Governor Baldacci met with workers at the Bumble Bee Sardine Cannery in Prospect Harbor today. Bumble Bee announced last week they would be closing the facility in April, putting almost 130 people out of work.

Dana Rice is the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Gouldsboro and he says the impact of this factory closing can be felt all through this small community. "You've got two industries in the town of Gouldsboro. Lobster fishing and the sardine factory and the sardine factory's gone."

Diana Young is the first selectperson from Winter Harbor. She also works at the cannery. "It's not only the 130 people that work there," she says, "it's all the truck drivers, the lobstermen worried about bait. It's the stores, it's the schools if people have to leave the area."

The Governor says there are 2 or 3 companies who have an interest in taking over the facility in Prospect Harbor. "You know I'm encouraged," says the Governor, "this is a tremendous complex, relatively new equipment, most importantly it has the best workforce anywhere."

Baldacci's message to the workers here was clear. "There are some opportunities that we're exploring. at the same time," he says, "it's going to be critical for them to work with the Department of Labor so in the event that things don't piece together evenly, that there's a little bit of downtime, that they have a safety net that's rolled out for them."

Officials from the Maine Department of Labor's rapid response team were also in Prospect Harbor. The workers here are encouraged by the Governor's words, but they're still a bit shell shocked. "The mood of the workers, it's like a divorce I think," says Young, "not quite sure of what's happening. That's why I think it's so important what the Governor had to say today and bring the resources to answer these questions."

The Governor says they're already setting up meetings and tours with interested companies. They have until the middle of April before Bumble Bee ends operations here.

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