[RockChucker]

This isn't the only plant. Bosch, Steelcase (was the largest furniture manufacture in the world just 2 years ago), Siemens (my old employer), Herman Miller (another one of my former employers), Lear (as in Lear Jet), Butternut bread (Atkins diet victim), Lifesavers candy (used to be made here - moved to Mexico in 2001), not to mention the endless array of small service companies, construction firms, antique stores, etc, etc, etc.

[looscnnn]

And yet people on FR still defend NAFTA, etc.

[freeangel]

Keep it up unions--pretty soon they will have to move their union headquarters to Mexico too.

[11th Earl of Mar]

I would like to know what the negociations were between the city, the union and the company.

Also, Lifesavers moved to Canada, if I am not mistaken.

Steelcase did not close. They still employ thousands.

Herman Miller did not close. They still employ thousands.

Please post some evidence that either Steelcase or Herman Miller has moved any of their West Michigan operations to Mexico.

[varon]

Lifesavers candy (used to be made here - moved to Mexico in 2001),

I believe Lifesavers moved to Canada..........lower sugar prices.

[Rebelbase]

9 replies and no one has posted it yet.

[2banana]

So the big question - why?

1. Taxes too high?
2. Out of control regulations?
3. Unions killing the business?

[The Great RJ]

It isn't the company's fault that these jobs are being sent to lower labor cost countries, it's the fault of consumers. Why consumers have the audacity to demand lower prices, more variety, selection and convenience in the products they buy. If they would just be content with whatever their local Mom & Pop stores could deliver at a fair price we wouldn't have all these businesses close.

Take those confounded cell phones--everyone is manufactured by foreign companies. What was wrong with good old Ma Bell and those reliable dial phones and real live operators to help us. Now all those people that used to work for the telephone company with good paying jobs are out of work, while we use those danged cell phones made by foreign companies. There ought to be a law.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Now that's what I call a giant sucking sound!

[harpu]

Flashing lights, Willie! Time to update your 'sky is falling' alert!

[leadpencil1]

I guess they could stay put and go out of business. It seems like a no win situation.

[Xenalyte]

Electrolux to close plant in Greenville

That sucks.

(Was I the first to say it?)

[B Knotts]

Lifesavers moved to Canada, primarily to avoid government-inflated U.S. cane sugar prices.

[Free Trapper]

On 1/11/04,the Bake-Line Group shut down.There was no warning at all for the 1300 workers and was blamed on a chapter seven bankruptcy.

IIRC,they had seven different plants making cookies,crackers,etc.

Some of the plants have changed ownership several times in the last several years.

Keebler owned at least part of these plants just long enough to take the brand names of Famous Amos,Murray and "some" Girl Scout Cookies.

This hits close to home,for me and many friends.

A "lot" of the workers were Mexican in at least the one plant I'm halfway familiar with.

If anyone gets any word about the future of these plants,I'd appreciate a Ping.

[Gritty]

We ship out good manufacturing jobs from here while millions of illegal alien laborers continue pouring across our borders to take what jobs we have left and soak up our taxes and benefits.

I have an idea. How about we sneak some of these 2,700 unemployed Americans across the Mexican border to work their old jobs down there? Vincente Fox couldn't complain about that, could he?

[Jerrybob]

Time to start making LAST ONE OUT OF MICHIGAN TURN OUT THE LIGHTS bumper stickers again.

Actually this is far from being a problem just in Michigan. How many million more jobs will be lost before the brilliant people in Washington DC decide that we're on the road to perdition here.

It all started at least 30 years ago when companies got sick of paying high wages to union members and started building factories in Mexico. Since then the jobs leaving this country have been like water over Niagra. We are headed for, I fear, a time that will make the Great Depression look like a Sunday afternoon in the park. I hope I am wrong.

[Dan from Michigan]

Buchanan was right on NAFTA.

[Ciexyz]

Sheesh I don't want my water bottled in Mexico. I live near the hepatitis A outbreak area (near Butler PA) where Chi Chi's served contaminated green onions from Mexico. The restaurant just reopended yesterday. Four people died and over sixty people came down with hepatitis A. And now you say that even Lifesavers are made in Mexico? Shiiiiiiit !!!!!