The now-unemployed workers at Erie Coke spent three hours Friday at a meeting to inform them about applying for unemployment compensation and how to look for a new job.

Bill Hull is one of the people who showed up.  He still can't believe he had a job on Wednesday and was unemployed on Thursday.

"A shame our boss didn't have the decency to at least give us a heads-up instead of walking in at 6:30 in the morning telling you you're no longer employed,” Hull said.  

Hull is one of many former Erie Coke employees who cannot get over his anger. Not only about how the plant closing was handled, but when it was handled.

"6 days before Christmas.  C'mon.  People have families you know. How do you sleep with yourself at night like that?” he said.

Now, five days before Christmas, Hull and his former co-workers are together again, not at the coke ovens, but at the unemployment meeting.

"We're what made that plant work,” he said.  “We had a good bunch of people down there.  Everybody's got their issues and their songs and their dances, but respect is respect.  It's not something that's given.  It's earned.”

For nine years Hull worked at a place that received its share of public criticism.  Now, he and his former co-workers are receiving public sympathy for being unemployed on December 20th.   He is thankful.

"It's nice to see the community is behind all of us.  It makes it worth it.  I'm sure most of us will be back out there in the job force before long.  I will be."

A job fair will be held next month for workers who have not yet found new employment. Other companies have already expressed interest in hiring Erie Coke employees.