Federal Govt. to Assist Former Solo Cup Employees

Victims of a bad economy are getting a Christmas present this year.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced it is awarding -- through the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development -- $992,586 in assistance assist to about 180 workers affected by the closure of the Solo Cup plant on Holt Road in North Andover.

“This federal grant will give former Solo Cup workers in Massachusetts access to re-training and re-employment services to speed their transition to new jobs in growing local industries,” Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement  “As our economy continues to recover, federal grants such as this one provide crucial support to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.”

Executives at Solo Cup Company, founded in 1936, announced in 2010 that they would be closing the plant in North Andover as well as two others, in Missouri and Maryland. The North Andover plant cosed it doors this past summer.

The nearly $1 million in federal funds will be used for support services and training services, including those not available through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.