Posted on 03/08/2006 9:19:50 AM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Little Rock - Hundreds of people are out of work Tuesday night after a major announcement at the Levi Strauss company. The company's Little Rock distribution plant will be closing its doors as early as August. The move will put 340 people out of work. The plant is located just south of Little Rock off Interstate 530 along the Pratt Road Exit.
Levi Strauss closed down the plant because company officials said it already has three major distribution plants in North America and this one was no longer necessary. Little rock native, Mary Bleck, has worked at the plant for nearly 30 years, and she found out Monday during a managers meeting she would no longer have a job. She says her initial reaction was shock.
(Mary Bleck, worker) Because I thought we were prospering with all the work we had been doing and really was just initially shocked..."
Tuesday morning at 8:00, the rest of the workers got the news of the closing.
(E.J. Bernacki, Levi Strauss) "They've done great work. This is not a reflection on them at all. It's really just a matter of business conditions and our network being over capacity."
Bernacki said the workers will receive a competitive severance package, but that still doesn't take away the sting of losing a job you've had most your life.
(Bleck) "It's sad they are leaving. Thirty years is a long time to work for a company. Now here you're thinking about having to start all over again..."
Mary Bleck is only one of many who will have to start over.
Levi's very pro-gay and very anti-gun. I stopped buying them years ago.
I've refused to buy a Levi Strauss product for about 10 years-since they started using the promise gratuitous sex in their marketing strategy. I'm glad to see them on hard times.
This is a "distribution plant". Do they even make anything there?
Yes, lets blame WalMart. Levi has had a long run and as the old saying goes "all good things come to an end".
Uh, no. Unless you know something the rest of us do not.
Levi's does not produce any of their product in the U.S. Zero.
I remember Levi's closing plants in McAllen, Edinburg, Harlingen and San Antonio. Hundreds of workers laid off each time. It's been going on for 20 years.
This is too rich, Laz getting all upset about an anti-2nd amendment and pro-gay coproration, leaving the clinton's home base, and basically saying that laz blames Bush.
You think everyone left in Mexico is gainfully employed? There are many many others who will do the job instead of trekking up over the border.
Honestly, I had thought they decided to shut down this facility a couple of years ago and move their operations to other sweatshop low labor cost countries. I guess I was thinking of another plant around here.
Uh.... This is not a manufacturing plant.
It is a DISTRIBUTION PLANT.
Ya' really think they are building a distribution plant in Mexico or India?
LSC hasn't produced one stitch of clothing in the U.S. for several years now. They outsource all manufacturing. All that is left of the company in this country is distribution centers. Similarly, no bicycles are manufactured in America as Schwinn and the others all buy their product in Mexico and Japan.
More likely that we're hearing the "giant sucking sound" of Levi Strauss & Co.
Arkansas News -- PING
"I stopped buying them years ago."
Same here, and I really loved the 560s they made. After learning of their leftiness, I decided to go with Eddie Bauers. I did slip once and buy a pair from LL Bean, they're pretty left too.
I've no idea. It's been at least 10 years since I bought name brand jeans. Little red tags and rivets and stitching on the pockets don't mean diddly to me or my kids.
I didn't even know there were any Levi's around. The textile industry left E. Tennessee back in the 60's. Levi's made it to the late 70's in Maryville. Sorry to hear about their loss.
Ya' really think they are building a distribution plant in Mexico or India?
Who said anything about India? According to the article, "company officials said it already has three major distribution plants in North America and this one was no longer necessary."
Sounds like Mexico, especially considering NAFTA pretty much obliterated any U.S.-Mexico border for air and truck traffic.
Exactly. Wal Mart doesn't need a Levi distribution plant in Little Rock.
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