O/T layoff at work

[Flatie46]

Today they laid off 20 people, this is the third layoff since the first week in october. I work at a chain factory we make engineering class chain for industry. I dodged the bullit today but saw good people leave. I know things are tough all over I was wondering if anybody here had the same going on at there job?

[Olddaddy]

We are down from 160 to just under 100 people since last summer. I've been on weekly renewal since November. Every Monday I go to work and on Friday they tell me to come back or so long. I bid a large job today over 7 million which would keep the current crews working for about a year and keep me managing the job as well. If we get it I am out of the fire for now, if not I am unemployed. I've been in the workplace for 38 years and this is what I have come to. We have not hit bottom yet in this country and it's been generations since we saw bottom. I am old and cynical, but I think we are past our prime as a nation. Hell, we don't even make Plymouths anymore.........The rich, powerful, political whatever people who caused, allowed, brought this onto our country should each get a shiny new bullet, in public, on TV and the internet!

[Young Ed]

Dont worry charlie after feb 17 lots of people wouldn't see it

[Flatie46]

I don't think the government and politicans have a clue on how to fix things. They just want to point fingers at eachother and play cut throat.

[dezeldoc]

On the Hamb their is a thread on this and it is getting pretty good! I have been off for the past 14 months and it don't look to good for employment around here.

[wldavis3]

In my humble opinion, Flatie46 hit the nail on the head when

he said: "I don't think the government and politicans have a

clue on how to fix things." It is possible that he could have just

said "don't have a clue" and that would have said it all.

[pflaming]

I'm 70 and in many ways glad for it. Retired, secure but not wealthy, do still have my health. In many ways times are TOUGH and will likely stay that way for a bit, yet the world needs things and they will be produced and delivered so it will turn around.

In my opinion the lack of restraint by the government, corporations, and a new 'entitlement' generation has lead to the current turmoil. In the sixtys when I started teaching, a teacher's salary was around $4,000. My first salary for nine months was $2,700 in the state of Kansas. A new Chevy II was around $1,500, abouit half a year's salary, but that car did NOT have: PS, PW, AC, Radio, AT and a lot of other JUNK. Today a starting teaching salary is around $30,000 and a nice comfortablej Chevy will cost around $20,000 and have a lot more than my car had, so some things are not much different. My generation started with 1200 sq ft houses, one (1) bath with an unfinished basement, single car garage, and no AC and we were proud as punch. The next generation may have to experience what we thought was great and it was!

But think of it this way. In 1960 minimum wage was around $1.65; gas was $.50 or abouit 30%. Today minimum wage is $8.00 and gas is around $2.00 /$2,50 or about 25 / 30%. Milk has always been the same price as gasoline. It's not the basics thats hurting us, its the frills, and they will give way to living first and fun next, it will just take a little time. My best to those of you on the bubbles, I really do care.

[Flatie46]

I agree, I know history repeats itself the economy will always have its ups and downs. Back in the thirty's they tryed pumping money into the economy the way they are now [not as much] didnt work then I dont think it'll work now.I think there doing more damage printing money up and spending it like they have to get rid of it. Dezeldoc 14 months man that's got to be tough!

[makkelsay]

I've been laid off since november

And I'm 21 and its hard to find a job...well one that I can handle...me and food don't get along when it comes to cooking

Good thing the profession I'm in school for will always have jobs no matter what

Firefighting and emts...now its just time waiting for the next academy and my emt license

[Norm's Coupe]

I've been laid off since november

And I'm 21 and its hard to find a job...well one that I can handle...me and food don't get along when it comes to cooking

Good thing the profession I'm in school for will always have jobs no matter what

Firefighting and emts...now its just time waiting for the next academy and my emt license

That is a pretty solid profession. My niece's husband is an EMT in Louisville, KY. But.........even firefighters are not exempt today. Here in Milwaukee they just shut down two firehouses and combined them with others to save money. So........of course, they don't need all the extra people or equipment.

I agree with what pflaming said 100%. Especially when it comes to what people think they need today. I bought my house in 1973 and still live in it today. It's about the size he mentioned and we raised 2 kids in it. Did add A/C and another bath and finished off the basement. All we use the basement for today though is storage and laundry room and my shop. Since we got along with this house raising two kids, there's no reason we need a bigger fancier house, with a bigger yard just for the two of us now. So........we'll stay here as long as we're still vertical I guess.

[Frank Elder]

Hydraulics is my learned trade, went from texas ranching to iowa farmboy growing up, worked for Lockheed and Grumman after leaving the Navy....took a little diffferent route after that,4-6-8 cylinder variable speed pumps, made my mark at a Mom &Pop place servicing Omaha Standard. Had my own business for a while , and ended up working for Jim Hawk trailers. Mechanic and proud of it.,I know this is long winded, but, If you have kids, it doesn't matter what job you take, flip burgers if you have to.Most people who "can't" find a job, aren't willing to take a job they don't like, I've chipped blacktop out of a dump truck with a bar and sledge for $5.00 an hour and was glad to get it.

[Don Coatney]

I spent most of my working life as a maintenance manager in the food industry. It was a good life and carried me all over the country. About three years ago I was downsized. This is one of the new buzz words that means the company can find a fresh out of school kid to do my job for half of the money they were paying me to do it. I submitted resumes all over the country to find a similar job but the mind set with most companies is to hire the young kid for half the money I was asking. So thanks to this forum (networking is great) I found a job outside of the food industry. I am now a banker of sorts as my job is to upgrade the machines that shred money for the Fedreal Reserve Banks. This started out as a 2 year project. I have been with the new company for over 2 years now and completion of the project is still 2 years out. My advice for those just entering the job market today is to find a job that offers a retirement package such as the railroad or postal service.

[Allan Faust]

I spent the time between Nov 24th 2005 to Sept 29th 2008 in a lockout at a pulp mill. As of December 18th, the mill "officially" closed down, and the union is now in a court battle about a severence package. My wife who was at the mill for over 10 years (5 for me before 05) was out of a job as well, and she lost the house due to the lockout and the housing market up there. As of the 29th of september, I started working for a "green" company that deals with enzymes for the bleaching of pulp, bleaching of textiles, grain processing, and 2nd generation ethanol (the food portion is used for food, and the waste ie stalks, etc is used to produce ethanol rather than create greenhouse gasses while wasting away in the field....) The economy is tough all over and this year will supposedly be the toughest (over 500 000 jobs lost in the US in just december,and the highest unemployment rate since 93... ie the last major downturn). Stick with what you know, keep on trying and it is possible to find a job.... I've got a new job, my wife found one in the ONLY business in this small town (corner store and grocery), my kids are in a new school, we have a new house and I'm having fun travelling all over north america..... not to sound corny or partisan or anything but as one now famous person in the US said recently...... YES YOU CAN.....

Allan

[knuckleharley]

In my humble opinion, Flatie46 hit the nail on the head when

he said: "I don't think the government and politicans have a

clue on how to fix things." It is possible that he could have just

said "don't have a clue" and that would have said it all.

Sorry,but I disagree with you both. I think we are where we are today and will get to where we are going because they are "fixing" it exactly the way their international banker One-Worlder bosses want it "fixed".

Folks,this is by design,not accident. I coined a term I use to describe the future world government. I call it "Corporate Communism",but it is nothing more than a return to the medieval system of royalty and serfs.

Anybody that thinks there is any real difference between the Dim Party and the RINO Party just ain't been paying any attention. They are the same critters at the leadership level,and they are just playing their rank and file like Carnies play the yokels at the shell game.

We are essentially a One Party Nation now,with two competing branches of the same party.

Think about it for a minute. For the last 20 years we have had Bush,Clinton,Clinton,Bush,and Bush. Now we are going to have Obama,who is no more than Bush 2.0. Yeah,he talks a lot of the "progressive" trash to keep the Dims fired up,but two years from now the Dims are going to hate him as bad as conservatives hate Bush right now. And for the same reason,betraying their trust.

[Reg Evans]

I've been a self employed building contractor for 30 years and owned a sign shop for a few years before that so I've been self employed (self unemployed) most of my working life.

This is the 3rd and worst economic downturn I have experienced since I started building. It's been 14 months since I have had a project and my income for 2008 was 0 so ........I'm in the same boat as dezeldoc.

I'm about 18 mos. away from retirement age so If my SS retirement check is going to be based on my most recent earnings I'll be selling pencils downtown soon. In other words....I'm too old for this **** !

[Tony Cipponeri]

Well just to chime in, our government is selling us out for sure. Jobs going over seas, foriegn aid, Try to buy something that isn't made in China. I have two friends recently laid off, one was with Wynn Oil, 23 years. The other was with the rail road, rebuilding box cars 28 years. While congress votes them selves a raise, the rest of us are sliding down a pole into some deep s__t. Tony C

[Flatie46]

I was helping a friend load his toolbox yesterday thinking how it was bad timing for him, he's close to retirement but not close enough. He's very skilled,a damn good worker but he will probably be "over quailfied" when he's looking at new jobs because of his age. I work with a guy in maintenace thats 61 vetenam vet, has some health issues I can't hardly keep up with him age has nothing to do with job performance.

[pflaming]

Knuckleharley, I'm afraid you may be very close to right. This nation and its culture is changing and the division appears to be widening. It appears to me that one's resoursefulness and very frugal living will be BIG determining factors in the futrure. Those who do so will get along, those who EXPECT will struggle at best.

For example: I can buy a pallet of fruit (peaches, plums) here in CA. for about $1000.00. Shipping to Maine (where my son lives) would cost about $600.00. If I sold that on the side of the road at 80% of retail prices I could net about $2,000 for those 60 boxes of fruit. Do the math, ten weeks,$20,000. Look at what these vendors are selling coffee for. Go to a Big Box, get two #'s of coffee and figure out how many cups of coffee that would make. Now multilpy the cups by $2.00 and you have the basics. Have your wife make some very tasty small breakfast rolls and sell a cup of coffee and a roll for $2.50 out of the back of an old restored or not pickup truck at a location where people can drive in and out quickly, sit there and move coffee for one summer and one may be surprised at the results.

I looked at Starbucks 20 years ago. At that time I could buy a "wagon" franchise and the wagon complete with coffee pots etc. for around $15,000. The had proof that a good corner and 60 hrs a week would bring in around $80,000. That was 30 hours for me and 30 hours for my wife. Wasn't my life style but I possiby should have done it.

Sorry for the long message. There is opportunity, but it will probably rely more on creativity than on the ways of the past 30 years.

[Allan Faust]

One of the things that isn't helping is the salaries the "top" 10% are making.... ie millions, while they are laying off the other 99%..... ie they should cut the fat from the top rather than cut the meat at the bottom..... The guy who put us in lockout is making $9 million a year... and he layed off about 400 at $50k per year.... ie cut him off, and in 2.2 years you'd be ahead...

Allan

[Plymouthy Adams]

I've been laid off since november

And I'm 21 and its hard to find a job...well one that I can handle...me and food don't get along when it comes to cooking

Good thing the profession I'm in school for will always have jobs no matter what

Firefighting and emts...now its just time waiting for the next academy and my emt license

Not to burst your bubble but when we run out of fuel, there will be less need for you folks due to no vehicle accidents and arsonists will not have access to acceleratants...

[dezeldoc]

We are not going to run out of fuel anytime soon! all this bs is coming from the rich they are the ones in control, manipulating the stock markets, artificial inflation on fuel prices, wood, cement and so on. they are aiming at the one world, rich or poor. no more middle class. look at Obama most of his appointees are from Clintons bunch of clowns. this election was a joke look how many people old and young that had never voted in their lives came out to vote for one reason only. sounds racist but numbers don't lie. the man can talk the talk now let's see if he can walk the walk!! I got to see this he says he will create 3.5 mil jobs.

[JerseyHarold]

I was in the homebuilding industry and got laid off (such a polite word for being fired....) in the seventh round of layoffs at my company. From Dec.'07 to the end of April '08 I sent out loads of resumes without a single reply. Then, one Saturday night at about 11PM I responded to an online ad. I received a call that Monday morning for an interview, and a week later I was working again. Different industry (tech support for the air conditioning and furnace division of a very large appliance manufacturing company), roughly the same money, and much less stress.

I consider myself lucky to get hired, but the real point of what I'm trying to say is that no matter how disillusioned you feel, sooner or later you'll connect with a job as long as you keep trying to find one.

[makkelsay]

Not to burst your bubble but when we run out of fuel, there will be less need for you folks due to no vehicle accidents and arsonists will not have access to acceleratants...

\

you cant possibly be serious?

most house fires we fight are accidents,and a lot of departments dont even run vehicle wrecks and if they do they run any and every kind

people will always be having heart attacks and getting sick and peoples

house will always find away to burn down because that is life

we will alway have a job so im not worried a bit

now when u get sick or have a stroke and call 911, remember that you think we wont be needed soon and thank whomever comes to save your life

[PatS....]

My brother went to work one morning in December to find that the company was closing the division he was dispatcher in.

There had been rumours, but our economy here is still going well, so there was some doubt.

Ten of these guys got together, bought 3 trucks and will start their new business Monday morning with 4 months worth of signed contracts.

The smaller, more adaptable company with less overhead should be able to do well, but it's still a shock for guys who are used to working for someone else.

As a province, we lost 16,000 jobs in December alone. It's only going to get worse.

My job is safe for the time being but you never really know for sure.

I also agree that this is not happening by accident...not even remotely. If we are crippled and on our knees, we are that much easier to control and that's what it's all about...control.

[randroid]

Gents,

In what might be considered a burst of 'conservative liberalism', I think the economy can be saved quite easily, although it could be painful and take a bit of time.

I have long held that out-sourcing is our biggest problem, and I think a number of you may agree with me whether you've put it into these terms or not. We all bemoan the fact that too much of what we buy comes from China, yet we gladly buy it because it costs less. It costs less because it comes into this country duty-free. In the mid-eighties the Reagan administration signed a pact with Canada to allow Canadian pork to be brought in duty-free, never taking into consideration that Canada guarantees their hog farmers parity. Canadian pork started entering this country at the same $0.62\lb. our domestic pork got, but ours was on-the-hoof and theirs was cut-and-wrapped, and that put 90% of our domestic hog farms into the toilet in six months. I use Earthlink as my ISP, but in 2004 Earthlink sent it's last 200,000 domestic jobs overseas (all from one county in Florida) because it was cheaper. All ISP's have done that to date. My point is that whatever happened to tariffs? I like the concept of a global economy but not at the cost of our domestic economy.

Egypt was the world's first super-power, and they went broke waging unnecessary wars, as did the next super-power, Rome. $10,000,000,000\day doesn't come from anywhere other than our economy, so guess where I think we're headed.

I've said this all not in the defense of the new Administration but as a glimmer of hope on the horizon because Obama feels generally the same way. I, too, am one of those persons who can out-run most of the teenagers with whom I work, yet nobody has checked one of my references in the last four years because, as I have been told to my face, I'm "too old and too experienced".

We aren't dead yet.

-Randy