Free Republic

Anchor Glass Container Corp. closed Thursday, the same day President Bush outlined his second term's emphasis on small business and concern for American interests. Union employees received word Thursday evening. Roughly 350 of them are now out of work. The 3 to 11 shift was sent home, according to Charles Tressler, president of Union Local 149 of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMP). "The plant is closed," Tressler said. "The machines were shut down at 7:30 p.m. The reason they gave was economic. The glass industry is softer. There are fewer sales. "Once the company...

I ran into a relative at a wedding this weekend. We hadn't seen each other since the last family wedding, three years ago. I asked how her daughter was doing, and this story came pouring out. Her daughter's husband was laid off in July from a company where he had worked for 28 years. He will miss out on his pension and faces job-hunting now at age 52. His wife is working 50 hours a week and fears making any missteps at her job because she is now carrying the family's health insurance. He's depressed and is a scatterbrained substitute...

My sisters and I became ashamed when we got the news. My mother and father bought a Hyundai. My father used to be a General Motors man. Sure, he made the mistake of buying a few Fords over the years, such as the 1976 Pinto that mother wouldn't ride in for fear it would explode. And both Volkswagens were lemons, especially the Beetle that wouldn't start unless we covered the motor with a plastic diaper every night. But father only made such mistakes with our second car. Our main car was usually a GM. I still miss our 1976 Catalina...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. If you think Pedro Martinez' numbers against the New York Yankees look bad (and they do), they're nothing compared with the government's latest monthly trade figures. Dismal as the Boston Red Sox ace's performance against the Bronx Bombers has been, he looks like a champion next to the trade numbers, which are one important measure of the U.S. economy's performance against the rest of the world. Not that the trade surplus and deficit figures tell us everything we need to know about America's competitiveness. In particular, they compare apples and oranges...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Washington, October 16 -- The United States will lose more than 400,000 jobs this year to India, Mexico, China, and other Asian nations as multinational corporations restructure operations and shift production overseas, according to a study. The number of jobs lost will be around double those three years ago, according to the study by Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The study came amid heated debate ahead of the November 2 presidential elections on outsourcing of jobs to India, China and other...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Illinois-based toy maker Hedstrom Corp. has discontinued operations, shutting down six plants — including a rotational molding operation in Ashland, Ohio, and a swing-set factory in Bedford, Pa., that does blow molding. Hedstrom said it could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in four years. Meanwhile, local managers at the Ashland plant are interested in buying the rotomolding operation, said Martin Irvine, Ashland economic development director. “They´ve been in discussions with several different investment groups. Over the last week or so they have made offers to buy the...