Posted on 08/04/2009 5:16:39 PM PDT by fanfan
Comments on this story (22) THE CANADIAN PRESS
General Electric Corp. is shutting down a light bulb manufacturing plant in Oakville with the loss of about 180 jobs.
The company said late today that the work will be shifted to other GE plants and also subcontracted to outside suppliers over the next year.
The unit, GE Consumer & Industrial, informed its employees at the plant just west of Toronto earlier in the day.
The plant makes incandescent, fluorescent and halogen light bulbs. It employs 160 hourly production workers and 20 salaried employees.
The factory floor workers are represented by Local 544 of the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union.
GE said the moves reflect changes in the market toward more energy-efficient lighting products, which has led to global overcapacity for older light bulbs.
The U.S. industrial giant said a separate warehouse and distribution centre in Oakville will continue to operate and is not part of the latest downsizing.
"This type of action is always difficult, particularly because of the human impact," said Keith Sapiano, plant manager in Oakville.
"We know today's environment is tough. That's why we will be doing everything we can to help employees through retirement options or using GE education benefits to help people retrain for other jobs."
Ronald Wilson, general manager for GE North America light manufacturing division, said the consolidation is needed to improve efficiency in the wake of global overcapacity and volume declines in traditional light bulb sales.
"Fundamental changes are taking place in the global lighting industry. For example, market decline for incandescent types of bulbs has accelerated with governments around the world setting new standards for efficiency, and additional standards are being proposed with the potential to affect further current product offerings.
"It is imperative that we adapt and reshape GE's lighting business in the direction of where markets and customer demand are headed."
Maybe they can get jobs at the recycling facility to handle the increased problems with disposing of the mercury based replacement bulbs?
I dunno how much they would like getting a 1/3 of the pay for twice the risk tho.
Oh well, we always have the service industries./s
I’m off to the Dollar Tree to up my already generous supply of cheap incandescents.
Cheap ones don’t last.
Get bulbs rated for 130v if you can get them. (or at least 120v.)
I use a few of the compact fluorescents for areas where the ability to see colors well isn't critical... for example, the outside front door light. But I nixed them in the downstairs bathroom/laundry area.
I've been stockpiling incandescent bulbs of all types as I have the extra money.
I hope there are some lawsuits against this idiotic thing (of making fluorescent bulbs mandatory).
Yep! Been stocking up for past year. Goal was at least 5-10 years worth of real light bulbs.
That way I'll see at night until the grid collapses permanently...
Compliments of the founder of General Electric Company.
Sounds like Obamas buddy Jeffery will be outsourcing jobs to “other plants” probably in China.
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