Mayor, Rice trying to help H&R employees

State rep meets with Lt. Gov. Murray, pleads case for gun shop

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — One day after the announment that the Remington Arms Co. is closing its Gardner plant in a consolidation move, Mayor Mark Hawke and state Rep. Robert Rice, D-Gardner, said they are doing all they can to assist the more than 200 employees that will be affected. According to Mr. Hawke, the plant closing was sudden and unexpected, and efforts are being made through the office of Lt. Gov. Tim Murray to ask the company to reconsider the closing. Mr. Rice traveled to the Statehouse Tuesday in an effort to raise statewide awareness of the unexpected closing. At the Statehouse, Mr. Rice was able to meet with Lt. Gov. Murray, and said he was very concerned. “Lieutenant Murray’s office will do everything in its power to make available all possible resources to the employees of the plant,” said Mr. Rice. These efforts include working with the Rapid Response program, which is a branch of the Massachusetts Department for Workforce Development. Rapid Response would provide the employees displaced by the consolidation information and assistance with their difficult transition into new jobs. Although all efforts are being made to help employees with the transition from one job to the next, Mr. Rice remains optimistic. “We aren’t throwing in the towel just yet,” he said. “The lieutenant governor is calling Remington in an attempt to convince them to stay in Gardner.” Although efforts are already being made by Joe Mello, regional coordinator for Rapid Response, Mr. Hawke explained that Mr. Mello will need permission from management officials at the company to speak with the employees affected by the closure. “Joe Mello had a meeting with the human resources people at H&R,” said Mr. Hawke. “He needs permission from Remington to go in there and talk to the people. They had a meeting at noon, and he thought it was a very good likelihood that he would have the right to speak with the employees.” When asked what the benefits of Rapid Response working with the employees would be, Mr. Hawke said “It calms a lot of fears and it assists people in this life changing event, and it makes for a much smoother transition for the employees.” oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 1 on 4/9/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 85)