Libbey Bankruptcy – July 9, 2020

On July 8th Libbey announced their tentative plans to permanently close the Shreveport facility.  The USW has responded by informing management and their bankruptcy lawyers that this action is unacceptable and does nothing to improve the Company in the short or long term.  We have demanded to bargain over their reckless and unwarranted decision.  Any business plan for a viable and sustainable Libbey Glass must include both the Shreveport and Toledo facilities. 

We hope to work with other stakeholders in Libbey’s bankruptcy case who likewise are committed to U.S. manufacturing for the good of U.S. suppliers. 

Obviously, we are more than disappointed by the lack of notice and meaningful opportunity to engage management before they made this announcement.  We would have expected that any employer with which we have had a long-standing relationship would have given the union more than a few minutes of notice before issuing a press release.

The Union does not consent to the permanent closure of the Shreveport plant and we plan to bargain about the continuation of the work at Shreveport and to do so as part of a restructuring where the company commits to its U.S. manufacturing operations.  Such a plan will benefit Libbey’s stakeholders, employees and also the communities where we live and work.  We will contest the shutdown at the bargaining table and, if necessary, before the Bankruptcy Court.

We are prepared and have offered dates to meet with management to engage in meaningful dialog and to exchange proposals that recognize the contributions of the employees in a better and profitable Company going forward.    

Your support for your bargaining committees and our solidarity and determination are important to achieving a fair and equitable contract that is part of a strategy that will produce a responsible business plan that will allow Libbey to exit bankruptcy and be a better managed Company.  Stay strong and stay safe, we’ll keep you updated as we proceed.

In Solidarity – USW/Libbey Bargaining Committee