Johnson Rubber workers put in last days at plant

By LARRY RINGLER Tribune Chronicle
MIDDLEFIELD — Johnson Rubber Co. maintenance workers are scheduled to put in their final shift today before the company ends 113 years of operation and leaves longtime workers like Gene Weaver wondering what’s next.

‘‘You have a lot of guys, including me, who expected to retire from there, and then have the rug pulled out from your feet. It’s horrible,’’ Weaver, 52, said Monday.

He said he would have had 36 years with the company in August.

Weaver said production workers on the day turn worked most of their shift Monday before being told to go home. Afternoon and midnight shift workers were told not to come to work Monday because the plant was shutting down before the scheduled Wednesday closing, he said. Production workers were told they’ll be paid for Tuesday, he added.

As a maintenance worker, Weaver said today will be his last shift, wiping out five weeks vacation.

No spokesperson for the 436-worker company could be reached for comment early Monday evening.

Johnson Rubber filed for bankruptcy in December after a $4 million accounting error under the administration of former Chief Executive Officer Charles Price. Efforts to restructure or sell the rubber parts maker were unsuccessful.

A group of automotive customers, including Ford, Honda and Toyota, agreed to pay the workers $2.3 million to cover unpaid health insurance, vacation, retirement and bonus money workers should have received to work extra hours to fill orders through March and much of April.



lringler@tribune-chronicle.com