Hostile working conditions have been par for the course since a recent takeover, the 31-year employee alleges.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: August 20, 2025
Host: PGT is the largest manufacturing employer in Sarasota County. Last November, after being taken over by a competitor, the Venice-based window and door maker laid off an entire shift, with little notice. At the time, WSLR News reported on the story of a couple who were suddenly let go from PGT. But the layoffs in Venice seem to continue, and WSLR’s Noah Vinsky spoke to a man who claims disability discrimination.
Noah Vinsky: 53-year old Brian Bernard has spent over three decades as a materials handler at PGT. It’s one of the largest manufacturing companies in Sarasota County, employing over 2,000 people at its main plant in Venice.
In May, his time at the company came to an end. Brian was laid off four weeks before celebrating his 31st year at PGT.
It’s a common story for PGT workers, who have seen an uptick in layoffs since being acquired by the Pennsylvania-based Miter Brands last year. The company manufacturing custom doors and windows first eliminated an entire shift, laying off over 100 people ahead of last Thanksgiving.
Pam Bernard, Brian’s wife, says life has been difficult since her husband was laid off. She said she had to pick up COBRA health insurance for $1,300 a month, and had to sell her car in order to have money to pay for bills.
Pam Bernard: We don’t go out to eat anymore. We eat at home all the time to save money. How else could it be? We’re just not spending money, because we have no money to spend.
NV: Brian and Pam have lived in their home in North Port for the past seven years. She says she recently got her home in forbearance, making small payments from her job at the YMCA. The two are receiving financial help from their parents in the meantime, something Pam says she is very thankful for.
PB: Thank God our parents are helping us, because without their help, we would be homeless. We truly would.
NV: Pam says the layoff completely took her and Brian by surprise. Brian was riding a forklift when he mistakenly backed up into the forklift behind him, his first accident in his three-decade career with PGT. He was then sent home. The following day, he was told to bring his work badge and parking permit to the office.
PB: Rumor has it that they saw Brian as a liability.
NV: The two allege disability discrimination. Brian has been hard of hearing for almost his entire life. He caught meningitis when he was 18 months old, which cost him his hearing. Brian went to speech therapy, now wears hearing aids, and can proficiently read lips.
Pam says her husband’s disability has never been an issue in his three decades with PGT. That changed when Miter took over. She claims the company never provided him accommodations like closed captioning or sign language interpreters.
PB: I asked my husband because I don’t know; I’m not deaf. I said, “What does it sound like to you? What do you hear?” And he explained it to me. He said all he basically hears is like a train rolling over the tracks during a meeting, because he said they blast the TV and they talk, and he said, “I can’t hear it.”
NV: Pam says PGT was also late in providing COBRA insurance information, a law that allows people to be covered by their employer provided health care after termination. She says the company also tried to stop Brian from collecting unemployment.
PB: It’s pretty obvious. They are blatantly breaking the law, and they don’t care. They don’t care one way or the other.
NV: Being a material handler is a physical job. Brian lifted heavy glass slabs off trucks and into the plant, some weighing over a hundred pounds. It also took a heavy toll on his body. Brian had to get a toe amputated and recently hurt his left foot on the job, an injury he’s undergoing testing on. Brian said he’s reported multiple violations to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including faulty forklifts and inadequate safety equipment when handling liquid propane tanks. He even alleges his coworker was violating OSHA at the time of his forklift accident and did not maintain the appropriate distance.
Brian Bernard: I know for a fact they were breaking OSHA regulations.
NV: Brian says he has not heard back from OSHA. He also contacted Americans with Disabilities Act advocates and has an appointment with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September.
Brian says Miter destroyed what was once a great place to work. He described the newly taken over PGT as “purgatory.”
BB: I never felt like my disability ever stopped me when PGT was PGT. They always encouraged me to do more, be a good employee, and never let my disability stop me. Now, Miter took over, it wasn’t the same.
NV: Brian is waiting to see if he receives disability. Pam currently works part-time but will move into full-time employment if Brian does not receive benefits.
In the meantime, Brian and Pam are focused on trying to stay in their house and live life as normally as possible.
WSLR News reached out to PGT and OSHA for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.
Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.
