68 jobs cut at INVISTA plant in Kingston as local officials express concerns for workers

68 jobs cut at INVISTA plant in Kingston as local officials express concerns for workers

Cuts come after manufacturing company announced closure of Maitland, Ont., site last September

Dozens of workers at the INVISTA plant in Kingston, Ont. have lost their jobs, according to the company.

Sixty-eight positions have been cut at the polymer- and nylon-producing site on the shore of Lake Ontario, Greg Lemon, a spokesperson for parent company Koch Inc., said in an email to CBC on Monday.

The layoffs are part of “broader business transformation” which required the “difficult decision” to remove roles in Kingston, Lemon said.

“These are not decisions we make lightly, and we recognize the real impact they have on employees and their families,” he wrote.

“We are committed to supporting those affected through this process and deeply value the ongoing partnership with the local community.”

News of the layoffs was first reported by the Kingston Whig-Standard, which published a story on Friday saying more than 100 jobs were being cut.

That figure was shared “speculatively and without confirmation” from Koch or INVISTA, Lemon said.

Local officials responded quickly, with Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson describing it as “difficult news” and adding that his thoughts are with the workers and their families.

The city is focused on working with employment service providers and post-secondary institutions to connect staff who have lost their jobs with new training and skills, he wrote, saying the goal is to enable them to stay in the community.

“I want the affected workers and their families to know that they are not facing this alone,” he wrote.

The impact of the cuts will be “felt well beyond the plant gates,” Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu said in a statement Friday.

“As the largest private sector employer in Kingston, this is a considerable loss for our community and for the province,” he wrote.

Workers “deserve transparency” about the reason for the layoffs, Hsu said, calling on the company and provincial government to support those affected.

The job losses in Kingston come after Invista said last September it was shutting its plant in Maitland, Ont. and moving production to Texas.

A year earlier, the company had announced a $23 million investment in the operation, which had been a key employer in the community for decades.

“These latest cuts in Kingston are another blow to eastern Ontario workers,” Hsu wrote. “The government has a role in ensuring communities are not left behind and that employment supports and retraining for other jobs are available quickly.”

Mark Gerretsen, MP for Kingston and the Islands, said the layoffs left him “concerned,” noting it’s a “difficult and uncertain time” for workers and their families.

He said while the company cited “financial pressures” behind the decision, federal government wants to support staff with employment insurance and training support.

"My office stands ready to help individuals access information in the short term,” Gerretsen wrote in a post on social media.

CBC has contacted the union representing workers at the plant.

Dan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering Kingston, Ont. and the surrounding area. He’s worked in newsrooms in Chatham, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach him by emailing daniel.taekema@cbc.ca.