COMMERCE, Ga. — Dozens of longtime employees in Commerce, which is about 30 minutes north of Athens, said they were blindsided Tuesday morning when they walked into Baker and Taylor for work only to be handed a separation notice.

Karli Prater said she was one of them.

"I left in tears. I was so upset. Being there for 11 years, I was crying. I was so upset. I didn't know what I was going to do."

For more than a decade, Prater said her job at the book distribution company helped her support her family. Now, with another baby on the way, she’s unsure how to move forward.

"I have no insurance at this point. My husband is out of work. I mean, we were struggling as it was and we weren't even getting 40 hours a week."

Prater said her workplace wasn’t just a job — it was a community. Her frie

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