Last day for Burin fish plant

After almost 70 years of operation, the fish processing plant in Burin closes Friday, throwing about 120 people out of work.

High Liner Foods Inc., the plant's current owner, announced on May 4 that it would shutterthe plant by the end of 2012.

Bella Keating has worked at the plant for more than 20 years. She told CBCshe was worried about her compensation package and the silence from elected officials on the status of the packages for all the workers.

"It don't seem like anybody's worrying about it, like we haven't heard from Kathy Dunderdale or Clyde [Jackman] like, people that represented us," said Keating. "We haven't heard nothing from our mayor. It's just another phase gone by like okay, you're closing, goodbye."

Compensation money held in trust

Money for compensation has been held in trust, and it has come from penalties paid by High Liner to the provincial governmentfor not meeting processing targets.

It has not been madeclear how muchmoney is in the fund.

Lee Obritsch, High Liner's vice-president of Canadian plant operations, said the company has been working with the provincial government and union to get the compensation money into the hands of Burin workers as soon as possible, but he added he is not sure when workers will get it.

"The issue is, how do you get that money to the employees, and also help them manage their EI issues also," said Obritsch. "So I can understand their frustration, because until we have all the details it's been difficult to communicate, but I can assure you there are a lot of people working on this."

Plant's materials, markets outside province

High Liner Ltd. took ownership of the Burin plant in 2007. The plant had been processing fish from around the world and turning into finished products that were shipped out again.

Obritsch praised the Burin work force, but he said changes in the global economy have made the plant not viable for the company.

"Burin, great little plant in the wrong location," said Obritsch. "When you have a facility that does not have its supply or its customers in Newfoundland, it really puts the plant in a very difficult ability to service competitively."

"As a value-added facility, it relied heavily on the cheap currency and energy prices at the time, and that has caught up with everybody."

Meanwhile, Keating said she is unsure what she will do once she finishes work for good at the end of today. She said most of her friends who work at the plant have been thinking about leaving the province for work, or going back to school.

"I'll be okay," said Keating. "I just worry about my friends."