Honeywell Lays Off 228 Union and Non-Union Workers at Metropolis Plant

Officials at Honeywell’s Metropolis plant will lay off more than 220 employees while the company continues to evaluate a series of upgrades to prepare for extreme natural disasters. The plant has been temporarily shut down since late May.

In June, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspected the facility and has since asked the plant to perform upgrades to be better prepared for a natural disaster such as an earthquake. Honeywell officials say the upgrade work could take up to 12 to 15 months.

A letter to employees from plant manager Larry Smith says employees currently not working due to what was a temporary shutdown will be officially laid off and receive payment and benefits through late September. 125 of the 228 laid off employees are union members who had been locked out by the company for over a year between 2010 and 2011.