KREAMER – Employees at a Snyder County custom wood cabinet manufacturer have gotten another surprise but they are not complaining like they did with the one a little more than a year ago.
The nearly 400 employees of the new Wood-Mode found a $500 bonus in their paychecks Thursday.
Owner Bill French said Sunday it was his way to show his appreciation because all of the workers who had been temporarily laid off when the plant was forced to close due to the state’s coronavirus regulations returned when those rules were eased.
“We didn’t have any slackers,” he said. Everyone chose to return to work instead of staying home and take the extra $600 the federal government provided in unemployment benefits, he said.
“We kept it a secret,” said French about the bonus. “We thought it could be more fun.”
Employees received this notice signed by French and three others in management: “We are happy and excited to see you return to work safely and healthy. We understand that there are some changes that may be difficult to follow and we are here to support you. Together we will navigate the complexities of our new normal. You will see in this week’s pay we have added a ‘Welcome Back’ bonus for $500 to thank you for your hard work and continued dedication to Wood-Mode LLC. We look forward to our continued success as we grow our new company together.”
Due to the size of the plant, social distancing is not an issue, said French, who bought the old Wood-Mode assets in August and began a phase-in reopening the following month.
Everyone is asked to wear a mask and wash their hands as normal, he said, adding, “We sanitize a lot."
Response to the bonus has been positive, he said. That also was obvious by the posts on the Wood-Mode Friends Facebook page.
Last Friday, the 938 employees who lost their jobs abruptly May 13, 2019, learned the old Wood-Mode agreed to pay them collectively $10,339,585 owed in wages and benefits.
It is the money they would have received had the former owners given a 60-day notice of closing as required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN).
The agreement, if approved by U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann, would settle a class action suit employees brought against the company.
The document makes no mention of CEO Robert L. Gronlund and R. Brooks Gronlund, president and chief operating officer, although they also are listed as defendants.
There is a question whether the employees of the old company will receive any of their money because the agreement states it is out of business and has no resources to defend the suit despite believing it has a complete defense.
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