An attorney representing some workers laid off by Bayou Steel in LaPlace this week is questioning whether the company broke a federal law regarding notification of layoffs. He says employees were blindsided by the announcement and the WARN Act requires sixty day’s notice. The attorney says he’s also working to have the bankruptcy case moved from Delaware to New Orleans, saying appearing in a courthouse 1,200 miles from their home and at a time when they are not receiving a paycheck is not feasible. The company owed more than $20 million to creditors upon filing bankruptcy. The attorney says there has been no indication by ownership or management that the company intends to fulfill its financial obligations to employees. The closure led to 376 people being left without a job. St. John the Baptist Parish is expected to lose about $1 million annually in tax revenue due to the closure.
