Veteran Merck employees, including those in West Point and Upper Gwynedd, have a decision to make by Friday that will effect employment for themselves and colleagues with the global pharmaceutical manufacturer. According to a union official, Friday is the day for filing papers to accept early retirement packages offered by the company, which recently said it was going to cut 13,000 jobs across the company by 2015. “If they get their number, then maybe not, but if they don’t get their number, there might be layoffs,” said Dan Bangert, plant chairman of United Steelworkers Union local 10-00086.
