Nearly a week after workers at Quad-City Die Casting learned that their plant is closing, the union is hoping to find a way to keep the doors open.

“We’re still in the process of trying to find out why this happened. To us, it doesn’t make sense,” Tim Curtin, a representative for Local 1174, United Electrical, said Thursday.

He said there had been signs of a rebound, including the recalling of a few laidoff union members in the spring. “Things seemed to be more bleak in February than they were in May. We’re shaking our heads.”

Quad-City Die, located at 3800 River Drive, Moline, mailed Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification, or WARN, letters a week ago, notifying employees that it intends to close the plant July 12. The move affects about 100 employees, the majority of whom are represented by the union.

Company representatives declined comment Thursday.

Curtin said the union does not know if the closing is based on sales, finances or what. “If there’s anything that can be done to keep that place open, it’s good for us, it’s good for the community.”

“We’re not throwing stones at anybody,” he said, describing the Debrey family — the owners who founded the business 60 years ago — as “allies.”

“I think the only solution would be to keep it open. We’re dead set against liquidation.”

However, Curtin said a third party, High Ridge Partners, has been brought in — presumably to work out a liquidation. “On the other hand, they’re a company that also has worked with some places to turn businesses around,” he added.

Union representatives have not met with anyone from High Ridge Partners. According to the Chicago-based company’s Web site, it is a consulting company specializing in business turnarounds, asset divestitures, restructurings, litigation support and bankruptcy.

A representative with High Ridge Partners could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In the meantime, Curtin said Quad-City Die employees learned from High Ridge Partners in a company meeting Monday that their health coverage has ended. He said that is a violation of the union contract.

“We have a collective bargaining unit so we’re going to go through channels, but we believe the company should follow the law.”