Top stories, No. 2: Despite union's efforts to save jobs, Bucyrus Lamp Plant closes
We're counting down Crawford County's Top 10 stories of 2022. Today, our No. 2 entry: The Bucyrus Lamp Plant owned by GE Lighting, a Savant Company, closed its doors for good.
The plant at 1250 S. Walnut St., which opened in 1942, ceased production on Sept. 30. Workers arriving for the day were handed a memento lightbulb, thanked for their years of service and sent home for the final time.
"It's going to be hard to find another job as good as this one was," employee Brian Hobson, 52, said. "It's a tough one to swallow."
GE Lighting, a Savant company, informed plant employees of its plans in March.
Ben Sabol, GE-Savant's director of communications, said at the time the company was "restructuring to reduce organizational complexity and refocus on its long-term portfolio and market demand."
'Double-digit decline in demand' for the bulbs cited
The company cited a "double-digit decline in demand" for linear fluorescent lamps produced by the plant. "The other technology manufactured, energy efficient halogen, has already been regulated off the market by California and Nevada," Sabol said at the time.
"These decisions were not taken lightly, and the actions are not a reflection on the talented, hardworking, and committed employees affected," he said.
After the announcement, Will Evans, president of IUE-CWA Local 84704, urged bipartisan support of efforts to save the jobs.
"Workers at GE Lighting are still fighting for our jobs, we haven't given up," Evans said.
Later that month, about two dozen employees gathered outside the plant to travel to Columbus for a rally. The workers delivered petitions to U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's office, urging him to back legislation that would help keep manufacturing jobs in America, said Ashley Snider, a representative of the IUE-CWA — the Industrial Division of the Communication Workers of America.
Petitions signed by 130 employees
Evans said the petitions had been signed by about 130 employees of the local plant.
The fight to save jobs had begun January 2021, when the company announced its plans to cease production of A19 LED bulbs in Bucyrus. The production line was shut down in March 2021, eliminating 81 jobs.
But the union's fight continued, with ongoing support from city leaders and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
On March 16, 2021, Evans asked members of Bucyrus City Council to pass a resolution in support of the ongoing efforts.
"We have not given up on bringing the jobs back and bringing further investment to the plant," he said. "We want to keep this product line going."
In May 2021, Brown visited the union hall at the back of 113 N. Sandusky Ave. to meet with union leaders, Gary Frankhouse of the Crawford Partnership, and Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser. They discussed possible next steps as efforts continued to try to save jobs at the plant.
National advertising campaign for U.S. manufacturing
In October of that year, a new national advertising campaign starring local GE/Savant Lighting employees called on the local employer to increase the number of manufacturing jobs in the community. According to a union news release, workers at the plant had joined a national coalition calling on GE and GE Lighting to bring back a range of manufacturing jobs that have been offshored or outsourced.
But in March, the closing was announced.
On the plant's final day, Evans, who grew up outside of Bucyrus and graduated from Wynford High School, reflected on its closing.
"This was the place to be when I was younger," he said. "You'd hear about it. People would get in here and this is where they'd retire."
ggoble@gannett.com
419-559-7263
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Top stories, No. 2: 80 years after opening, lights out at lamp plant
