[TowerTalk] Rohn

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

As Rohn workers ended their shifts Wednesday, they passed an
electronic sign flashing "Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New
Years." Only hours before, they had learned their jobs would soon
evaporate.

"There's nobody going to be hiring this time of year in the
holidays," said John Kemmerer III, a lead man A-welder of four years
with Rohn. "A lot of guys — where are they going to find jobs at?
They were making decent money there — $10 to $13 an hour. They were
depending on it for the holidays."

At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Rohn CEO Horace Ward conducted an employee
meeting to announce that the company's ownership would transfer to a
Canadian firm on Dec. 19.

Officials from the purchasing company will visit Frankfort next week
to take stock of the Rohn facility and announce plans for its future,
said Jim Lippard, a steward for the RWDSU Local 1976, the union to
which Rohn employees belong.

He said there is a chance the new owner will keep some of the workers
on to help transfer equipment. However, the plant will close and its
approximately 125 employees will be out of work by March of next year
at the latest, he said.