Tis Still the Season for Layoffs

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6795/tis_still_the_season_for_layoffs/

Thursday Dec 23, 2010 11:30 am

By Kari Lydersen


No holiday cheer for TJ Maxx employees who will face layoffs in the new year. (Photo from Flickr user Natalie Litz)


Even as packed mall parking lots during the holiday season indicate the economy’s slow recovery, plenty of workers are spending December tightening their belts and preparing to look for new jobs. In recent weeks major public and private employers from a range of industries announced mass layoffs in coming weeks and/or throughout 2011.

The retailer TJ Maxx announced they will lay off 4,400 workers nationwide as soon as the holiday rush slows down. State and federal budget cuts mean layoffs at public institutions including education, health care and municipal services. The reasons for these layoffs are varied, most tying back loosely to the economy as well as trends including privatization and consolidation that precede the economic crisis.

In just a smattering of examples of public job cuts, the State University of New York at Albany is laying off 770 employees, Chicago’s county public health system is expected to lay off hundreds during 2011 and the beleaguered city of Gary, Ind. is laying off 31 in the fire department. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is laying off 200. Even as the World Trade Center site’s construction and the security of transit systems are a top priority, the port authority will be reduced to its lowest staffing levels in 40 years with 200 layoffs.

Mass layoffs listed on the website Who’s Firing indicate the heartland is particularly hard-hit, with multiple listings in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Missouri. In Mattoon, Ill.—which never got the jobs promised years ago from the on-and-off-again, controversial “clean coal” FutureGen power plant—129 people will lose their jobs as the Ampad office products factory closes.

Quad Graphics in Mount Morris, Ill. Is laying off more than 400 people. Workers thought they had dodged a bullet last summer, when five Quad Graphics plants closed and they hoped to get increased business from those plants.

FULL story at link.

[givemebackmycountry]

1. Steve...

Hope you are doing well.
Good to have you back with the hammer you bring to defend labor unions.
By the way...
The Mrs. did a great job in your absence.

Merry Christmas dude, and a Happy New Year.

We need your voice here.
The voice of the working stiff.
Because one way or another, that's what we all are.

[virgogal]

2. The TJ Maxx layoffs don't surprise me but all the rest of the ones

listed are very disturbing.

God,what awful times these are.

[BrianDude]

3. Ah Christmas at AIG

I was employed at AIG in their recruiting department over 20 years ago as a computer operator! Every Christmas it seemed we engaged in that great AIG ritual called "RE-ORG". I was one of the "lucky ones"! I would loose my job but would be told to report monday for a in house temp position at the same rate of pay for a 40hour week. After about 2 months I would get a new job with a small increase but the pension clock would be reversed.

Ah yes the Wall Street Journal refers to then AIG CEO "Hank Greenberg". We did not know him as such. Instead we knew him by his real name's initials. "Maurice Richard Greenberg" or as he would sign the memos "M.R. GREENBERG"!

AIG had entire departments of PERMANENT TEMPS. 40 hour weeks/ 52 weeks a year. This way they did not have to give vacations or benefits. Just like Chase Bank!

What amazes me is that no one realizes it is not just a blue collar phenomena but a white collar one as well! I have a B.A. and two years of assorted credits after my B.A. (psychology) in computer science and business!

WHITE COLLAR EMPLOYEES NEED TO UNIONIZE! We need to stop the off shoring of our jobs as well as blue collar jobs!