Community leaders seek ways to help Methode lay-offs

Tanna Jennings

A group of area community leaders and state officials met to continue discussion of happenings and the future in dealing with lay-offs at Methode Electroncs in Carthage.

Blanche Shoup of the Workforce Investment Office Of Western Illinois updated the group on the lay-offs at Methode Electronics. Shoup, is holding rapid response meetings with employees once they are notified they are losing their job. These meetings are designed to give the employees an idea of the options they have as they transition back into the workforce.

By the end of October, 109 employees will have lost their jobs. Methode Electronics does not know the pace of future lay-offs, or how long the final 150 employees will have their jobs before the plant shuts down entirely.

Local representative Tanna Jennings has helped several laid-off employees start school this fall as part of job re-training programs. Others plan to begin school in the spring.

“She said she feels like her part of this is going well,” said Carthage Community Developer Brenda Pyatt.

A Resource and Jobs Fair is Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the University of Illinois Extension Center in Carthage. People took copies of the Getting Through Tough Times folders back to distribute in their respective communities. These informational folders have been given to employees as they are laid-off.

Pyatt said they are continuing to pursue a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for about $250,000. The Department contacted her after seeing the initial news that Methode Electronics was closing its plants in Carthage and Golden offering a grant to help the area deal with the lay-offs. An application was sent, but communication since then has been sporadic. The Department has asked for several changes to the application and has asked for more information.

“I finally asked them if they really planned to give us this grant. The fellow in Washington I talked to said they wanted to give it to us,” said Pyatt. “I'm more optimistic about it than I was before. We'll give it one more shot and see what happens.

“If we don't get it, we'll move on with what we're already doing. We're used to doing things around here on no money.”

The group hadn't met since March. At that meeting, people were split into six groups. Each of those groups brainstormed ideas in specific areas. Areas included vacant and unused buildings, social services for former Methode employees, countywide public transportation, retaining and attracting young professionals to the area, and beginning new businesses and expanding current businesses.

Charlie Bair spoke about the food service co-op idea and the grant the Carthage city council and local businesses are pursing to fund a feasibility study on it.

Work is underway on a countywide transportation system. An application for a grant is being filled out to access dollars through the Federal Highway Commission set aside for every county. If the money is not used, it is banked for later access. Hancock County did not use the funds last year and also have money available for this year.

The money comes from funds that were being given to different organizations like mental health and seniors citizens for transportation needs. The state is now trying to fund transportation needs for everyone by county.

Transportation includes non-emergency trips like medical appointments and traveling to and from work.

“The plan is to partner with Hancock County Mental Health and the senior centers and see how we can work together,” said Pyatt.

An entrepenuerial workshop is planned for this fall for people wanting to start or expand a business. A meeting of HIP, a newly formed group of young professionals in the county, has held a few meetings helping introduce people who own businesses with those wishing to start one.

Kristin Huls talked about an upcoming workshop called Farm Dreams, a program through University of Illinois Extension that gives information about small farm operations for products like herbs, sweet corn, strawberries, and more.

“There are some people who would like to farm, but don't want to farm hundreds or thousands of acres,” said Pyatt. “You can farm a smaller amount of land and still make a good living.”

Nauvoo Mayor John McCarty talked about an economic study being done in Nauvoo by BYU students. The study is paid for by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In looking ahead, one concern of the group is the effect of a lagging economy on people this winter. Shoup pointed out that the last big lay-off situation she dealt with was when Maytag went out of business in Galesburg. She said the union helped provide laid-off workers with Christmas gifts, school supplies, winter coats, and more.

“Blanche was asking who was going to do it here,” said Pyatt. “There are programs through the Western Illinois Regional Council, and local groups like churches and Kiwanis who can help. We just need to be thinking about it now and be prepared for it.

“Our biggest fear is people being too proud to take it.”