Berry Plastics hit with layoffs

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Multiple employees were handed pink slips at Berry Plastics in Easthampton on Friday.

Employees were told to report to work at 1pm Friday afternoon for a mandatory meeting.

At the meeting, they all recieved envelopes and were told to open them at home. Some opened them in the parking lot and discovered they had been laid off, while others were spared.

Workers we spoke to estimate the number of employees laid off could be anywhere from 75 to 100. Berry Plastics would not return our phone calls. When we visited their Easthampton location on Friday, it  was closed and patrolled by security guards.

The layoffs came as a surprise for workers.They were originally told that there would not be layoffs, and that their hours would just be cut back.

In addition to the layoffs, cut employees were notified that their health insurance was cut as of Friday.