A former Rutland Plywood employee who was laid off last year is suing his former employer on behalf of himself and the 75 others who lost their jobs at the same time.

Robert Hudson filed a class-action suit in U.S. District Court on Monday charging Rutland Plywood with violating the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act by failing to provide 60 days' advance written notice of termination for himself and the others who were laid off.

He is seeking to recover 60 days' wages and benefits for all affected former employees.

"(Rutland Plywood) failed to pay (the laid-off employees) their respective wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, accrued holiday pay and accrued vacation for 60 calendar days following their respective terminations and failed to make 401(k) contributions and provide them with health insurance and coverage and other employee benefits …" Middlebury attorney Alison Bell wrote in the complaint.

Rutland Plywood permanently laid off about 50 percent of its work force on Nov. 30.

Company president Jack Barrett said at the time the layoffs were due to a continued drop in sales from all major customers.

Barrett said before the layoffs took place the company had to take action in less than 60 days' notice to the affected employees in order to prevent the business from closing.

"If we felt this was a temporary slowdown, we would not have taken such a drastic course of action," Barrett said in November.

Reached on Tuesday, Barrett said he was unaware of the lawsuit and declined to comment until he could review it.

brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com