Despite a rush to secure a buyer for the Winchester Arms Repeating Co., the plant will close at the end of the month, announced Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. in a press conference Thursday afternoon. Union representatives, however, thanked him for the city’s persistence in trying to secure a buyer for the gun factory, and jobs for its 186 workers who are soon to be out of a job.
DeStefano said while he won’t be able to prevent the factory closing, the city still has “three solid expressions of serious interest” in buying the plant. Herstal, the Belgian company that owns USRAC, which owns the plant, rejected the city’s suggestion to buy the plant for $1 and in exchange wipe out the roughly $17 million the company owes to the city and labor union in taxes and contract penalties.
DeStefano insisted that “wipe-out” deal is “still on the table,” though the two parties are arguing over the figures involved. He laid down what he considered common objectives for the factory’s future: To “keep selling Winchester products,” find a new buyer, and return the workers’ union jobs.
He said his strategy now is not to threaten the company over its $17 million debt, but to negotiate. “It does nothing to threaten some obvious things that we have the right to do,” he said.
Joe Reynolds, president of the machinist union at Winchester, thanked the mayor for his and state politicians’ help in procuring protection for his workers with Trade Adjustment Assistance, which will offer money, job training and education benefits to the displaced workers.
John Harrity, director of Growjobs CT and a union ally, agreed: “Rarely have I seen the effort that the city of New Haven is making to try to keep these jobs and try some innovative things.”
