Maytag give workers official notice of layoffs (875 jobs)

[UpInArms]

http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=2041779

Galesburg-AP -- Hundreds of workers at Maytag Corporation's Galesburg plant have officially received notice that their jobs will soon be eliminated.

Maytag delivered a required 60-day termination notice to 875 full-time production workers yesterday. The notices say the workers will be out of a job in mid-September.Officials say about 200 employees will continue working until their jobs are phased out by February 2005.Maytag announced in October 2002 that all 16-hundred employees at the plant -- located about 50 miles northwest of Peoria -- would lose their jobs by the end of 2004.

...more...

[treepig]

1. is this the same company

that fires employees for photographing the coffins of the iraq war dead?

[Born Free]

2. don't know, but do know they give people free dishwashers

At first I thought it was telemarketing, but it was legitimate offer, from the main office at Maytag. Maytag gave us a brand new "free" dishwasher (any model we wanted) in exchange for our 5 year old Maytag dishwasher. The only requirement was we had to let the Maytag man remove the old dishwasher and install the new one to make sure everything was installed properly and there were no problems with the new dishwasher. Once we agreed and picked the model we wanted within 2 weeks the Maytag man was at our house to give us a new dishwasher, absolutely free. The woman from the main office said they like to do it occasionally to see how well their dishwashers are holding up in the field- she said they would tear our old dishwasher apart to see what parts needed improvement in future models. This was about a year ago, it really sold us on considering "Maytag" products in the future.

[treepig]

4. that's good for you,

but apparently it's difficult to keep the factory workers employed and paid if no money's coming in.

suppose it's a good thing the chinese will work for close to nothing or the whole free dishwasher scheme would flounder.

[Born Free]

6. Quality sells

"but apparently it's difficult to keep the factory workers employed and paid if no money's coming in."


I am sure that giving free dishwashers (and/or other products) away to get the information that will improve the quality of future products is not what caused their current situation. Just as paid advertising sells more products and gains more customers, so does improving the quality of your product, something Maytag seems to be concerned about. Product research and product development are very important to any growing business.

[BiggJawn]

8. Hard to sell enough machines when they last 30+ years...

I'm not making excuses for Maytag management, but geez, a person can buy only so many washing machines when they last 1/2 a lifetime...

[JaySherman]

3. I went to college in Galesburg.

Maytag was a big part of the economy there. This is going to hurt the town bad.

Incidentally, they built a prison in Galesburg a few years ago. There's plenty of jobs there.

Fucking corporate republican whore 3rd world prison economy! When are people going to wake and realize what these bastards are doing to us?

:grr::grr::grr:

[Burma Jones]

7. Another Knox Grad Agrees......

Galesburg was pretty depressed back in the 80's when I was there, but at least they had Maytag. They used to have a lot more, Galesburg is a big Railroad center.

Now they have prisons, mental hospitals and senior centers.

[JaySherman]

9. And the college.

But Knox has always been an island unto itself anyway. Galesburg wasn't in great shape when I graduated in '01, and it's going to be even worse now. All they really have left now besides the college is the prison, Farmland Foods, and (gee, what a surprise) Walmart.

My ex-girlfriend worked at one of those mental hospitals. I shudder when I remember the stories she told me.

[mhr]

5. Bush's Dynamic Economy In Action - More Americans Undermined

eom

[olddem43]

10. Probably outsourcing to a third world country

Maytag has arguably the best product in washers and dishwashers. Many people I know wouldn't buy any other brand. Can't imagine that they are not doing well. Did they get some tax incentive to move?

[madrchsod]

11. moving to mexico

high labor costs up here in il. chinese comp. another factor