Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: California’s The PennySaver shutdown after 50 years of publication (there are many other independent ‘pennysaver’ publications throughout the U.S.)! Employee Luann Benton told local news media “We had no idea the company was going to shutdown!” It’s blamed on last year’s takeover by vulture capitalist Open Gate. In San Bernardino, after 67 years the owners of The Mug restaurant announced it will shutdown in June. Loyal customers call it “a huge icon”. Local news reports said the owner would not explain why it was being shutdown, but employees explained that the area has been losing businesses for several years now, and that’s negatively impacted the number of people that check out the restaurant (in other words, sales have crashed). The San Diego Union Tribune laid off 178 truck drivers, machinists, electricians, packagers circulation, sales, finance and pressroom workers! Most employees said it came without warning. It’s blamed on the takeover by Tribune Publishing, and resulting consolidation of operations to Los Angeles, at the same place the Los Angeles Times is published. Company administrators tried to say they warned employees, but the problem is they called impending layoffs “synergies”: “When the two companies announced that they were coming together, we said at the time there were going to be some synergies, and unfortunately for a lot of people today we’re realizing those synergies.”-Russ Newton, president San Diego Union Tribune
Colorado: In Longmont, the legal drugs seller Walgreens announced it will shutdown its Main Street store in June. Company administrators would only say “We are closing a number of stores that are underperforming around the country.”
Illinois: Closeout retailer Tuesday Morning announced it is shutting down its Rockford store in July.
Louisiana: In Metairie, a greedy landlord shutdown the 38 years old Tiffin Inn Pancake House. The property owner signed a new contract with a home decor chain store.
Maine: Catalyst Paper says it must “temporarily” layoff 50 employees. A temporary layoff is basically what’s known as a furlough. However, there’s a possibility the temp layoff could become permanent as company administrators said they will be “re-evaluating the situation throughout the summer”. The company makes paper for magazines, and with all the magazine shutdowns orders are crashing.
Michigan: In Northville, the owners of Riffle’s Homestyle Kitchen announced it will shutdown in June. After 31 years they said they’ve finally realized you can’t provided quality food while competing against the low prices of ‘Big Box’ restaurants, so “Rather than cut corners or raise prices, we’ve elected to move on to other endeavors.”
Minnesota: Indiana based Steel Dynamics shutdown two pig iron ops, one in Hoyt Lakes and the other in Chisholm, at least 2-hundred jobs lost! To give you an idea how long this so called ‘recovered’ economy is going to last, Steel Dynamics said the layoffs would be in effect for at least two years! Minnesota’s Iron Range ops have seen employers eliminate more than 1-thousand jobs so far this year! Obama Care medical device tax forcing Minnetonka based IMRIS (Innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Systems) to go chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Reports say the company could be taken over by vulture capitalist Deerfield Management.
Mississippi: In Hamilton, chemical company Tronox will shutdown one of two sodium chlorate factories this year, 70 jobs lost. The chemical is used in the paper industry and Tronox administrators say orders from paper companies have crashed.
New Jersey: Crashing & burning Atlantic City conducted a second round of school district cuts, laying off 75 more employees. It was also revealed that more than 30 employees were forced to resign or retire early. City administrators warned that a third round of layoffs is in the works. Gerresheimer Glass announced it will shutdown its Millville factory by the end of the year, 1-hundred more jobs lost! They already laid off 115 factory workers back in January! Administrators say the bad economy is forcing them to consolidate operations.
New York: In Jamaica, milk products distributor Derle Farms issued a shutdown WARN saying they are moving operations to Bathpage by September, 72 employees will be affected. Evil financial advisor PricewaterhouseCoopers issued a WARN saying they are shutting down their Albany office in August, 38 jobs lost.
Ohio: Sweden based Johnson Metall announced it will shutdown its Lorain ops in July, at least 35 jobs lost. Local news reports say at one point there were more than 1-hundred employees at the industrial parts factory. Company administrators stated “Most recently, we’ve manufactured parts for wind turbines, and then the oil and gas industry. With the decline in both of those industries, and the lack of profitable replacement work, we have seen a significant decline in customer orders and are running the facility at a loss.”
Oregon: After 20 years the operators of Oregon Coast Periodontics announced it will shutdown in June, supposedly because the owner moved to Louisiana, which they called “unfortunate circumstances”.
Pennsylvania: In Deptford, the owners of 37 years old Freeway Diner shutdown on Memorial Day. The property is being re-purposed as a strip mall.
Texas: In San Antonio, aircraft customizer GDC Technics laid off 162 people! Ironically company administrators blamed a “growing backlog” of work for forcing them to move to Fort Worth and eliminate the 162 positions! In Aransas Pass, off shore oil rig fabricator Gulf Marine Fabricators warned it will eliminate 554 jobs!
Virginia: In Richmond, MARTIN’S Food Markets announced they will shutdown their 42 years old store on Staples Mill Road, in July. They claim “the store has not achieved performance goals.” MARTIN’s bought the store from Ukrop in 2010. Sears Holdings announced the Hilltop Square Shopping Center Kmart will shutdown in July, 82 jobs lost.
Washington: In Spokane, without warning the 25 years old Olive Garden restaurant shutdown by owner Darden Restaurants, 80 jobs lost overnight. Local news reports said Darden Restaurants administrators accused the Spokane Olive Garden of failing to perform.
21 – 23 May 2015: “I was stunned! It just kind of happened…”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”