Andy has been working at ABB for nearly ten years, but the latest layoffs in the past few months has really got me scared. While the layoffs are chosen in order of seniority, they keep inching closer and closer to Andy losing his job! The next round may be all it takes for us to be living with one income. It has got me so nervous and scared about what our future holds. Not only would the income loss be a problem, but we are reliant on his health insurance.
I pray that the economy will make a turn around for the sake of all the ABB employees and their families. This election year could be a huge deciding factor for many factories around the country.
I pray that the economy will make a turn around for the sake of all the ABB employees and their families. This election year could be a huge deciding factor for many factories around the country.
Here a an article that the New Tribune published about the current layoff at ABB:
ABB Inc. will lay off 75-80 employees at its
Jefferson City facility, effective Sept. 19.
“Overall the company is doing well,” said Human Resource Manager Matt Boyle. “It's just that the items we make at this facility are so dependent on the housing market and it's continuing to struggle.”
He added: “When housing starts decrease, you don't see the small commercial development take place. We're talking about strip malls, restaurants and gas stations being built. The distribution transformers we make are for these type of developments.”
In June, the company laid off 47 workers at the plant, citing a slow economy as the reason for that move.
“The economic conditions haven't improved enough since that time,” said Boyle. “Non-residential construction starts continue to decline. We don't expect things to recover in the near term.
”With this latest move, the Jefferson City plant will go down to a total work force of around 730. At the start of the year, more than 900 people worked at the plant.
Boyle said the company has contacted the Missouri Department of Economic Development' Division of Workforce Development to try and help the workers who will be affected.
“They have a Rapid Response Team who will be holding meetings with the workers to help them in their job searches.
”Under the collective bargaining agreement with the UAW Local 2379 in Jefferson City, which represents the workers at the plant, employees have re-hire rights for five years.
Union officials issued a statement saying, “The union is sorry to see our valued members laid off. We hope the economy will improve soon and all members will be called back to work.”
Boyle has said that the areas ABB is seeing growth in is in the wind power business and large construction sector.
2 comments:
ABB canada has done the same thing, laid everyone off except for 10-20 of the higher ups. There was about 80 of us at our shop, until this morning. I hope your hubby doesnt get screwed over too.
ABB (location undisclosed, but in the US), had slashed all temps by Christmas of 2008. Then They started not replacing employees that either were fired or quit. And I am hearing today that several people that have been with the company for 20 years are geting laid off. I haven't received a call as of yet, but I don't go into work until this afternoon. So, I guess I will know very soon...I'll keep you aprised of the situation and pray that I don't get laid off nor your hubby as well. One of the more irritating aspects of this is that when I was brought on, they stated that this location never has had a layoff and that they weren't going too either. Guess I was stupid to believe them huh? :(
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