OREGON (From news reports) -- A lawsuit filed on behalf of recently-laid off employees at Willamette Falls Paper Company -- which was once the largest employer in the city of West Linn -- alleges that the company failed to give the employees due notice that they were losing their jobs.
As previously reported, Willamette Falls Paper Company, operators of the 135-year-old paper mill on the West Linn side of Willamette Falls, sent notice Aug. 6 of its intent to lay off 158 of the company's 223 employees within the next three days as the company faced closure.
The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 11 by one of those employees on behalf of herself and others whose employment was terminated, alleges the three days notice violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires companies with 100 or more employees give employees 60 days notice before mass layoffs or impending closures.
The suit asks the Oregon U.S. District Court to grant the aggrieved employees back pay and allow them to recoup lost benefits.
"Defendant abruptly terminated several groups of employees, unilaterally and without proper notice to employees or staff, terminating over 50 employees and at least 33% of active full-time employees, including Plaintiff, at the Facility," the lawsuit reads.
In a notice sent to state of Oregon and city of West Linn officials on Aug. 6, company President Brian Konen said the 60-day notice requirement did not apply because of the "difficult circumstances faced by the faltering company."
The lawsuit however alleges that "no circumstances existed that would have permitted Defendant from reducing the notification period as provided in 29 U.S.C. § 2102(b)."
Konen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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