FREMONT, Calif. -- Toyota reached a shutdown agreement Monday with union leaders at the NUMMI plant in Fremont.

When it closes in about 16 days, 4,600 workers will be out of a job.

Many NUMMI workers received a copy of the shutdown agreement. They told KTVU they were saddened that their time at the plant was coming to an end, but said the time had come to look ahead.

David Martin showed KTVU the shutdown agreement he and other union workers were given and asked to vote on come Wednesday.

The maintenance mechanic said that because he has been out on disability for almost a year and a half, he was concerned that he wouldn't receive full credit for the 23 years he put into the company.

"It's very hard. You put your career into a company. Toyota's always been about their people. Once an employee [you're] an employee for life," said Martin.

Workers told KTVU that under the shutdown agreement, an employee who had been with NUMMI for 20-to-25 years would receive a final payout ranging from $50,000 up to $65,000.

NUMMI worker Bill Slade said his expectations came to an abrupt halt when he received the notice.

"I'm a little disappointed that Toyota couldn't put the pieces together to reopen the factory," said Slade. "I'm a little disappointed that they couldn't place many of us in the other factories"

Many workers said that after spending decades at NUMMI, the thought of starting over was daunting. A NUMMI re-employment center at the union hall to assist workers with career counseling and job training opened four months ago. There are plans for it to remain open for three years.

Case manager Sal Lopez said he saw a shift in the workers' attitudes over time. "They were really confused and angry," explained Lopez. "Now they're coming in and really trying to find out what kind of services you offer."

A sign on the front lawn of the union hall reads "NUMMI plant closure will devastate the California economy."

The Fremont Chamber of Commerce said the city has applied for a $385,000 federal grant to study how to make the best use of the 370-acre property once the NUMMI plant shuts down.

Options floated include an A's stadium, research and development facilities for companies, retail space and a plant that manufactures electric vehicles.

On Wednesday, workers said they would either be voting at the NUMMI plant or at the union hall. Most seemed to think the agreement will be ratified since they don't have much choice.