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Show Iiil 21. I! I:, Dream ends for Sperry employees They asked for 100 percent, we gave them 150 percent The final layoff came May 31 when 95 workers were laid off. Rumors at that time that the plant was dosing were denied by Sperry olticials and remaining employees were led to believe because of their seniority, they jobs were secure. lell The a fell lor the last workers when the announcment was made that the plant would close effective 1 Sheila Sn rj Frail, Ive worked since day saddest thing. 1. Its Sept Most ol the remaining 100 employees have been with Sperry at the By Penny Hamilton EPHRAIM Four hundred Sperry employees either already laid olf or waiting for the plant to close Sept. 1 are more ibn statistics they are Iriends, neighbors or families ot nearly every Sanpete County resident. They are heads of households, single parents, and persons lacing retirement. They all have one thing in common, they believed in a dream that had become reahty-structurally sound company that would provide jobs for them their children and their grandchildren Now that dream is ending. We did a good job tor them iSperry), said Sheila Fratt, of Ephraim. They asked for 100 percent and we gave them 150 percent,'' Shiela was separating from her husband when Sperry opened She had thought of moving but a job with Sperry gave her the opportunity to stay and keep her home She has been employed with the company since it opened its doors lor business After seeing what a good opportunity she had with the company, Shiela notified her daughter, Linda Welsh, who was living in California and suggested she come to Sanpete and w ork there too Linda got her job with Sperry just two months later, in a home Mt. bought Pleasant, and moved with her two children to Sanpete One of those children, now grown, has lett home but her youngest, age nine, still depends on her for support. Linda works as a production control leader and has no idea what she's going to do when Sperry closes its doors. She hasnt even considered it, she said. Linda's home would have been paid for in two years, but without an income shes afraid she might lose it. I think this will trigger a lot of she people to lose their homes, said Liked env ironnient Linda liked the security of working at Sperry, living close to her mother, and raising her children in a country environment My kid rides her bicycle from Mt. Pleasant to Ephraim, and you couldn't do that in a big city," she said. It's the saddest thing. I have a hard time coping, Lindas mother, Sheila, commented. Sperry's closure came as a shock to most employees. Prior to the first layoffs in March over 400 workers depended on Sperry. The Ephraim plant was a model facility setting the pace for Sperrys other feeder plants, producing first cable and harness and then enlarging the operation in 1982 to include personal computer compenents. Ephraims Sperry was the proving grounds for a program called PRIDE, Prevent Initial Defects, piloted at the facility in 1983. Using the theory that nobody knows problems better than persons doing the work, teams of employees would meet weekly to assess cost and production. The program was so successful that the Ephraim facility became one of the most productive in the company. $5 million payroll At the height of its production, Sperrys Ephraim plant had an annual payroll of between $4 and $5 million. a either since the plant opened or shortly thereafter. Carol Jones, Fairview and Geri Rigby, Mt. Pleasant, both started to work the very first day Sperry opened as machine operators They had worked together previously for 11 years. Carol lives with her mother, Mary Morley, and is still supporting a son in his second year at Utah Trade Tech. She provides the sole source of income. Geri has lived in Sanpete all her life and doesn't want to leave. While no one depends on her for support, she still feels threatened by not being able to provide for herself. Carol and Geri think theyll try the turkey plant again when Sperrry closes even though they say they have heard rumors that Moroni Processing Plant is not going to rehire former Sperry employees. And in the spring I might just take a vacation, Carol mused. "I haven't taken one for 16 years. Single parents A large number of Sperry employees are single parents with no additional incomes to assist in the care of their children. They are laced with ether moving to try to relocate in another production job or facing grim prospects for unemployment here. Pat Dorson, Manti, moved to Sanpete six years ago from Arizona. moved here to work for Sperry, she said. I had come here on vacation and heard about the plant opening, applied lor a job and started to work for them as a machine operator. Pat, who is divorced, supports five children ages 12 through 18. "When Sperry closes down I'll have to move, she said. Karen Herron, Manti, supports four children, and has been through forced unemployment before. "I worked for Pacific Trail in Richfield and when it closed down I came to Sperry, she said Karen who has been with Sperry four years is already looking for a new job Im checking everything around, but there are no jobs yet. Julie Shuffler, Ephraim, worked for Pacific Trail in Manti. Shes her lucky, say, because her pays child support. Julie is the mother of four children ages four to 10 years. A five-yea- r veteran of Sperry, she now has no idea where she'll go. because ! Bros. CIRCUS Fairview, who said he would like to stay in Sanpete. 2 J j This rich soil additive will be available FREE to you Circus Friday Evening : 26 July at Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Grounds Bring your own container, will HANDLE POO for YOU! ! WE n Retraining funds We have an opportunity to apply for government funds to retrain the unemployed Sperry workers, but not all will get to be involved and those that do must be willing to relocate," he said Manti to sponsor horse show 4-- H The Manti Rough Horse Club is sponsoring a 4 11 playday, Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Sanpete County Fairgrounds in MANT- I- Riders Training would be in heavy equipment, auto mechanics, truck driving, or computers and most of these occupations wouldnt have much opportunity here, Barton explained ne of the agriculture-orientebusinesses, Moroni Processing, has already hired some former Sperry employees, but only so many jobs "ere available and a long list of applicants are on file. "We have our entire crew in Dave Sorensen, personnel place, director said Hiring new employees now is only as replacements for turnovers However," he stressed, "if a Spcrrv employee is a good worker and we have an opening, they'll go to According to Job Service employment benefits will provide roughly hall the income of Sperry salaries However, no taxes are taken out ol unemployment benefits so the buying power is nearly the same Business affected Certain support businesses have already been affected by the layoffs There w ill be five age groups of 6 and and under, Events will be showmanship at halter for all age groups, walk-tro- t and horfor 6 and under and semanship for those over 9 All age groups will compete in trail, barrels, poles and keyhole. Trophies will be given the top three winners of each event with ribbons to fourth and fifth places. Sign in will be from 8 to 9 a m., with an entry fee for the entire day, and which will enable each participant to show in any or all of the events lor their age group. There will also be given an aw ard for top point winner in each age group The show will be rules with the exgoverned by ception that each participant may use more than one horse. Participants need not be enrolled in a program to participate. For more mlormation call Linda or Sam DeLeeuw, Nielson, here. 7-- Welsh, My home would have been paid for in two years. Now Ive no idea what Im going Linda to do. and impending closure, however Childs Play, a day care center, closed its Ephraim facility in May following layoffs at the plant. John Keeler said his wife, Diane, who operated a day care center in Ephraim and Manti still maintained the Manti facility, however. Closure of the Ephraim Childs Play was attributed to fewer children attending the facility after their mothers were laid off. Keeler It doesnt add up, commented In a national business news publication Sperrry reports they made pro! its, and this plant was given an award for being the most productive plant for the man 835-528- Senior Citizens MORONI will hold a July 26, Sperrys pot-luc- k at 7 Citizen Center. The Senior Citizens social on Friday, p.m. in the senior A musical program will be provided by Ned and Kristin Erickson and David Simmons. All Senior Citizens are invited to attend Please bring your own dishes as well as something for the dinner. power. Meanwhile the man power that made the plant productive has to begin searching for another dream and other jobs and one way or another everyone in Sanpete County will feel the loss. x &KBR0S Circus DAY CIRCUS morning: ARRIVAL OF THE CIRCUS CARAVAN UNLOADING & OF FEEDING ANIMALS it ERECTION OF THE TOP BIG THE BY MAN, ELEPHANT Single parents facing unemployment when Ephraims Sperry plant closes down are unsure of what the future holds for them and their children. They want to remain in Sanpete County but may be forced to move to find other work. Many like Pat Dotson located in Sanpete to work al Sperry. Others like Karen Herron and Julie Shuffler have experienced forced MACHINE Say offs before. Some like Vicky Tonahill expect to move to find other employment while many, like Lorraine Sessions, are buying their own homes there and dont want to move. & Friday, July 26 Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Grounds Wirs For The Asking... at Ron Nielsen ends training seven-year-ol- general supervisor Ross Terry, 14-1- 12-1- work pire 4 II Manti d Hard feelings unfounded Sorensen said the rumors indicating there were hard feelings lietween Moroni Processing and former employees who left to work al Sperry are unfounded. "Sperry was a much better situation." he said "They were year a round and we are seasonal and we wished those who went to work there well In lacl, they were allowed to work here up until the very day they were to start with Sperry. "I w ish we sould use them all, he said "I know a lot of them and they aie good workers. While chances for aie not good, the economic impact is not expected to be felt by Sanpete communities until five or six months when unemployment benefits ex- Three ng SEE FREE there's nothing down j educational community by tributions to Snow College and Sanpete Valley Hospital. The first indication of the impending closure came last March when 50 employees were dismissed. One hundred and ten employees were idled in April and another 45 joined them in May. transfer Have to leave Vickey Tonahill, Ephraim, says shell go up north to find work Roller con- Will Terry said he had not been offered a job with Sperry but another employee Blain Cook, Manti, a technician said he had and would transler to Salt Lake City Cook said he had come to Ephraim three years ago to work in the feeder plant While some ol Sperrys former employees idled since March of this year have lound local employment, the chances of others finding jobs are not tremendous," according to Bruce Barton of Job Service. Some jobs will be available primarily in agriculture including seasonal work at Moroni Processing Company. Some jobs in light manufacturing may open at Pikes Manufacturing and a few service jobs in restaurants and stores will open up. Other than Sperry the largest employers are Snow College and agriculture, he said A training program, for unemployed Sperry workers, under the Job Training Partnership Act, (JTPA) might become available, but there would be some restrictions imposed on those who were participating, Barton said. li';mud 1 The sole provider of a she began her Sperry employment in November of 79. Its scary, she said. I have lived all my life here, and now Ill have to leave. She planned to live on her unemployment for a month or two at the most and then, Ive got to find a job so Ill have something to do." I dont want to move, Lorraine I Sessions, Spring City stressed. just hope I can find other employment here, although I dont know where. Lorraine, the mother of two children, just recently purchased a home, and she wants to keep it . Not all women employed at Sperry are single parents, but some like Kari Stevens and Angie Nielson, both Manti, are still supporting their families. Angie worked for Sperry six years as head inspector. Her husband, Lee, also worked for Sperry until the last layoffs when his job was eliminated. Lee worked for them for almost two and a half years, Angie said. He was a molder and was one of the last bunch to get laid off. Both seek work Angie had more seniority so her job was secure until the plant announced it was closing. Now both will be looking for work and, we will move if we cant find anything there. Kari Stevens husband worked for Valley Builders until the last project, the Sanpete County Courthouse, was completed, and then he was without a job. Kari was a supervisor in PCs until the layoffs started. Now shes in cable. Shes worked for Sperry four years. Im a trained secretary and Ive put in for secretarial positions, she related. If I can get a job with some benefits Ill definitely continue to work, and if not, I guess Ill try being She has three small a mother. children. Prospects of unemployment were not so threatening to Sperry complimented other phases of the business and lived here all my life, he said "I worked for Roadrunner until they closed and now will work with Sperry until they close. "I've The FORT DIX, N- S- Pvt. Ronald H Nielsen, son ol Leon D. and Florine Nielsen ol Fairview, has completed basic training al Fort Dix. During the training, students received instruction in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, first aid, and Army history and traditions He is a 1983 graduate of North Sanpete High School. Fountain Green Elva Birthday greetings Ockey who celebrated her birthday with Linda Ockey, Mr and Mrs. Gary Evans and family, of American Fork. to Mrs. Vanese Stock and children spent Lamb Day with Merline Morgan, and attended the Pageant. Pvt. Ronald Nielsen FAB WEST BANK Dr. Bruce Burnham, M.D. are pleased tt) announce the affiliation of Dr. Robert Armstrong, M.D. with Skyline Emergency Associates and the Mt. Pleasant Family Health Center "c 5 A Complimentary 8 xlO Portrait Of bur Family Full-Col- or Wc set vc the tinancial needs of thousands of families, hut c sci ve them one at a time. To thank our present customcis...and to make new friends... we have chosen a highly personal gift, a beautiful It symbolizes our personal portrait photograph. to financial services and your uniqueness approach to us. call or come by, May we take youi portrait? Just and we will schedule your appointment with our beauprofessional photogiapher. You will receive a tiful 8x10 coloi pot ti ait, at absolutely no cost to will he available, but you you! Additional poi touts make a purchase. to undei no obligation aie and enjoy the lasting Gift this So accept Special Your family will love that memoi y poi traits hung. you lor it. Limit one oiler per family, please. Fairview Dr. Kim Bateman, M.D. and 9 ft 427-336- 3 Mt. Pleasant 462-245- 7 Offer good August 6 thru 10 j |