KCC, Columbia Forest Products and agencies to help displaced JELD-WEN workers

News of the shutdown of the JELD-WEN mill plant south of Chiloquin and the loss of 128 jobs sent economic chills through the Klamath Basin, especially in Klamath Falls where most of the workers are from.

However, Klamath Community College, Columbia Forest Products, WorkSource Oregon and Klamath Works are joining forces to keep some of those jobs in the community and retrain other workers for new skills related to their fields.

JELD-WEN announced it will close the door plant operations as of June 30. It is unlikely it will reopen.

“We are here to help in whatever way we can for workforce retraining,” KCC Dean of Career Technical Education Chris Stickles said. “We will be attending four workshops this month to meet with workers we can help through courses at KCC.” Information will be given to workers that includes links to free admissions applications, workforce training, a catalog of courses, current class schedules and financial aid help.

Workers seeking help can contact the college at 541-882-3521 or email kcc@klamathcc.edu.

Kenny DeCrans is the quality control lead for the mills department at Columbia Forest Products, and is also involved in community outreach and project management. The firm is a mainstay in Klamath Falls, employing more than 300 workers. Columbia has 13 mills, including Klamath’s, across the United States and Canada and employs about 2,200.

“When we found out about the layoffs, we reached out to the plant director to see if we could help,” DeCrans said.

“One thing that people might not understand about the mills in this community is that we are all very dependent on one another, there is a lot of cooperation and cross-pollination. We need each other to be successful, to be a thriving community,” he said. “We help each other by allowing others to use our services and equipment.”

Other related plants in Klamath Falls include WilsonArt Distribution in near the airport industrial park and Collins Products, just down the Klamath River from Columbia off Highway 66.

Tina Scotton, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Adult Program Manager for Klamath Works and WorkSource Oregon, said the employment agency will visit the Chiloquin plant by hosting four Rapid Response information sessions on  June 13 and 20.

Workers will be provided information on unemployment insurance, healthcare options, and job seeker services available through WorkSource Oregon, including information on opportunities to obtain new career fields or skills through retraining. But it is not an easy process and some workers have been in the same job for 20 to 30 years.

“Many who work in the mills choose to get their CDL truck driver’s license,” Scotton said, “because the pay is good, it is steady work and they can work closer to home if there are local jobs available.” KCC offers a CDL training program.

Some will look for similar jobs, find other jobs, or go back to school, working with Klamath Works and WorkSource to find the best fit, Scotton said. For example, the KCC program offers GED degrees and teaches English as a second language. WorkSource also offers financial assistance with helping the displaced employees obtain new work and gain skills that may be necessary for those jobs, Scotton said. Not all job seekers will qualify for the financial assistance and it requires an eligibility process.

Meanwhile, Columbia is seeking up to hire up to 40 workers at its plant over the next six months as it ramps up production. It is currently running three shifts a day, seven days a week.

“Columbia has been here since 1957 and we are here to stay,” DeCrans said. “We hope to help minimize the pain in the community from this layoff as much as we can. We won’t hire 40 people all at once, but will stagger it as we can train them up.”

The JELD-WEN plant and Columbia have similarities in the machines they use, hence there are workers who have similar skills. JELD-WEN makes interior and exterior doors and window frames. Columbia produces products for cabinets and shelves. The Home Depot is a major buyer of its products.

For more information about KCC and its programs, visit www.klamathcc.edu.