Now what?
To the Editor,
I was recently laid off from my job at a local factory. I was getting up in age when I was hired there. I was 49 when I started, and I was told there had never been a lay-off at this factory ever before. I thought if I did my best for the company, I could end up retiring from there. Boy was I wrong. I was devastated when I was given a letter saying the job I did most didn’t need to be ran.
The reason I am writing is I’m only getting about 60 percent of my pay from unemployment. I had to go to Public Aid for food stamps, which isn’t much. I went to Tri-County Opportunities for assistance in my heating and electricity. I have to use the BCHW Clinic for my medicine and oxygen, which I need every night for my sleep apnea and COPD, which got worse from the oil mist I breathed at my job.
Now, I’m 53 years old with at least 10 more years until I can retire. I feel there is no full-time jobs with benefits that would hire me when there is a lot of 18-30 year olds looking for jobs. I’m stressed, sick and almost hopeless in making it in this economy.
Susan Travis
Wyanet
