Today's Erie Times-News offers an interesting update on the severance battle that is underway at Steris Corp.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Steris is packing up its Erie manufacturing operations during the next year and setting up a new, lower-cost factory in Mexico. The move is expected to save the company upwards of $20 million annually.

As it phases out its Erie work force, the company has offered a severance package that it says amounts to about $20,000 per employee.

The workers' main union says the proposal is unfair. In fact, it says the conditions attached to the deal are unacceptable -- and that it will be virtually impossible for many employees to meet those conditions and collect their severance checks.

The two sides are at a stalemate -- and there's a real possibility that the workers who are losing their jobs due to Steris' decision will get nothing to help them when they walk out the door.

Erie has seen many similar situations in recent years. And the offers made to employees have ranged from the ridiculous (remember EMI's $25 per year of service payout) to humane (think International Paper).

Where does Steris' package fall in that scale? And how much responsibilty do companies have to help their employees when they shut down an operation?

I'd love to hear what you think.