Covidien to lay off 11 people in February

The first layoffs at the Watertown Covidien plant will affect 11 people at the end of February.

Richard P. Bevilacqua, Covidien's communications director, said Monday that the schedule for the plant to close in August remains on track.

The closure is happening in phases.

"The good news is we haven't had to lay anyone off recently," said Mr. Bevilacqua.

So far, the cuts have been through attrition, when employees left jobs with the company.

Covidien informed employees in March that the facility on Faichney Drive would close and the roughly 250 employees would need other jobs.

Those who will be laid off in February have received their 90-day notification, Mr. Bevilacqua said. Covidien has brought in an outplacement consulting firm to help employees find new jobs and the state Department of Labor will provide information on benefits.

The Watertown plant's three primary product lines were thermometers, vascular feeding pumps and chest drainage devices used in open-heart surgery.

The closure is part of a $200 million restructuring plan announced in September 2008.

Besides product production, the Watertown facility also repaired items produced locally. Those repairs will now be done in a service center in Boulder, Colo., Mr. Bevilacqua said.

The 55 employees who worked on repairs in Watertown are eligible to apply for eight positions in Boulder, he said. One has been filled already with a Watertown employee. Others are interviewing for the remaining positions.

Covidien is a descendent of Glass Thermometry, a company that started here in 1888. The company has said it will save $50 million to $75 million annually after its restructuring is complete.