‘We’re shocked’: Close to 30 workers in Janesville laid off with no warning and no pay

Adam Duxter by Adam Duxter

More than 30 people are out of a job Friday night after regional trucking and shipping company LME Trucking Services suddenly announced it would be closing its doors Thursday afternoon.

The company, based in Minnesota, employs roughly three dozen drivers and dock and office workers at its Janesville location. delivering products from companies including 3M, John Deere, Osram Sylvania, Brake Parts and Toro.

At 3 p.m. yesterday, driver Ed Burns said he got the call.

“We just got notice that we were told to bring the trucks in,” said Burns, who has been driving with the company for 13 years. “We were given no explanation of why or what was going on.”

A statement on the company’s website reads, “LME Inc. will no longer be making pickups or deliveries of freight due to unforeseen circumstances and have ceased operations.”

Dozens of employees, suddenly out of a job- with no warning.

That’s what workers at LME trucking in Janesville say happened to them just yesterday.

Their story, tonight on #News3Now at 10. @WISCTV_News3 pic.twitter.com/oRtwzuoZJD

— Adam Duxter (@News3Adam) July 13, 2019

Workers said they were given a short amount of time to collect belongings and then were told to leave. Since then, they’ve been offered no answers from any corporate employees.

“I have no idea, I have no idea what’s going on,” Burns said. “I’ve tried to contact a few numbers that were given. There’s no answer. You go to voicemail. I’ve tried contacting my insurance, and they’ve been notified, and they’re waiting on a call to find out if we have health insurance.”

Burns said the company is now shortchanging its employees three weeks of pay for work that’s already been done.

Workers were also told to leave all material inside shipping trucks and company offices, including some items that are temperature-sensitive. With a wave of hot temperatures coming over the next few days, employees say more than $1 million in products could be destroyed.

Burns said his biggest concern is what comes next for him and his co-workers.

“You either take a new job and relocate, which you don’t want to do because your family is here and your friends are here, or you suffer and take a lower-paying job.”

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.