‘The cup is empty’: Glass plant shuts down Friday, ending over a century of production
The Corelle Brands Charleroi facility has offically closed.
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CHARLEROI, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — After numerous delays, the Corelle Brands Charleroi facility has closed.
Workers at the site told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that they listened as the lunch bell rang for 132 seconds at noon, the number of seconds matching the number of years the glass plant has been opened.
“We’re upset, we’re sad. It’s our life, it’s over,” Heather Roberts, union president of Local 53G, said. “We tried everything. We met multiple times with the company. We asked anything we could do to save. They weren’t giving in for anything.”
The plant’s fate made news in September 2024. At that time, it was slated to shut down by the end of the year, then fully in February.
However, Anchor Hocking contacted plant leadership to stay open for three more months instead of stopping production on Feb. 14.
Charleroi residents say Corelle Brands has been a major anchor in the community that crosses three centuries.
Bob Baciak said he is a fifth-generation family member to work at the plant.
“When I was growing up, that’s all I heard about this place,” he said. “I told my dad, ‘I’m going to come down here and work. When you retire, I’m going to take your spot,’ and that’s exactly what I did.”
Roberts told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that 30 to 40 workers will remain until April 25. After that, only two employees will continue their jobs until June.
Roberts, who lives in Charleroi, said she believes the closure will have a big effect on the city, including taxes.
She showed off a Pyrex measuring cup detailing all the facility’s name changes over the year. At the bottom of the cup, it reads, “2025 … the Cup is Empty.”
“No more glass making,” Roberts said.
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