Seventy-seven people lost their jobs Oct. 28 at the Morton Salt mine in Painesville Township, Ohio, two days after the company announced it had stopped all mining. The layoff notice Morton Salt sent the state checks “natural disasters” and “other” as its reasons, Cleveland 19 reported. A spokesperson says miners found a “significant inflow of water” underground on Oct. 22.
The notice went to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on Oct. 26, the same day the company told the public the mine was shut, and listed Oct. 28 as the layoff date. Of the 77 workers, 69 are hourly and 8 are salaried, and the salaried staff are not covered by the union.
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What happened underground on Oct. 22?
Morton Salt said it found a “significant inflow of water” in the mine on Thursday, Oct. 22, and evacuated all miners immediately. No one was hurt, according to Cleveland 19. The company says it notified “all the appropriate regulatory authorities” and is “working closely with independent experts and regulatory authorities” to investigate the intrusion and decide next steps.
Neither the company nor the station named the source of the water. The mine, in Lake County, had been open for more than 60 years, and surface activity at the Fairport site will be “severely limited” while the mine is closed. Morton Salt is contacting customers and vendors and has given no timeline for reopening. The company has not said what happens next with the mine or its workers.
What does the notice promise the 77 workers?
Because the filing gave two days of warning rather than the 60 days that the federal law generally calls for, the terms matter. Morton Salt says it will pay 60 days in lieu of notice and continue benefits through the end of the calendar year. It also plans to keep a small surface crew “for as long as possible” and will bargain over the effects of the layoffs if the union asks.
Severance is listed as “unknown.” The notice names United Steelworkers Local No. 1-00966, and LayoffIQ’s listing of the Ohio filing shows the 77 positions spread across 15 job titles. Cleveland 19 could not reach the union before its deadline, and Morton Salt did not answer the station’s questions about the mine’s future.
Why does the layoff notice cite natural disasters?
That wording comes from the company’s own filing, not from a finding by any regulator. Cleveland 19 reports that the notice checks “natural disasters” and “other” as the reasons for the layoffs, and Morton Salt has not publicly said what let the water into the mine.
The state posts these filings on its page of current public notices of layoffs and closures. LayoffIQ’s entry for Morton Salt shows the notice period as complete and the layoff as in effect, and cautions that the listed dates may reflect when the state posted the notice rather than when the company sent it.
How is the community responding?
Grand River Village Mayor Jennifer Hood told Cleveland 19 the mine “has been around for a long time” and that the incident is a shock to the community. She said Facebook groups are organizing food drives and fundraisers for affected workers.
Painesville Township Trustee Gabe Cicconetti said the township’s “greatest concern is for the 77 employees” who were laid off, and that the township was grateful no one was injured.
Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services describes unemployment insurance as short-term income for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, and lists 614-466-6282 for questions.
Will benefits through Dec. 31 stretch far enough?
For a Lake County household, the 60 days of pay in lieu and the benefits that run through the end of the year are a cushion with a known edge, and nobody has said whether the mine will reopen. When a paycheck ends with no restart date, the bills that keep arriving are the ones that cost the most.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
