[Area51]

I Happen to live in Greenville and know a bit about what I am saying versus the BS on this thread.

First the Local, State and Feds put together a package that would have created a renissance zone that the company could have built a new state of the art factory across town on a city bypass, in an industrial park.
Along with many other tax breaks that amounted to about 4 million in savings per year.

The Company said it needed to save 81 Million PER YEAR to stay. They lost their competitiveness becuase it major competitors are already in Mexico. The showed a profit last year, this all came about this year. There was nothing I repeat NOTHING the employees could do short of working for 4 dollars an hour that would have changed Electrolux's mind. Because that is what they pay their Mexican workers in Juarez.

Further, the Employees that some of you rail against took it up the hinnie a couple of years ago with a two tear pay scale that limited the top of what the younger employees could make. Seems to me it was like about 2-4 dollars an hour difference along with increased insurance costs. These folks didn't get rich working there.

And finally AB Electorlux didn't build a freaking thing in Greenville. They bought the Business from White Consolidated (Frigidaire) who purchased it from the Gibsons who started the factory back in the 20-30s.
This was an American company that was purchase by a Foreign company. The Owners and Employees of Greenville, MI built that business Not some swiss vacumn company.

Also, the Fighting Falcon an Aircraft that carried many US service men During the Invation of Normandy was built in Greenville IN THAT PLANT.

[Area51]

And just for the record, that 81 Million they said they needed to save per year amounts to 30 thousand dollars per employee.

And most of them made about that during the whole year.

Yeah it is the union and employees fault.

Bull Shit!

[ArGee]

I Happen to live in Greenville and know a bit about what I am saying versus the BS on this thread.

Nobody is challenging you facts, just any suggestion of what should be done about it.

I don't know why the company was sold to Electrolux, but I'm sure that the decision to sell wasn't easy. I'm also sure that receiving an offer from a foreign country to buy the factory was a far better choice than shutting it down. But that would not have been possible without the U.S. having a stance toward open trade borders.

As to the residents unwillingness to work for $4/hour, when the choice is between moving you company to Mexico or shutting down completely, it doesn't matter which you choose, the U.S. employees are screwed. There just isn't money in manufacturing commodities here in the U.S. There isn't money manufacturing wagon wheels either, but nobody complains about that because the covered wagon industry is history.

I don't mean to sound uncaring or unfeeling. The answer isn't to hold jobs hostage in the U.S., the answer is to retrain the workers. Smart workers saw the truth coming and found something else they could do a long time ago. Check out the movie "October Sky" when you get a chance.

It's tough when things change and change creates hardship. But the alternative is stagnation and death. Hardship isn't the ultimate evil anyway.

Shalom.