the city’s development administrator, Kelly Murphy, was clear: Herstal has drawn the line for USRAC operations at March 31. “At least they didn’t say, ‘No, go away,’” said Murphy. “They’re a big huge company and we’re a little city. At least they didn’t bat us away like a fly.”

“But what is in place to be of assistance to employees who have families, have kids, have bills, have whatever?” asked Alderwoman Jacqueline Jones. “We want to be very clear. What’s being guaranteed?”

Murphy cited the workers’ qualification for Trade Adjustment Assistance funds and said she was at work researching other possible supports.

The aldermen adjourned with plans to further investigate possible legal claims against Herstal, to write letters to both city and state by Monday, and to keep an ear to what Kelly Murphy was finding out about possible other sources of support for workers.

“It seems like nothing’s going fast enough,” said Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards. “[Kelly Murphy] just came and inherited this big problem, but the wheels just don’t turn fast enough.”

Edwards said it is hard to be optimistic about the governor stepping in to help the city’s struggle. “She’ll say, ‘Well, Stop and Shop is going, the telephone company is going, all the jobs are going abroad. It’s a trend.’”

Worker Carey Dawson (pictured) had lingering questions about the union’s negotiating strategy, and said he couldn’t understand why union president John Reynolds was still keeping it secret. “They did a hush-hush today,” Dawson said. “They’re getting ready to close, so what’s he holding back from?” He said the union’s silence made him worry that some would get pieces of cake and others only crumbs. “I don’t know what’s going on with them.”

Aldermen Edward Mattison said there was a positive in USRAC’s having removed some equipment, “Because it bolsters our legal position. If we can buy time, that’s good.” He agreed with Alderwoman Edwards that this was an “emergency” that would have effects beyond Newhallville, “But it isn’t a surprise.”

“It’s a sad day,” said Edwards, recognizing the anxiety of families over lost jobs and vowing to do what she could to “get everything in place for people to get their hands on services.” With tears she added, “Times change. This is what happens when times change. Manufacturers are out.”