About to lose one job, couple can only hope they won't lose two: [A Edition]

Abstract

"We know this one is coming," said [Tim Wood], a homeowner in Hebron with two sons. To prepare, Wood and his wife are watching expenses, trying to pay bills whenever they can, and socking some money away. The latter two are hard to do at the same time, he said.

Wood hopes the severance package being negotiated between his union and the company will help buy extra time for his job hunt.

Wood said he knows of several couples who work at the plant, each of which faces the loss of two jobs. One man already has taken a job with another company so his family could be certain of at least one income when the Weight Watchers plant closes.

Tim Wood tries to stay upbeat and optimistic. These days, that's tough.

Wood, 48, has worked for 11 years at the Wethersfield plant that makes Weight Watchers Food Co. frozen entrees. Later this year, he'll be out of a job. He doesn't yet know exactly when.

Weight Watchers, a division of H.J. Heinz Co., has decided to shut the plant on the Silas Deane Highway by the end of the year. The company says it has too much manufacturing capacity among its three plants and needs to cut back.

That means that nearly 350 jobs will be eliminated here, and that the laid-off workers will be forced to look for new jobs in an economy that still has not hit bottom. Finding work with comparable pay and benefits won't be easy.

To make matters worse, Wood's wife, Vivian, works for Aetna Life & Casualty Co., in a division also being scaled back.

"We are hoping for the best. Every time they have a layoff over there, we are holding our breath," he said, referring to cuts at Aetna.

The fate of his own job -- as lead man on the sanitation crew that washes down the production lines each night -- is more certain.

"We know this one is coming," said Wood, a homeowner in Hebron with two sons. To prepare, Wood and his wife are watching expenses, trying to pay bills whenever they can, and socking some money away. The latter two are hard to do at the same time, he said.

Wood hopes the severance package being negotiated between his union and the company will help buy extra time for his job hunt.

But workers are frustrated that the negotiations seem to be dragging. The company announced the shutdown plan June 15 and made its initial proposal June 27.

Many are waiting until they know exactly when they will be let go and what the package will include before they start their job hunts. Many believe their lives are on hold.

"You don't want to lose whatever you've got coming, so you don't want to get another job before you get laid off," Wood said.

Judging by a petition signed by about 150 workers, many think the company is more concerned about maintaining profits and the bottom line than taking care of its longtime employees. In the petition, sent to top company officials, they urged Weight Watchers to improve its severance offer, which now stands at 2 1/2 days' pay for each year with the company.

"Due to the economic conditions and the lack of jobs here in Connecticut, it is very likely that we will be without jobs for an extended period of time," the letter says. "We also are concerned about numbers. How many mortgage or rent payments can we miss before we're on the streets? How many weeks can we continue to feed and clothe our loved ones? How long can we survive on limited income?"

Talks are scheduled to continue this week. Lee Larsen, manager of the plant, said Weight Watchers plans to do what it can to provide a fair severance package and to help people find jobs.

"These are good people. They come to work every day. They want to do their jobs," Larsen said, adding that the frustration goes all the way up the ladder. A top priority for the company is to provide the resources to help people land good jobs, he said.

For his part, Wood isn't looking forward to the job search. As a black man, he has encountered racism in job hunting in the past, he said. Now, he expects he will face age discrimination, as well, as he approaches 50.

Others at the plant face comparable hardships, he said.

Wood spoke of a single mother with three children who fears she might have to resort to collecting welfare to care for her family.

"She's got a lot of pride, but she might have no other choice if she can't find a job," he said.

Wood said he knows of several couples who work at the plant, each of which faces the loss of two jobs. One man already has taken a job with another company so his family could be certain of at least one income when the Weight Watchers plant closes.

Larsen said the company wants to limit the uncertainties by agreeing on a severance package and moving ahead with the shutdown.

"We do care about the people in this plant, and we want to do what is best for them," he said.

Still, Wood said, people are realistic.

"Chances are, it is going to take a long time to find work," he said. Wood works to maintain his sense of optimism and his sense of humor. To do that, he said, he relies on positive thinking and his faith.

Michael Remez is a Courant business writer