Foundry Layoffs Extended

A two-month layoff at the Vermont Castings Division of CFM Corporation, announced in October, has been extended until March 31.

Bob Wright, manager of foundry operations in Randolph, said the extension affects the same group of 30-plus foundry workers who were laid off this fall.

The lay-off is primarily due to a drop-off in the foundry’s "outside" contracts, which, in the past, have included manufacture of cast-iron skillets for a major retailer.

Another 75 or so foundry workers remain on the job, as the company continues to produce its Vermont Castings line of stoves. There have been no lay-offs at the enameling and assembly plant in Bethel, which employs another 120 people

CFM may be able to bring the laid-off workers back on line before March 31, Wright noted.

"I expect it could break a lot sooner," he said. "We’ve given [employees] the worst-case situation, Wright said.

Most of the laid-off workers are eligible for unemployment insurance, and CFM continues to pay 82% of their health insurance during the layoff.