{"id":99662,"date":"2025-08-27T12:52:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/99662\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T12:52:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:52:08","slug":"smittys-supply-workers-face-layoffs-after-explosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/99662\/","title":{"rendered":"Smitty’s Supply Workers Face Layoffs After Explosion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Louisiana Workforce Commission hosting meetings to connect former workers with reemployment resources Sept. 4 and Sept. 5.<\/p>\n

AMITE CITY, La. \u2014 Dozens of employees at Smitty\u2019s Supply in Roseland are now out of work following last week\u2019s chemical explosion<\/a> and fire.<\/p>\n

Former workers told our partners at WBRZ\u00a0<\/a>in Baton Rouge they were notified by email. The email, obtained by WBRZ, said almost all employees were being let go,\u00a0“Just a FYI as of friday the 22nd everyone has been laid off,”\u00a0a text message sent Monday evening said.<\/p>\n

It also stated the layoffs are permanent and that workers would not receive severance pay. Employees will be compensated for unused vacation time.<\/p>\n

The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) confirmed the layoffs and said it has already helped 80 former Smitty\u2019s employees file for unemployment benefits. In a statement, Smitty\u2019s apologized to Roseland residents and its workforce for the explosion and fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“These last few days have created a great deal of upheaval for our entire community and our company,” the company stated on Tuesday. “We are sorry for the uncertainty our neighbors, employees and friends have experienced.”<\/p>\n

The company has also been\u00a0hit with five lawsuits since the incident<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To help impacted employees, the LWC Rapid Response Team is organizing four Q&A sessions to connect workers with reemployment resources. Representatives from Geaux Jobs and the Unemployment Insurance Department will participate, offering information on training grants, resume building, webinars, unemployment benefits, and community and health resources.<\/p>\n

The first session is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4 at 9 a.m. at the Florida Parishes Arena, 1301 NW Central Avenue in Amite, LA.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meetings will be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4, and at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. on Sept. 5, with the final session at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n


\n \"\"<\/p>\n

Read Smitty Supply’s Full Statement below:<\/p>\n

\u201cThese last few days have created a great deal of upheaval for our entire community and our company. We are sorry for the uncertainty our neighbors, employees and friends have experienced.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, we are grateful that there were no injuries as a result of this tragic event. We also appreciate the work of the first responders from Tangipahoa Parish, the Louisiana State Police and across the region in containing the fire.<\/p>\n

Smitty\u2019s Service is cooperating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as they take over the response and needed clean-up. We will support the EPA and all other agencies to ensure that this next phase proceeds safely and efficiently.<\/p>\n

As the damage assessment and clean-up begins in earnest, there is much work to do. Smitty\u2019s is committed to rebuilding in Roseland. We are one of the largest employers in this region and are proud to have been part of Roseland and Tangipahoa Parish for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here to report a typo.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25ba Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the\u00a0IOS App Store<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Google Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Louisiana Workforce Commission hosting meetings to connect former workers with reemployment resources Sept. 4 and Sept. 5. AMITE…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":99663,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[64,63,99,180],"class_list":{"0":"post-99662","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-jobs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}