GOSHEN — Employees at Cequent Performance Products on Friday, Feb. 22 unanimously accepted a retention bonus package.

United Steel Workers local union Vice President Deb Hathaway confirmed the decision.

Hathaway said workers voted in three waves starting at 7 a.m. and the votes were tallied at 5 p.m.

By accepting the package, employees agreed to drop arbitration with the company.

“No matter what they give us it’s still not enough for us losing our jobs,” Hathaway said.

Mike O’Brien, the union’s subdistrict director for northern Indiana said the retention bonus package is worth a total of $3.5 million.

“It ranged from $500 for people with one year of service to $36,000 for the highest seniority (employees),” O’Brien said.

“(Employees) had a choice between accepting the retention bonus we had negotiated with the company or going into arbitration,” he said. “They chose the bonus which is a sure thing.”

O’Brien said layoffs began Friday.