Kilgore Employees Speak Out
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TOONE, Tenn. — Willie Woods, a nine-year employee at Chemring/Kilgore said the future at his job is uncertain. “I talked to my supervisor and she doesn’t know anything about when we will go back,” Woods said. After Saturday’s explosion that left one employee dead, officials began investigating on Monday, which closed the company for days. Woods said that he just narrowly escaped danger. “I had worked that morning and left an hour earlier,” Woods said. On Thursday, administration staff and some maintenance workers are back at work, but employees who work production like Woods are still waiting. “Some people will be going through hard times,” Woods said.” Because a lot of people live from check to check.” Woods said they go without pay for their first off week. He said next week they can sign up for unemployment, but that is still only a portion of their hourly wage. “I don’t like it, but I know they have an investigation,” Woods said. He said he knows it’s a part of working in such a risky position. After a 2010 explosion, he said he was out of work for more than a month, but he’s hoping this time it won’t be for as long.
