New Jersey job fair for Marcal Paper Mills employees after fire
PARAMUS, New Jersey (WABC) -- The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce held a job fair at Bergen County Community College for the employees of Marcal Paper Mills.
The devastating January 31 fire destroyed the paper plant and left about 500 employees jobless.
The event was co-sponsored by Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco and Marcal's parent company, Soundview Paper.
About 90 area employers joined together to help the now-unemployed workers get back on their feet after the recent disaster.
"We are committed to assist the employees displaced by the devastating fire at the Marcal facility in Elmwood Park," Tedesco said. "Together with our state partners and Marcal, we pledge our unwavering support to help facilitate this event to connect those affected employees with the resources and potential employment opportunities they need."
The event followed an information session that took place on Tuesday, in which displaced workers were offered help with unemployment, housing, food, heating and insurance assistance, among other services.
"Since the day after the fire, area employers have been coming forward with offers of jobs, so the Labor Department hopes to act as a conduit between displaced workers and open positions nearby," Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said. "We can't heal the wounds created by this tragic fire, but we and our colleagues at other state agencies are doing all we can to make sure these workers access the assistance and resources they need."
The job fair was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bergen County Community College, located at 400 Paramus Road in Paramus, in the Technology Building's first-floor Moses Center.
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