http://viral.buzz/seattles-15-minimum-wage-crash-for-many-their-new-wage-is-zero/
Posted on 02/07/2015 7:35:22 AM PST by llevrok
SEATTLE -- If you own outdoor recreational gear, there's a good chance you have something made at Cascade Designs.
The company manufactures MSR camping stoves, Platypus hydration packs, SeaLine dry bags, and Therma-A-Rest sleeping pads -- hundreds of products made by workers in Seattle. Those workers had a bombshell dropped on them Thursday.
The company based in Seattle's SODO district along 1st Avenue South is moving 100 jobs later this year to a new plant it's leasing near Reno, Nevada. That's 20 percent of the work force. Some employees have been offered positions, but others will have to reapply.
"We had shock, we had fear, we had sadness and grief," said shift supervisor Julie Sarchett
After soaking in news of the change and comforting co-workers, she decided to follow her job to Nevada.
John Burroughs founded the company in 1972. His son David Burroughs is the Vice Chair and said Seattle's new minimum wage nudged them into action. Burroughs said, "We've got competitors that are working at $2 an hour."
While the company does have a plant in Ireland, Burroughs said the mission is to keep production in the United States. He said the $15 an hour minimum wage would eventually add up to a few million dollars a year.
Company executives insist wages weren't the deciding factor. CascadeDesigns has run out of room and contends it can't afford to expand in the SODO district.
"We have four plants in Seattle all completely full, and we're renting space at very high rates around the city and that is a problem for Seattle because we can't expand here. We can't introduce new production here," said Company President John McSwiney.
Moving to Reno, where the median price of a home is half what it is in Seattle, eliminates that disadvantage and could increase some workers disposable income even with wage cuts.
McSwiney said they considered moving to Kent but the numbers didn't add up.
"We were all hoping we could move 10 to 20 miles down the road and solve the issue and financially, it literally wasn't viable," he said.
Executives say limiting manufacturing to downtown limits the company's future options, and change could help them grow and stay in Seattle.
WA state ping.
What??? You mean those old buddy-duddy conservatives are right about people losing their jobs with the new $15/hr. minimum wage? Whoda thunk it.
"We were all hoping we could move 10 to 20 miles down the road and solve the issue and financially, it literally wasn't viable," he said.
Well then, it looks like wages are indeed the deciding factor, if avoiding the expense of the SODO district doesn't change anything.
Just liberals liberaling, nothing to see here, move along.
http://viral.buzz/seattles-15-minimum-wage-crash-for-many-their-new-wage-is-zero/
Washington’s loss, Nevada’s gain. Liberals will learn nothing from it. Not even any of the 100 losing their jobs, if they are liberals, they’ll chalk it up to “greedy company owners”. There are none so blind as those who will not see.
It might not be this specific wage increase but why expand your business in an environment obviously insesitive to business needs.
One mans lay-off is another mans job opportunity. Wonder how far it’ll be from my house?
/ S
as she put on a Moody Blues album....
Of course he will have the unions goons beating down the guys door soon...
Seattle is supposed to be the home of some elite thinkers. If they wanted a $15/hour minimum wage, they should’ve started at $10/hour until the economy absorbed that.
” Liberals will learn nothing from it.”
Don’t be too sure about that.
I’ve seen cities in MI lose thousands of jobs due to unions going on strike etc. Today the residents are anti-union radicals, and the state is now RTW.
Today Demonrats control exactly nothing in state government, and they hold no statewide government office.
Welcome to Reno. Moved my company here last summer as well.
Downside is the schools really suck. And very limited and equally questionable private school options.
So....you open an eatery or sports bar 1/2 mile outside the $15/hr jurisdiction and undercut the city businesses. Make the insanity work FOR you.
I notice Minnesota is NEVER a “go to” state in situations like this.
At least those Seattletonians (what do they call themselves anyway) will still have plenty of places to choose from for their $5 lattes and organic fair trade teas.
Ditto the Gay State.Businesses are leaving here as fast as they can hire U-Hauls.In my town (eastern Massachusetts) a huge Biotech firm recently closed down their huge,modern headquarters building.It's sure to be housing squatters soon.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.