Boise Inc. recently announced plans to lay off 265 paper workers at its International Falls plant. The company will permanently terminate the 265 employees by October and will shut down two production lines. No announcement has been made at this time as to how many of the workers to be laid off will be salaried or how many will be hourly. Approximately 580 workers will remain employed at the plant following the layoffs.
This is another significant blow for working men and women in northern Minnesota, following layoffs and shutdowns in the past several years at LTV Steel, Blandin Paper, Georgia Pacific, Verso Paper and Potlatch, among others. Following a layoff, it can be helpful to know that there are various resources available which might provide financial assistance or help transitioning to a new job. Many workers are surprised to learn that they may be entitled to work comp benefits from an old injury, even if they had been back to work at full wage for several years up until the layoff.
While this doesn’t necessarily apply in every case, it is certainly worth investigating by checking with an experienced work comp attorney. After the devastating bad news of a layoff, you might be surprised to learn that you have wage loss, medical or vocational rehabilitation assistance available to you based upon an old work injury claim.
For more information about this topic please take a few moments to review this recent article on our blog, entitled “Can I Get Minnesota Work Comp Benefits after a Layoff?”.
We hope that you have found this information helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance or answer any questions for you. Attorney Steve Bradt has been representing injured workers all across northeastern Minnesota and the Iron Range for nearly 30 years. If you’ve been injured, we can help.
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