Workers at the suddenly shuttered NECCO plant in Revere say the company's new owner violated federal law when it closed the place last week without warning.
In a lawsuit filed in US District Court, the workers cited the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires a 60-day notice of any plant closings and "mass layoff" of 100 or more workers. NECCO employed more than 100 workers, the suit says, adding:
Throughout the Bankruptcy Case and the acquisition by Round Hill, the Employees were consistently told that operations were continuing.
Last Tuesday, Round Hill issued a statement that while it was looking forward to embracing the world of chalky wafers, Valentine's Day message hearts and chocolate bars filled with four different centers, it had decided it didn't really want to make those things and was shutting the NECCO plant and would be selling off the brand.
The suit was filed by two NECCO workers, one from Lynn, the other from Revere, but they are asking to be appointed lead plaintiffs in a class-action suit on behalf of all the laid off workers. The suit seeks 60 days of back pay for all the workers as well as attorney's fees and unspecified damages.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Complete NECCO complaint | 145.77 KB |
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Comments
Round Hill
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 9:57am
Is Round Hill Investments LLC at all connected to Round Hill Capital real estate investment company?
Hell no, we won't Necco!
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:24am
Hell no, we won't Necco!
Dozens were laid off
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 2:53pm
Right now, is this really appropriate?
You don't get the reference.
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 5:50pm
You don't get the reference.
Don't letgo my Necco!
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:25am
Don't letgo my Necco!
May they reach for the sky
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:27am
May they reach for the sky (bar).
Good for them
By BostonDog
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 11:43am
Hopefully they get the pay they deserve. Any proceeds should go to the workers before the new owners or anyone else. They're the ones who got screwed.
Screwed by who? or what?
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 12:16pm
Screwed by who? or what?
Huh?
By BostonDog
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:19pm
Screwed by being abruptly without a job with no warning so some investor can profit from the IP and/or building.
WARN Act
By Dave-from-Boston
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:52pm
Been around for years - duty on the employers to provide advance notice of closing & loss of jobs even in anticipation of plant closing.
WARN Act is Federal - there is also a state version of law.
In my experience of dealing with these issues, a number of companies try to by-pass this requirement but eventually get caught. It say a lot about the ethics of the business owners when they attempt to short change their workers with razzle-dazzle, no notice, closings.
Screwed out of their legal rights
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:46pm
You might read the links before spewing about screwing.
You must be new here.
By Scratchie
Tue, 07/31/2018 - 12:23pm
You must be new here.
who knew
By anon
Tue, 07/31/2018 - 4:39pm
the CEO of Round Hill was a UHub reader!
FYI
By bshep
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:05pm
There's an info session today at Revere City Hall from 1:00-5:00 for displaced NECCO workers. https://twitter.com/MayorArrigo/status/10237210343...
Apparently a bunch of companies have stepped up with job offers.
https://www.revere.org/news/post/necco-closing-stu...
(to be clear, the info session is about connecting workers with employment opportunities and is not connected to the above lawsuit, to the best of my knowledge)
Jobs
By BostonDog
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:22pm
Just because many are able to find replacement jobs doesn't excuse the new owners from violating the law.
They knew the law when they bid on the company. If they couldn't afford the 60 days of wages they shouldn't have bought the plant.
Oh I agree
By bshep
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:50pm
and I hope they win the lawsuit. But meanwhile the former employees need to find new jobs and since I knew an info session was happening today, I thought I'd share. (if it wasn't clear from the above link, the new plant owners are not involved in the info session. The City of Revere is behind it and is doing what they can to help the former employees)
If They Knew ...
By Aeroguy
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 5:03pm
My strong guess
That "they" proceeded has A LOT of significance, I think.
We'll see what happens.
A court of law in not the best place to settle moral issues.
Likely, it's the only option.
Not a moral issue
By SwirlyGrrl
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 7:28pm
A LEGAL issue.
See "WARN act", above.
Yep, You're Right ...
By Aeroguy
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 8:55pm
Five years from now ....
... or maybe seven ... or maybe ... nine ... or
The remnants of Necco Co5rp. will pay the litigants ... say
... $127.87 or maybe $5,157 ... or something in between.
Is that a LEGAL victory ... or a Moral victory ...
... or a lawyer payoff?
NECCO is long gone
By Waquiot
Tue, 07/31/2018 - 11:51am
Round Hill, on the other hand, is alive and well. And one would assume that whoever bought NECCO is also still extant, since, well, they just bought NECCO. Either way, someone's in trouble unless they obey the law.
Thank you for relaying this
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 2:53pm
Great post
Why didnt Markey make mention
By anon
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 1:28pm
Why didnt Markey make mention of this when he was there? He should know about the WARN act.
Hopefully
By Kaz
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 2:09pm
I hope their legal grounds aren't wafer thin.
Autogestion!
By anon
Tue, 07/31/2018 - 5:05pm
When the capitalists leave, follow the lead of our fellow workers in Argentina, seize the factory and establish worker democracy using worker assemblies and councils.
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