“global race to the bottom.”: U.S. industrial/mining/logistics shutdowns, June 2018

Incomplete list of U.S. Mining/Industrial/Logistics job loss/shutdown announcements made in June 2018.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

 CALIFORNIA: Palo Alto based Tesla announced the elimination of 3-thousand-6-hundred jobs (already issued layoff WARNs saying 506 Californians will become jobless in August!) in an effort to increase the company’s profit margin (due to the fact the 15 years old company has yet to actually make a profit, and don’t forget the 1-thousand-2-hundred California jobs Tesla killed last year)!   Palo Alto based Hewlett Packard (HP) warning of the elimination of 5-thousand jobs by the end of 2019, as part of its never ending restructuring plan (which began two years ago)!  ECS Refining issued a shutdown WARN for its Stockton location, 159 jobs gone in August!  Driessen Aircraft Interiors Systems suddenly laid off 10 people in Huntington.   Disabled veteran logistics services company TsiCorp shutting down two offices, eliminating eight jobs by the end of July. Continental Maritime issued a mass layoff WARN for its San Diego ops, 235 jobs gone by August! Arconic Fastening Systems issued a shutdown WARN for its Newbury Park ops, 30 jobs gone by the end of July.   What automotive industry recovery? Motorcar Parts of America eliminating 21 jobs in Torrance, by the end of July.

COLORADO: DCT Industrial real estate eliminating 59 jobs due to being taken over by California based Prologis.

CONNECTICUT: Netherlands based Philips shutting down its medical device factory in Wallingford by 2020, as many as 3-hundred jobs affected due to consolidation ops to Mexico and Costa Rica!   Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro blamed globalization saying “Families in Wallingford and across Connecticut deserve better than losing their jobs in a global race to the bottom. We cannot let them become just another statistic.”

FLORIDA: Illinois based Brunswick announced the shutdown of its elitist Sea Ray Sport Yacht & Yacht Operations on Merritt Island, 771 jobs gone (according to official WARN) as part of Brunswick’s plan to create a new boat making company by merging existing boat factories (consolidation ops)!  C&S Wholesale Services issued a WARN, 328 jobs in Orlando gone by September!  First Transit eliminating 96 jobs at Miami International Airport.

IDAHO: In Lewiston, ammo maker Howell Munitions-Freedom Munitions-X-Treme Bullets (in Nevada)-Clearwater Bullet-Ammo Load Worldwide-Howell Machine now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, apparently due to mismanagement of debt financing which left the company with at least $5.4-million in debts.

ILLINOIS: Vernon Hills based paint maker Rust-Oleum revealed plans to shutdown factories in Oklahoma and New Jersey, as well as eliminate jobs at its Vernon Hills HQ, hundreds of jobs affected due to “streamlining….to support future growth” (consolidation ops)!  Soap maker VVF Illinois Services issued a layoff WARN, 182 people in Montgomery out-o-work by mid-September, no official reason given! However, a local radio station reported back in January that the soap factory was shutting down and that 250 jobs were lost due to consolidation ops caused by crashing soap sales!

INDIANA: What automotive industry recovery?  British empire Canada based auto parts maker NFI Group-New Flyer shutting down its factory in Elkhart, 80 jobs gone by April 2019.   Diversified Machine Bristol laying off 95 people by the end of the year, due to the vague reason of “resourcing of product”.

MICHIGAN: In Ann Arbor, after 125 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) struggling book publisher Edwards Brothers Malloy gave up the ghost, saying it never recovered from the recent Great Recession, 282 jobs gone, but local news media reported that at one time the book maker employed 4-hundred people!

MINNESOTA: What construction industry recovery?   Bergstrom Wood Products eliminating 21 jobs in International Falls.

NEBRASKA: Wisconsin based lawn and snow equipment maker Ariens shutting down its factory in Auburn, 193 jobs lost by Halloween due to consolidation ops!

NEW YORK:  Energy company Exelon issued a layoff WARN for its Valhalla operations, 52 jobs affected by consolidation ops.

OHIO: Germany based DHL (a division of Deutsche Post) eliminating 260 jobs at its Groveport distribution center by mid July, due to the sudden loss of a major contract!  Dover-OPW Fueling eliminating 22 jobs in West Chester, in July.  Anchor Glass Container eliminating 70 jobs by Halloween.  What automotive industry recovery? Japan based JTEKT-Koyo Bearings eliminating 47 jobs in August.

PENNSYLVANIA: Troubled energy company (accused of falsifying financial documents to hide millions of dollars in losses) Worley & Obetz eliminating 150 jobs (on top of the 45 people laid off in May), and the CEO has been declared a “missing person”!  AmeriGreen Energy suddenly shutdown in Lancaster, 25 jobs gone. 

VIRGINIA: What construction industry recovery? Cabinet maker Corsi Group shutting down its three years old Sitline Cabinetry factory in Keysville, an undisclosed number of jobs lost to consolidation of operations.

WISCONSIN:  Germany based DHL (a division of Deutsche Post) shutting down its Mequon distribution center, 59 jobs lost in August.  GE Energy issued a shutdown WARN, 236 jobs in Waukesha gone by August!  Also in Waukesha, Cooper Power Systems issued a layoff WARN, 52 jobs gone by September. Lawn and snow equipment maker Ariens shutting down its factory in Janesville, 141 jobs lost due to consolidation ops!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Mining/Industrial/Logistics layoffs, May 2018:“PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO DECOMPRESS.”