By the end of this month, the Pliant Corp. will shut down its manufacturing facility in Burrillville. As many as 100 workers are expected to lose their jobs.
This Thursday, legislators from the northwest corner of Rhode Island are scheduled to meet with state economic development officials. They will brainstorm about what could be done to salvage the jobs – and perhaps the seven buildings and 55,000 square feet of space that Pliant is leaving in its wake.
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State Rep. Richard A. Aubin says the best case scenario would be to find a local company looking to expand its operations that may want to buy the buildings and equipment.
Many workers at the plant are from the Burrillville area.
“These are loyal, dedicated employees,” he says.
This is a sad story — one that, unfortunately, has been written many times before. We are confident that our congressional delegation and our state officials will do their best to connect displaced workers with existing retraining programs so that they might adapt and improve skills, therefore, making themselves more marketable.
But the harsh reality is that many of these employees face an uncertain future. We urge state officials, particularly the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, to make this a priority issue and to aggressively seek out potential buyers for the property.
It may be a long shot. But it’s worth the effort.
