Former workers at the Gerresheimer plant in Chicago Heights are seeking retention bonuses worth up to US$15,000 after the pharmaceutical glass facility closed and 172 jobs were lost.
The employees say they stayed on during the plant’s final months to help complete the shutdown, expecting to be paid under a written agreement between the company and United Steelworkers. However, the bonuses have not been issued.
Gerresheimer ended operations at the Illinois site on 30 September. The company previously said declining sales had made continued production economically unviable, with manufacturing transferred to facilities in Italy and India.
Rosalind Morris, a United Steelworkers staff representative, said the closing agreement linked the payments to the plant achieving a “pack-to-melt” production rate of 50 per cent.
Under the arrangement, skilled employees were due US$15,000, while non-skilled workers could receive US$9,000 if the target was reached. Morris said the company reported that the target had not been met, and estimated that more than 50 workers could be affected.
Workers challenge production figures
Former employees Ron Glenn and Gregory Barksdale said they believed equipment problems and management decisions contributed to the plant falling short of the required figure.
Glenn, who spent 12 years making and repairing glass moulds, alleged that machinery was operated too quickly and that preventive maintenance had been inadequate. He also said computer systems were unavailable throughout September, preventing workers from monitoring production figures as required under their bargaining agreement.
“They incentivised failure,” Glenn said.
The claims have not been independently verified. Gerresheimer has not responded to requests for comment on the bonus dispute.
Morris said the union disputed the circumstances surrounding the reported shortfall and believed the final result may have been affected by matters outside the workforce’s control.
“We’re very hopeful that the company will do the right thing, but up until now, we’re very sceptical,” she said.
The union has submitted its concerns to Gerresheimer and is awaiting a response. It is considering what further action to take, although no decision has yet been made.
Gerresheimer had informed the relevant union about the planned closure in February. The Chicago Heights site produced moulded Type I flint borosilicate glass bottles for pharmaceutical use, including serum and infusion bottles.
The company said production would be moved to existing operations in Italy and India as part of the closure. The Illinois WARN notice listed 172 affected employees, although the facility had previously employed about 200 people.
United Steelworkers says it will continue pressing Gerresheimer to honour the retention payments promised to workers who remained until the plant shut down.
