BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Nearly 70 employees at a roofing material plant in Shafter will lose their jobs when the facility closes in January, according to a WARN notice issued earlier this week.
The Glass Mat Plant, operated by GAF, is scheduled to close on or about Jan. 24, 2025. A GAF spokesperson said the decision to close the Shafter plant was made "in an effort to optimize our plant network."
The WARN notice — which stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — gives employees in mass layoff scenarios advanced notification so they can start planning for their future.
While the Glass Mat Plant will close, GAF's Shingle Plant in Shafter will remain in operation. The Shingle Plant is the large facility visible from Highway 99 at Lerdo Highway.
The WARN notice activates Kern County's Employer Training Resource Rapid Response program, which provides support services to displaced workers.
"Food assistance, medical assistance. So we'll invite partners like the Department of Human Services. We'll invite CAPK out, our local food bank. Whoever we need to help triage that circumstance for them," said Suzi Vasquez, workforce development program manager with the county's employee training resource center.
Vasquez said the program also helps workers file for unemployment benefits and provides career training opportunities for those seeking new skills or career paths.
The plant has operated in Shafter for several decades under two different company names. City officials expressed sadness about the closure and said they are working with the county to support affected employees.
"A lot of it's on the ground intelligence. I mean, who's hiring right now? What the jobs are looking like, who needs people immediately, kind of stuff like that," said Lance Lippincott, Shafter city manager.
Vasquez said affected workers can visit the county's offices on East Belle Terrace and Olive Drive for assistance.
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