Pink slips given at DuPont in Delaware

WILMINGTON (WPVI) -- DuPont's merger with Dow Chemical meant more than 1,000 jobs cut for DuPont workers in Delaware.

Monday was the day the employees found out who was staying and who was told they had to go.

"Today I got laid off. I get severance pay up until September," Jeff Davis told Action News.

For 13 years, Davis used his hands and his brain crafting Research and Development projects including laser alignments.

"All the way up to custom metal fabrication, welding, I can program machines, but I guess they don't have any need for me anymore," Davis said.

Nylon, Kevlar, Tyvek, are all legendary products developed by DuPont.

These pink slips are the latest cost cutting move.

Chemist Rick Reynolds left DuPont last year.

The division he worked for became a separate company; he worries about his former colleagues.

"It's a difficult time in the chemical industry; we're going through a lot of adjustments and a lot of changes, especially in the global economy," Reynolds said.

After almost 39 years with DuPont, Kevin Shea agreed to a buyout, he will retire.

One in four DuPont Delaware workers will lose their job this year.

He worries about the local economy.

"It's going to affect the community, huge. It'll be a trickledown effect from the restaurants to your stores to everything else," Shea said.

Beverly DeCarlo co-owns Little Vinnies a popular eatery where DuPont workers are regulars.

"It breaks our heart that these people are going to have to leave. However, I do have other businesses around me, I'm not to the worried point yet," DeCarlo said.

It's not clear how many Dow-DuPont jobs will stay in Delaware post-merger. The Chamber of Commerce is watching and waiting.

"The only thing we know is what we've been told that the specialty products company, which is one of the three spinoffs, will be here in Delaware. That and there will be 1700 people who will be laid off at this time. Those are the only two things we know," Richard Heffron, President of the Delaware Chamber of Commerce, said.