Employees we spoke with are dealing with the unknown.
Many of them have been working for years at what one city official called secure, well paying jobs with complete health insurance coverage.

The city is actively trying to find another company to fill the void and it is in this effort there are many complexities I was unable to include the story.

New Haven's Economic Development Administrator, Kelly Murphy, says a replacement company may even have nothing to do with armaments and that could mean job retraining for Winchester workers. However, she adds, there is strong interest in the Winchester name.

Currently, the Herstal Group, a Belgian company, owns US Repeating Arms and has the right to the Winchester name. Herstal plans to extend its name ownership contract with Missouri based Olin Corp. beyond 2007.

Is the city encouraging the Olin Corp. not to extend its contract with Herstal? Murphy says they are talking with the Olin Corp. about the Winchester name, something in which other companies are showing interest.

The countdown to the March 31st scheduled plant closure continues. Organizers at the meeting with the Winchester Citizens Ad Hoc Committee say the union begins negotiating their members' severance packages Thursday.