Sunbeam to lay off 265, end production at Mr. Coffee plant

The Hattiesburg American ^ | Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | Kevin Walters

[Willie Green]

Six months after cutting 185 jobs at its Hattiesburg and Purvis operations, Sunbeam Products Inc. announced Tuesday that 265 more people will lose their jobs as the company plans to shut down its manufacturing facility in Hattiesburg by the end of the year.

[StatesEnemy]

Don't tell me... they are changing the name to Coffeesan

[dfwgator]

I see the legacy of "Chainsaw Al" lives on at Sunbeam.

[lelio]

"You're constantly going to have businesses come and go," he said. "You have to look at the net effect and our net effect is pretty positive."

Of course its going to be "pretty positive" if you just look at employment figures. People have to eat and they'll end up taking any old job to do so. Is that a positive that now we have a dozen greeters at Walmart all working under 40 hours a week? I don't think so.

Then gain, I don't know squat about Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Maybe they all have better paying jobs now. I don't know, but I really doubt it.

who should receive assistance in preparing for their job losses from a Mississippi Development Authority rapid response team.

Ah, the merger of JIT (Just In Time) hype from the 80's with layoffs in the 00's!

[RaceBannon]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/954156/posts?page=342

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Common denominator of plant shutdowns in my state? All union. People always want to have their executive bogeymen to blame it on, but there's a harsher reality.

[glaux]

Mr. Coffin.

[cmsgop]

As one who has been in the Coffee Biz, for the money Mr.Coffee has the best priced products out there. Unless you want to step up over the $500 range.

[Beck_isright]

Lets do a quick analysis of this....
Mississippi; not exactly as expensive as PA,NY, or MA to do business.
Mr. Coffee, an American invention to be transferred to China for profit only.
Yup, they are going to invade us. They will buy Maxwell House and cut off our coffee. The commies are going to win. Time to lock and load.-:)

[Walkin Man]

Yeah, Chainsaw Al, another free traitor hero that makes wall street happy by whipping out the meat-axe and hacking off jobs instead of creating new products and processes.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

You must not be up to date. Chainsaw Al is now a known crook.

[Walkin Man]

Oh, sorry. Theres so many felons in the boardrooms now, its hard to keep track of them all.

I hope Al is serving hardtime for his crimes like the slime that looted Enron and ran it into the ground... /sarcasm

[Willie Green]

Common denominator of plant shutdowns in my state? All union.

Actually, only 16~17% of Pennsylvania's workforce is represented by organized labor. (Source) As with most other states, membership is probably heavily skewed toward government employees and teacher's unions, at 40+%. And while Pennsylvania's steel and mineworkers had a national reputation for the strength of their unions, that was before you were born, and their influence has been long in decline. It is doubtful that Pennsylvania's manufacturing sector is hampered by union membership anymore than the 15% national average. You really should become more acquainted with the facts rather than spreading misinformation.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Um, I'm sorry, I work at many of these plants local to my region, due to the nature of my job. I see them firsthand. The unions are ALWAYS adverserial with management, and subsequently these local industries say to hell with it and fold, and move. Disagree with me, fine. Don't accuse me of not having facts, sir.

[Willie Green]

Don't accuse me of not having facts, sir.

Your profile page says you were born in '66.
That means I was first employed in a non-union Pennsylvania manufacturing plant when when you were only 6 years old.
If you don't want to be accused of misstating facts, you better start posting links to hard data real quick.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Off the top of my head, Dorsey Trailer, Northumberland- International Home Foods, Milton- International Paper, Lewisburg- JPM, Lewisburg & Beaver Springs- Stitches Corp, Trevorton & Sunbury- Northrup/Grumman, Williamsport- Liz Claiborne, Pittston- Allentown Mann Edge Inc., Allentown- Jostens Inc., Allegheny County.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Hmmm, I can't seem to learn too much of anything from your profile page........

[Willie Green]

Off the top of my head,

What? The top of your head is supposed to be a linked reference?

Erie has long held a reputation as a blue-collar union town, but labor's clout here has dwindled over the last quarter century.

Many large, unionized manufacturers like GE Transportation Systems and International Paper have downsized. Other firms have relocated or gone out of business. The result, Bruno said, is that an estimated 15 percent of blue-collar workers in Erie carry union cards compared to 25 percent 20 years ago.

Labor leaders say renewed organization efforts in coming years may focus on the plastics industry, which accounts for 5,600 jobs in the Erie area. A total of 67 plastics companies operate locally. That number swells to 90 when plastics-related industries are included. Of those, only a handful employ union workers. (Source)

There. 15% for the Erie area. Just like I said. Pittsburgh and Philly are probably a little higher. Maybe Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but unions in that area could also be as dead as the coal mines. But the center of the state? Sheesh, that's conservative as heck. Yeah, you'll find some unionized plants, but nowhere near as many as you claim.

Just like the rest of the nation, union growth has been in the government employees and public school teachers. Perhaps health care workers as well.

But your exagerated claim about manufacturing damages your credibility immensely.

[MinuteGal]

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (Ooo ooo ooo
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
"Mr. Coffee has left and gone away".

Leni

[Calvin Locke]

I had a Mr. Coffee digital model that "we" got as a wedding present. As it died, I'd buy the lowest-end model with a similar hot plate and swap it.

IIRC, each plate only lasted about 2.5 years.