Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:
California: Has the drought killed off Golden State fruit? Fruit distributor Fruit Patch issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Dinuba operations in July, 132 jobs lost! Local news reports blame the vulture capitalist owners, American Capital, saying there are unconfirmed reports that Fruit Patch assets are being sold off (American Capital administrators refused to talk to local reporters). The shutdown will affect 10-thousand grocery/retail stores across the U.S.! In Modesto, vegetable processor Olam issued a shutdown WARN for their Spices & Vegetables operation, saying their remaining 65 employees will become jobless in July. That’s on top of the 177 people laid off since December 2014! Olam administrators stated “We’ve had sales diminish and costs continue to rise.” In San Diego, British empire oil company BP (British Petroleum) issued a shutdown WARN saying at least 90 people will become unemployed in July. In Long Beach, tax-sucking Boeing issued yet another WARN saying 26 employees will be laid off in July. Tech company Avago has taken over networking company Emulex, several WARNs issued saying at least 88 Californians will become jobless in August as a result. In Napa, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Saint Joseph’s Religious Gift & Bookstore: “I love the business. And I really love the people, but it’s just not enough. I’m just not making money.”-Joseph Sciambra
Colorado: Albertsons Safeway shutting down the following grocery stores; Redlands Safeway, Castle Rock Safeway, Thornton Safeway, Westminster Safeway, three Aurora Safeways, Littleton Safeway, Denver Safeway and Centennial Safeway, hundreds of jobs lost by June! Littleton based oil service company American Eagle Energy now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, admitting they haven’t paid their bondholders for at least two months.
Florida: Turns out Fort Myers is yet another U.S. city that relies on federal tax money to pay its firefighters, and yes that money is coming to an end and as a result 21 firefighters will become unemployed.
Illinois: The FDIC shutdown the Edgebrook Bank, assets have been turned over to the Republic Bank of Chicago. In Sterling, the owners of Kidder music store on East Lincolnway announced they’re shutting down in June. It’s located in the same plaza that once held a Kmart (which shutdown last year). Administrators for the Kidder chain indicated their reason for shutting down the Sterling store was that too many retailers have left the area, creating a downward spiral in customer traffic. Plus, the greedy property owners jacked up the rent: “Even with smaller places, the expenses go up in more active retail areas. And with the numbers and trends we see, we just couldn’t make that investment.”-Beth Houlihan, Kidder president
Iowa: In Belmond, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 112 years old Saint John Lutheran Church. Church administrators said they’re lucky if 15 people show up on Sundays. Originally sermons were done in German, reflecting the fact that German, not English, was the most popular non-hispanic European language in the early days of the United States.
Kentucky: Yet another coal mine shutting down, this time in Harlan. Alpha Natural Resources announced they must shutdown their Clover Lick #3 mine, 64 jobs lost. Local news reports say over the past two years 5-hundred coal related jobs have been lost, and it’s their main industry!
Maryland: U.S. tax sucking France based military contractor Labinal Power Systems says it must layoff 480 employees in Salisbury! The French company is consolidating operations to Texas, only about 1-hundred Maryland employees will be transfered to The Lone Star State.
Montana: Call center operator Asurion announced they’re shutting down their Great Falls operation in August, 348 jobs lost! Tennessee based Asurion is the 4th largest employer in Great Falls. Asurion threatened employees, when one employee was approached by a local reporter she said “We aren’t allowed to speak and were told to refer reporters to public relations.” The Asurion building still has a display reading “Become a valued team member. See what career awaits you at asurian.com/careers.” Local reports say $550-thousand USD is still owed to the Great Falls Development Authority, and the Montana Board of Investments, for the Asurion building.
New Jersey: The cash strapped Atlantic City and the Atlantic City School District warned another 4-hundred city and school district employees they could be let go! That’s on top of the 2-hundred who already got layoff notices! This is what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket (specifically the gambling industry). In Pittman, after 48 years Bob’s Hobbies and Crafts shutdown. The busy owner says it’s time to retire, the property is for sale.
New York: In Sullivan County the largest employer in the county, Ideal Snacks, began laying off employees, however, local news reports say most of those employees turned out to be illegal migrant workers! In 2012 administrators swore they were employing U.S. citizens at $13 per hour. They made these statements in exchange for tax breaks. Local news reports say Ideal Snacks administrators are ignoring their questions about the “large number” of layoffs. Empire State based Burger King franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group announced they will shutdown 25 restaurants, as their leases expire. This is strange because Carrols administrators reported an 11.5% increase in sales at their Burger Kings. Administrators say the restaurants they’re shutting down just didn’t make enough money to satisfy them. God refuses to stop the shutdown of two of ‘his’ Westchester Catholic churches. Also, God is joining unAmerican Corporate America and will consolidate the following churches; Our Lady of Mount Carmel in White Plains and Our Lady of Pompeii in Dobbs Ferry. Saint Matthew in Hastings-on-Hudson will unite with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ardsley. Saint Paul’s in Congers and St. Ann’s in Nyack. At least 28 parishes will be affected when the consolidations and shutdowns are complete.
North Carolina: France owned body care products chain store The Body Shop announced it is moving its Wake Forest U.S. HQ to New York City, and eliminating 145 jobs! Essentially the L’Oréal owned company is doing what so many other companies are doing in this bad economy, consolidating operations and killing jobs.
Ohio: In Amherst, after more than 1-hundred years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Riddle’s True Value Hardware shutdown. The owner said he had to sell the property, blaming his poor health and implying he was tired of competing with ‘Big Box’ stores. At one time the store operated under the Western Auto brand.
06 – 07 May 2015: ObamaCare vampires draining blood supply!
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.”