Tenneco is a designer and manufacturer of automotive components with 78,000 employees globally.
But according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice (WARN) letter recently made public, the company will soon be down 597 workers in Ohio.
The letter confirmed previous public suggestions that the company would need to discontinue operations at its Kettering plant by the end of 2023.
Tenneco says layoffs will come in waves as the plant winds down, and workers will be given at least 60 days notice before termination.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Tenneco has been one of Kettering’s largest employers but these layoffs will be permanent.
The company cites oversaturation of automotive shock absorbers and higher prices for steel and other raw materials as being contributing factors.
According to Carl Kennebrew, president of the IUE-CWA union that represents Tenneco workers, the company “has received millions in tax subsidies, yet they are looking to move.”
Adds Kennebrew, “These workers and our community deserve better.”
