Glendive loses citizens and 97 jobs

Losing 97 state jobs in this town of 5,000 is going to hurt.

Many Western Montana legislators have never visited Glendive – it’s a seven-hour drive from Helena – so city leaders tried to think of a good way to describe the pain.

By JAMES HAGENGRUBER
Of The Gazette Staff

"The closure of Eastmont would be likened to the closing of St. Vincent Hospital in Billings," said the city’s director of operations, Kevin Dorwart. "It’s going to have a huge financial impact."

Even that’s not the best comparison, Dorwart said. If Billings suddenly lost 2,000 jobs, the city would certainly suffer, but the Billings economy is growing. Glendive, like the rest of Eastern Montana, never even heard an echo from the recent boom.

In his testimony before the Legislature, James Decker, chairman of the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, said the total loss to the Glendive economy will be $10 million annually. Many employees and their families are planning to leave.

This closure will speed up the economic contraction of Eastern Montana. Dawson County lost 2 percent of its population from 2001 to 2002, according to U.S. Census data. Jefferson County, which is home to the state institution where many Eastmont residents are going, grew 3.5 percent during the same period. This made it the fastest growing county in the state.

Kris Cullinan, a staff training manager at Eastmont, said she’s thinking about moving to Dickinson, N.D., to work in the school system. The news came so fast, though, she was not prepared.

"It’s still a shock to the system," she said. "We’re still trying to adjust."

Linda Dschaak has worked at Eastmont for 16 years as a rehabilitation aide. Her position starts at $8.80 per hour, but many aides make $11 per hour, not including state health benefits. The wages aren’t great, but it’s enough to live on, she said. "At least I pay my rent and I’m not on food stamps. … I don’t have a clue what I’m going to do next. I gave them everything."

About 15 percent of the employees will be able to retire, including Eastmont Superintendent Sylvia Hammer, who has 29 years with the state. Hammer said she and her husband will eventually move from Glendive.

Employees who are laid off will receive six months worth of insurance, plus help with relocation and job training, said Tom Schneider, executive director of the Montana Public Employees Association, which represents Eastmont staff. Laid-off employees will also receive $1,000 plus about $170 per year of service. Those who have the most years of service will be the last ones laid off in November and December.

The first group of layoffs took place at the end of August.

"The settlement was, in my mind, the best we could do for them based on the amount of money available," Schneider said. "Does it in any way compensate for being put out on the streets of Glendive? No. I think it’s tragic. There’s a lot of difference between laying off people in Missoula, Helena or Billings and Glendive."

Some new jobs are coming, however. Two group homes under construction in Glendive will bring about 20 jobs. Starting pay will be $7.01. The buildings on the Eastmont campus are being turned over to the Department of Corrections, which is considering opening a 40-bed pre-release center, said Glendive Mayor Jerry Jimison. This could bring another 20 to 25 employees.

Jimison hopes the state does everything possible to ensure some jobs are brought back to his community. Many in Glendive are increasingly angry at the state.

"The only time they notice us is if there’s an oil boom or a coal boom, then the Legislature comes back after the tax money," he said.

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