Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: The Los Angeles Unified School District approved plans to eliminate 774 jobs despite an increase in funding and a 10% pay raise for employees! Administrators blame what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome, but critics say the new budget, with its pay raises and mass layoffs, doesn’t make sense. It was also revealed that LAUSD has to pay more into their employee retirement plans (ObamaCare anybody?). The LAUSD superintendent commented that “There are no more presents under the Christmas tree!” Local news reports say the superintendent implied he would be stepping down within the next six months. The East Contra Costa Fire District is now shelling out $15,000 to settle claims by former firefighters who say they were unfairly laid off. Apparently the district failed to comply with union contracts that said they must negotiate with employees before laying them off. So much for saving taxpayer money. In Chula Vista, a judge shutdown the Eyecandy Showgirls strip joint. The employees have been accused of illegal lap dances and drug use.
Idaho: Idaho State University (ISU, my alma mater) is finally facing up to the fact they’ve been losing students (what I call DSS) for years, and now they’re cutting programs. Some courses, like German and French, will no longer be offered as a BA degree, just a piddly certificate (in fact many other courses will now get you just a certificate). The administrators voted to eliminate their BS in Theater, Bachelors in University Studies, MS in Physical Education Pedagogy, Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Studies and Bachelor of Music in Music/Business. ISU will also shutdown their Environmental Science and Policy Research Institute, Center for Environmental Sensing, Geospatial Research Facility, Musculoskeletal Research Institute , Permian Research Institute and International Center for Bayesian Methods (by Fall 2020). This means mass layoffs, but administrators didn’t mention it. ISU is so proud of their austerity that they went on local TV news to brag about it: “…ISU also received a commendation from our regional accreditor, The Northwest Commissioner On College and Universities, for the process we undertook, that we can be a model for other states.”-Selena Grace, Associate Vice President for Institution Effectiveness, KPVI interview
Illinois: Another food bank going down, this time in Cahokia, and this time it’s purely political. Christina Walker, director of the Cahokia Community Basket, says they’re being shutdown because they opposed the election of the current mayor, but admitted “I’ve not been given a reason. I spoke with Curtis McCall yesterday in his office personally and asked why am I being put on administrative leave and the purpose of us vacating the building and he told me ‘Due to future litigation I cannot comment at this time.'” The food bank feeds 1-thousand 2-hundred people every month. Local news reports say representatives of other food banks told them that somebody was making threatening phone calls to them, implying they were with the Cahokia Community Basket. News reports indicate the Rock Island Public Library plans to shutdown satellite libraries after dropping their association with Friends of the Library, and yet claiming there is a “surplus of money”.
Kansas: Can you say Double Dumb-Asses? State ‘lawmakers’ admitted there is an economic war between Kansas and Missouri. Commerce Secretary Pat George announced the warring parties are about to make peace because, he admitted, all the taxpayer funded incentives to steal businesses/jobs away from each other had no positive impact on their respective economies! In Wichita, after 90 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Rieger Medical Supply shutdown. The owner blamed the internet and “massive government regulations”, but the final straw was when her husband died: “A family business doesn’t do well without a family.”-Karin Rieger
Louisiana: Baker School District administrators revealed they’ve already laid off employees for the upcoming school year, but refuse to say how many will become unemployed, which will include teachers with tenure. They’re short $1.2-million.
Massachusetts: Reports say Marshfield Public Schools’ plan to eliminate jobs has been softened by the retirement of 25 teachers.
Michigan: In Escabana, the new owners of New Page Mill laid off 19 employees, in an effort to become more efficient. Utica Community Schools laying off 34 teachers due to loss of students and federal taxpayer funded grants. News reports say the district lost 1-thousand 3-hundred students in the past ten years. Farmington Public Schools just increased their layoff list by 24 more employees. At this point at least 180 people are being laid off before the beginning of the 2015-16 school year: “It’s not as though we have a hidden pot of money.”-George Gurrola, vice president
Minnesota: After less than one year beer seller Four Firkins shutdown. The owner blames competition and new anti-beer laws.
Missouri: After only two years the Edwardsville Robust Wine Bar shutdown. The owners said they have plans to expand but their Edwardsville location was actually preventing that.
Nebraska: Too Big to Jail TD Ameritrade laid off less than 30 people, mainly in Omaha.
New Jersey: A law firm that specializes in protecting evil creditors in bankruptcy and foreclosure cases, Zucker, Goldberg & Ackerman, says it’s not profitable anymore and is shutting down. The WARN report said 289 people to become jobless before the end of August!
New York: In Latham, after 24 years Book Barn shutdown. The owner said it’s not because of lack of sales, in fact he’s making profits, instead he says his greedy landlord is kicking him out by jacking up the rent to a point that is not doable! In NYC, after several layoffs Spanier Building Maintenance issued a shutdown WARN for September. Master Lock announced it will shutdown its 85 years old Rochester SentrySafe factory in 2016. The company is joining the mass exodus from New York and moving production elsewhere, 350 jobs lost beginning in January! Administrators directly blame the suck-ass U.S. economy: “This decision has been made to help us remain competitive in the marketplace by eliminating excess capacity in our domestic supply chain. We are optimizing our operational footprint by consolidating locations and adding meaningful scale to other existing facilities.”
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh based Education Management Corporation announced it will eliminate another 3-hundred jobs across the U.S. in “ongoing efforts to offer students a great learning experience while keeping education affordable”. Back in May, Education Management corporation shutdown all 15 of its Art Institute campuses. What automotive & housing markets recovery? Michigan based maker of automotive and building glass, Guardian Industries, issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Jefferson Hills factory, 114 jobs lost by the beginning of August! It was revealed that back in November the company made a shutdown deal with the employees’ union, and it might be connected to the costs of failing to meet environmental regulations, including a $25-thousand fine.
Texas: In San Antonio, Arcade Midtown Kitchen shutdown so the owner could pursue other interests.
Washington: Assisted living center Emeritus Senior Living laid off 10 HQ employees.
22 – 23 June 2015: ObamaCare wreaks havoc on the insurance industry!
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”