In 2018, US Marble, a countertop manufacturer with locations in both Michigan and Tennessee, was acquired by private equity firms Oakland Standard Co. and O2 Investment Partners via their subsidiary, Clio Holdings. In December of 2019, employees were told to take 2 weeks of holiday vacation, have a good Christmas and return on January 2nd. However, before they could return to work, they were informed that the company had shut down and that they would be terminated immediately. On top of this, the workers were told they would not receive their final paychecks, their healthcare would be terminated, and they would not receive their accrued PTO.

Many of these workers had been employed by US Marble for over a decade. The lack of notice allowed no opportunity for the workers to find new employment, and the loss of pay and healthcare has placed an enormous amount of stress on their lives.

While the bankruptcy of Clio Holdings may get them off the hook legally, we are asking that Oakland Standard Co. and O2 Investment Partners do the right thing and pay these workers for their time worked and their accrued PTO. Please send an email to their executives and encourage them to pay these workers!

Links to press coverage of the situation:

• https://www.9and10news.com/2020/01/06/us-marble-plant-near-remus-closes-abruptly/

• https://www.themorningsun.com/news/remus-company-emails-employees-that-it-is-shut-effective-immediately/article_3a906258-2f1e-11ea-b410-df0b5372d204.html

• https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Business/2020/01/10/U-S-Marble-parent-unable-to-pay-laid-off-employees.html

• https://wcyb.com/news/local/lawmaker-supports-re-examining-labor-laws-after-us-marble-in-johnson-city-abruptly-close

• https://wcyb.com/news/local/unemployment-benefits-in-tennessee-havent-changed-in-nearly-20-years