Employees William Swede, Curtis Tego, and Tina Clapper filed separate lawsuits against the former cabinet maker soon after the infamous closure, alleging the company failed to provide the 60-day written termination notice required under the Worker Adjustment and Retainment Notification Act (WARN).  Wood-Mode, one of the nation's oldest cabinet manufacturers, shuttered its doors in May - laying off its nearly 1,000 employees.

 

The now consolidated, class action suit represents all affected employees and seeks damages equal to what the employees would have received if they worked an extra 60-day period. 

 

In July, Wood-Mode responded to two of the individual suits, saying the 60-day notice would have impeded it from being able to sell or obtain needed capital. It also said it has acted lawfully, in good faith, and without malice or indifference toward employees.

Wood-Mode infamously shut down unexpectedly in May, leaving more than 900 employees out of a job. Many orders were placed in limbo and dealers were left in uncertainty. The company was purchased a few months later by Pennsylvania-based Professional Building Systems owner Bill French. Since reopening, French has brought 235 former employees back on the payroll.