Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
Canadian based international restaurant chain Tim Hortons (with at least 807 restaurants in the U.S.) killed off 350 of its HQ jobs in Oakville, Ontario, as well as regional corporate jobs! That’s according to Canadian news reports. It makes sense because Tim Hortons was recently taken over by Warren Buffet’s crony Brazilian vulture capitalist buddies at 3G Capital (you know, Buffet and his buddies at 3G Capital are the ones who killed off at least 3-thousand 4-hundred Heinz food jobs in Canada and the U.S. in 2014!) But here’s some more convoluted shell game facts. 3G Capital and Warren Buffet took over iconic U.S. Burger King chain in 2010, immediately eliminating 450 jobs! Then in early 2014, Buffet-3G owned Burger King bought Tim Hortons for $11.4-billion USD, but by December 2014 3G Capital went and bought Tim Hortons from its own Burger King for $12.5-billion! But wait there’s more! 3G Capital buys companies vulture capitalist Mitt Romney style, meaning the companies are bought with huge loans, and the immediacy of the loan payments is partly why vulture capitalists start slashing and burning jobs.
After only one year, award winning U.S. based Modern Farmer magazine shutdown. Its blamed on disputes between the editorial staff and the billionaire who actually pays for the publication.
California: What automotive industry recovery? In Los Angeles car battery maker Exide announced they will lay off even more employees, this time 67 people will become unemployed at the end of February. In Coachella, Sun World International laid off 24 people. Mexico based Bimbo Bakeries announced they will shutdown their Fresno bakery in March, 92 jobs lost. The bakery had been in use since 1926. Sims Recycling issued a WARN saying they will layoff 57 people in March. In Sacramento, after 55 years House of Fashion II shutdown, the owners will continue operating out of their original store. In San Francisco, former Netflix and Clinkle executive Andy Rendich is now the boss at Good Eggs, and is already chopping heads. Reports say the organic food delivery service has laid off about 32 employees as Rendich ‘restructures’ the three years old company. The layoffs took place not only in the Golden State but in New York and Louisiana.
Florida: In Dania Beach, Boomers! Greater Ft. Lauderdale amusement park shutdown and being forced to liquidate by greedy property developers.
Michigan: What automotive industry recovery? In Lansing, Ohio based Comprehensive Logistics laid off 66 automotive parts supply employees. It’s blamed on reduced demand by Ford and GM (Cadillac). However, it was also revealed that GM built a new factory in Tennessee, and Comprehensive Logistics will be moving operations there. Too Big to Jail Chase Bank announced it will shutdown 37 branch offices located in Meijer stores, for the purpose of consolidation. Too Big to Jail Independent Bank Corp announced it will shutdown six offices, for the purpose of saving $1.6-million USD per year. Half the firefighters in Taylor hit with layoff notices! Turns out local taxes weren’t enough to pay their salaries and they’ve been funded with federal money, but now that funding has been halted. After 54 years Lona’s Pizza shutdown in Dearborn Heights. the family owners blame crashing sales and family tragedies. In Battle Creek, Planned Parenthood shutdown due to lack of customers.
New York: In Henrietta, unConstitutional anti-American anti-gun laws forced Jackson Guns and Ammo Shop to shutdown, Kordell Jackson the owner said “The SAFE Act killed us in terms of business. It was very difficult with sales and regulations with transferring and obtaining firearms, so I decided to close up.” Armonk based IBM (International Business Machine) confirmed reports that it will begin laying off employees, however administrators deny that it will be as many as 100-thousand! Federation Employment and Guidance Services issued a WARN saying they will conduct massive restructuring operations across the state by April, at least 976 jobs will be lost! In Central Islip, Garda Cash Logistics issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their armored car service in February, 86 jobs will be lost by April.
North Carolina: In Durham, LED light bulb maker Cree is killing off 319 in-house jobs in favor of cheap-o contractors, blaming an “unforeseeable circumstance”!
Ohio: What housing industry recovery? Florida based Trulite Glass and Aluminum Solutions announced they are shutting down their Hebron factory in March, as a result of taking over a competitor, 70 jobs lost. The new owners of Buckingham coal mine laid off 56 people. Colorado based Westmoreland Coal took over the mine in January, and blamed the layoffs on “changing external market conditions.” In Springfield, Strategic Fundraising shutdown their call center, as many as 100 jobs lost! In Mentor, school administrators announced that Rice Elementary School will shutdown at the end of the school year. The school now boasts the lowest enrollment in the district.
Oregon: The Oregonians Credit Union announced they will shutdown their 55 years old Portland office in February.
Pennsylvania: The Holiday Inn at Fort Washington announced it will shutdown in February, 61 jobs lost. Local news reports said the hotel was secretly sold off, the employees were told after the fact. In Lower Paxton, after only two years ‘organic’ Smoke BBQ restaurant shutdown, the owners didn’t explain why. In Allentown, after 97 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) A-Treat Bottling soda-pop company shutdown suddenly, 40 jobs lost. People knew the end was near when back in November the family owned independent soda-pop maker canceled their deal with Walmart, because Walmart administrators demanded the family adopt unhealthy mass production methods. However, it turns out that A-Treat was fined in 2013 for unhealthy and unsafe working conditions by the federal government. And don’t blame the internet for their demise, reports say they were selling two dozen cases of their soda at least once per month over the internet. Don Cunningham, of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, blamed the “changing consumer market” (meaning Bad Economy) pointing out that even Coca-Cola and Pepsi are in trouble, it’s just the little guys can’t withstand the bad economy for as long as the big guys.
South Carolina: France based upscale boat builder Beneteau revealed they laid off 10 people at its Marion factory.
Texas: Austin based BitCoin miner CoinTerra now chapter 7 bankrupt busted. It’s blamed on the crashing value of BitCoins, and could be related to the settlement of a law suit last year.
22-23-January-2015: Chevron admits job cuts planned before oil price crash!
The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.