Hershey Workers Fear for Their Jobs

Lebanon Daily News ^ | February 25, 2007 | Steve Snyder

[toddlintown]

Diana,

I shipped out a copy of Beer & Food: An American History to you last Friday, USPS Media Mail.

Thanks,

Bob
P.S. I love Hershey bars with almond.

[AmishDude]

Local 464 of the Chocolate Workers of America

Look for...the union label...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I thought it was a good wage, too...but it comes with union ties, so therein lies the rub.

The article also stated the plant that's closing/moving was only functioning at 62% of capacity; they were moving and combining plants for a better output.

I'm a business owner. Relatively high wages for a depressed area and under-production at the same plant don't add up to making money for the stockholders...or anyone in the long run.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks! Can't wait to read it. Glad I could help. :)

[AmishDude]

I believe it's for Louisianans that the sugar price floor is largely in place.

[spectre]

Mexicans are getting a very good deal these days.

They can come over here and take our jobs, OR they can stay in Mexico and still take our jobs.

sw

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I meant to also add:

$18.78 was the average wage, the $15 was the low-end wage. And then I'm sure there's health insurance and other benefits on top of that.

[durasell]

The Mexicans lost a bunch of jobs to China. That's the reason they come here.

[elcid1970]

"President Eisenhower today visited the `chocolate city', the President driving into Hershey, Pennsylvania to celebrate his sixty-third birthday.

30,000 or more people were cheering him, all the folks who make Hershey chocolate, with and without nuts....."

[Lowell Thomas, 1953. This was followed by one of his famous uncontrollable giggle fits.]

[RightWhale]

They have been downsizing some departments a little at a time

Just doing what they know how to do. Downsize the product; downsize the factory. Sales may be down as well since none of those hershey bars are cheap. In fact, their price is about the same as the elite luxury brands.

[spectre]

That's not the only reason they come here, LOL.

sw

[Publius6961]

I frankly don't think that $15.20 an hour--a little over $30K per year--is at all an unreasonable rate of pay for an adult.

It is if the rate is set by thugs and physical intimidation to award it to people with 6th grade educations; in a truly free market that would never occur.

Regardless, what you think is not going to stop the flight from outrageous wages and high taxes.

Better get used to it.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Local 464 of the Chocolate Workers of America

[spectre]

PS..In retrospect..the United States has lost far more jobs to China than Mexico has..

sw

[July 4th]

Mexican chocolate? You have got to be kidding...

Why? That's pretty much where it came from.

[voltaires_zit]

> The farmers have a better lobby.

While there is quite a lot of vocal condemnation of socialism in one form or another on this site and among conservatives generally, there seems to be very little recognition that farming in the US is one of the most socialistic enterprises on the face of the planet. And it was **intended** to be so by the government **and** the farmers.

[durasell]

We have a much larger economy, so that makes sense. However, I know several factory owners who moved their operations to Mexico following NAFTA and more recently moved them to China. Now they are searching for still cheaper labor in other markets.

[kinoxi]

Factories just over the border. We are not talking about Mayan or Incan practices here.

[Caipirabob]

“We have high-paid jobs thanks to the negotiations of the union,” he said. “Reese (nonunion) workers are getting union-scaled wages to keep the union out.”

The union negotiated them out of a job, apparently.

[pandoraou812]

I wonder how this affects Hershey Park. That was ( at least the last time I was there years ago.)... a really nice place to take your children. There was a tour of the choc factory and it still had a old time quaint feel to it. I feel really bad for these people in PA. I have family in Hazelton and some do work for the candy company.