State Farm announces Monroe job cuts (900 jobs)

[UpInArms]

http://www.theadvertiser.com/news/html/78673D5B-FA2C-405A-A575-1D3C4E1307E8.shtml

MONROE (AP) — Although State Farm plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs in Monroe by next summer, the company might double the size of its work force in Baton Rouge and add workers elsewhere in the state.

State Farm announced in February that it would close its Monroe Operations Center as part of a consolidation effort. The company also said at the time it would consolidate 20 Louisiana claims units into 12.

Company spokesman Gary Stephenson said the Baton Rouge claims operation, which has four claims units with 108 employees, will become a “claims hub city” and could expand to 200 or more under the consolidation.

“That’s the range that’s been talked about,” Stephenson said. He said New Orleans will also be considered a claims hub and currently employs 86 in three claims units.

...more...

Fire 1000 - hire 100 = net loss of 900 jobs

[mhr]

1. Dear Mr. President, Our Pastor Told Us You Were The Right Hand Man

of GOD.

Our pastor told us you were the most righteous man in the world today.

Our pastor told us that you would lead us to salvation because of your piety.

So then I just don't understand why you have a job and my family is starving.

I just don't understand why you get to eat and we go to bed hungry.

I just don't understand why God and his right hand man would forsake us after all our prayers.

I just don't understand.

[classof56]

6. Your pastor's confused

He needs to read the Bible more. Like maybe Proverbs 22:9, which says, "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Or Proverbs 22:16: "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts ro the rich--both come to poverty." And bear in mind, the only reason your pastor has a job is because church members pony up for his salary, probably his house, gas for his car, etc., while he goes about doing "the Lord's work". And if he interprets the Lord's work as preaching politics from the pulpit, and worse still, lying about Bush being "God's man" and leading you to salvation, then your pastor really needs to find a new line of work. The Bible's pretty clear on that, e.g., Acts 16:31: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."

Like I said, your pastor's confused. Hope you'll find another one soon, hopefully one who knows the Bible and will follow its teachings. And may God bless you during this difficult time and the days to come. There are Christians who truly are compassionate, and unlike Bush, his cronies and your pastor, they stand ready to help in your time of need.

Bush Must Go!!

[truthisfreedom]

2. so that's over 11,000 jobs lost in the last week?

it was over 10,000 the other day.

[baldguy]

3. From the files of DU:

Jul-20-04

Schwab CFO Sees Job Cuts After CEO Ouster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x697281
"Schwab has reduced its work force by some 10,000 jobs since it peaked at 26,300 at the end of 2000."

Layoffs push SC unemployment rate to 6.6% in June - see county-by- county
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x697279
"Only 5600 jobs were added last month, mostly in tourism and business, but government jobs declined by 5300."

Union chief fears big layoff at Bloomington (GE) refrigerator factory
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x698010
"... by the end of July there could be an announcement that 500 to 600 workers at the plant will be laid off."

Eckerd to Lay off 1,400 Florida Headquarters Workers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x698141
"Eckerd Corp. plans to lay off about 1,400 management and support workers at its Florida headquarters starting next month, as the pharmacy chain prepares to change owners. The jobs will be cut from Aug. 1 through Jan. 31."

Jul-21-04

Capital One: Elimination of 1,400 Call Center Postions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x700749
"Capital One expects a seamless transition for customers as support functions will be routed to its remaining staff and to existing outsourced call center providers."

MITSUBISHI JOB CUTS (1200 jobs Normal, IL)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x701623
"The Japanese automaker.. which has been battling losses from bad credit and recall scandals.. says production will be cut from two shifts to one in October."

12,000 jobs to be cut in Bank One merger
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x701766
"...some 12,000 jobs were expected to be eliminated, up from the original projection of 10,000."

Jul-23-04

Sears job cuts will total 3,300
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x704393
"Of the 3,300 jobs being shed, about 3,000 are support workers performing administrative and back-office tasks in the field. Sears declined to say how many of those jobs are from the Chicago area."

WaMu plans new job cuts, office closures (now it's 4900 jobs!)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x704402
"The loan-office closures, in areas where the giant Seattle-based thrift does not have a big branch-banking presence, will eliminate 1,840 more jobs by the end of September, Rodriguez said. No Washington offices will be affected by that round."

Mass layoffs rise in June
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x703155
"Nationwide, U.S. employers cut 134,588 jobs in 1,379 mass layoffs, compared with May's total of 87,501 initial claims for unemployment from 988 mass layoffs. In June of 2003, U.S. employers took 1,691 mass layoff actions, resulting in 157,552 initial claims for unemployment."

[jus_the_facts]

4. This is MY town...Chase Manhatten is layin' off 75 more people here.....

....the Holsum Bread Plant is closin' here 80 more jobs lost...we just lost a bid for a rail road car manufaturing facility that was extremely promising for our failing economy....this is a HARD lick for a *metro* area of roughly 150,000....and State Farm has been here all my life....it was THE regional operations...sux reeeal bad for us. :(

[Florida_Geek]

7. I am on contract at CenturyTel

:evilgrin:

[jus_the_facts]

10. Heh....Century Telephone...they were bought up....now contractin' out....

....go figure! x(

[Florida_Geek]

12. I do not know about that

but the company is a great place to work and I am part of a 6 man performance team working on their moving their customers off mainframes onto Unix boxes.

Now Monroe........ I am sorry It sucks................ :)

[funkybutt]

8. I'm glad I got the hell out of there

never really cared for the area anyway but I still have a bunch of family there. Seems like Monroe is dying...

[jus_the_facts]

9. Yeah I wish I could too....but alas....

:nopity:

[Ferretherder]

11. Yeah, does seem like Monroe is SWIFTLY becoming a ghost town.

I've lived here, on and off, for the last thirty or so years, and it's really been goin' down hill for, at least, the last dozen to fifteen of those years. I am TRULY at a loss to say why all the industry and service firms are leaving 'cause lord knows the labor can be gotten CHEAP around here - I make about $12.50 an hour, doing installation work for a custom home theater company, and I'm considered fairly WELL PAID! But, didn't they say the economy was heating up!......(whew)...for a minute I was worried, there!

[ikojo]

5. Dangerous and misleading words here

"Company spokesman Gary Stephenson said the Baton Rouge claims operation, which has four claims units with 108 employees, will become a “claims hub city” and could expand to 200 or more under the consolidation."

I worked for a company that had been taken over by United Health Care in the mid 1990s. When they first took over the company, claims examiners were concerned because UHC had a history of locating claims operations in small towns where they felt they could pay lower salaries (sounds just like outsourcing except this was done in the US. At one time small towns and the south served as the low wage centers of the US). So we asked them about layoffs and were told "oh no, we intend to make this a claims hub."

ONE YEAR later they had a meeting with us to inform us that they were closing the claims department and relocating it to a lower wage area of the state. Starting salaries at that time for claims examiners in my area were $20K per year. In the new claims office they were going to start those folks at $14K per year. We were offered the "opportunity" to interview for jobs in the new office but if we were hired we would start at the lower salary and not keep our current salary.

I was lucky, I was chosen to be transfered to a new department. Many of my friends were not so lucky then.

Isn't capitalism grand?!

[Florida_Geek]

13. OBTW --- Baton Rouge just got 8 count them 8 new FBI

agents to look into corruption in the LA government ......