Welco workers qualify for aid

All of the 93 workers at Welco Lumber Co. slated to lose their jobs in December will qualify for help from the government, whether it be for retraining, relocating or finding another job.

“I will find some type of assistance for every employee out there,” said Dave Darrow, manager for the Idaho Department of Labor in Bonners Ferry. “The chances (of getting assistance) are very high as a result of the stimulus funding. We have more opportunities. Bottom line there’s more money to assist individuals than we have had in a number of years. We can assist the majority of individuals in some form or another.”

Darrow plans to meet with employees today, Nov. 5, to explained options after the Naples sawmill closes. It will be the first of meetings to help the displaced workers.

Welco last month announced it would close in 60 days, eliminating jobs that paid between $10.46 and $25.44 an hour plus benefits; the average employee was paid $15.05 an hour.

The decision is, in large part, a result of weak demand for fencing products brought on by the sluggish housing market.

Employees who remain until the mill closes will receive a severance. They will get one week’s pay for every year of employment up to four years or a minimum of $1,000.

The mill is expected to close the third week in December. Owned by Welco for 17 years, the facility will not be sold. The company wants to keep the mill in case it should reopen, however that is unlikely.

Welco is headquartered in Shelton, Wash, where its one remaining plant employs 90. Another Welco plant in Marysville, Wash., closed in 2007 and was sold off in pieces.

During today’s meeting, employees will get a preliminary idea of available government assistance for education, on-the-job training and relocating.

“We will have some very preliminary information with follow-up meetings later on in November,” Darrow said.

He believes jobs in the medical field and manufacturing are more likely to need people in the area.

“Whatever their interests are, we will try to work with them in those confines and ultimately provide assistance with avenues that might be available,” Darrow said.

“What we really would like to do is convey to the community, that as a community, we need to pull together, get information disseminated to people on what opportunities are out there,” he continued. “So if people would provide that information, we will make the commitment to get that information out to people.”