Connors Bros. layoffs a surprise: mayor

The mayor of Blacks Harbour says news that 30 people have lost their jobs at the local Connors Bros. seafood plant was a surprise and she's worried about the impact on her small community.

Terry James said there was no leadup to Wednesday's announcement about the job losses, which took effect immediately.

About 850 people still work at the plant, which is just west of Saint John.

James said she worries about the families affected as well as the impact on local businesses in the community, which has fewer than 1,000 people.

She wants to hear if the company, which has been operating in the coastal village for 120 years, is offering any retraining for the employees who lost their jobs.

'Anytime that you have a number of people that are suddenly out of work, they're not spending money.' —Blacks Harbour Mayor Terry James

She is already looking into what government programs are available to help get people back to work.

"There's a fairly limited employment field in this area and I don't know if there's going to be retraining programs offered or any kind of employee assistance programs," said James. "I haven't been privy to that information as of yet."

James said she feels for the families affected and expects local businesses will feel the pinch as those families cut their spending.

"Anytime that there's a significant layoff or termination of a number of jobs from your major employer in town, it does have a ripple effect," said James. "Anytime that you have a number of people that are suddenly out of work, they're not spending money."

The facility is the last sardine processing operation left in North America.

Last June, Connors Bros. spent $12 million to update the plant. The move was meant to save roughly 1,000 jobs, but meant traditional canning methods would be abandoned.