Thursday, November 5, 2015

Where are the jobs, part III? Oscar Mayer moving from Madison

[Updated from 11/4] Where are the jobs, Bucky?, as Joy Global, Caterpillar, GE, Borden, SC Johnson and now Oscar Mayer shed jobs across Wisconsin or move them to other states.

Bailing on economy that never took off in Wisconsin like the promised, post-recall rocket?

Yesterday's devastating news that the landmark Madison Oscar Mayer plant is closing and moving all meat-processing jobs to a new plant in Iowa has been met with silence from the Governor's Mansion, a stone's throw from the company's East side facility.

Adding to the shock and loss: white-collar Kraft Heinz headquarters jobs are moving to Chicago, as global financial players in cahoots with top management discard a big piece of Madison's economy, identity and blue-collar workforce like a hot dog wrapper.

I wonder if anyone at the ever-not-so-nimble WEDC knows, cares, or cares to know anything about it, let alone plans to respond?

In all, that means more than 1,000 good jobs are leaving for Iowa and Illinois, which are apparently more open for business than is Wisconsin - - where layoff notices filed with the state will exceed 10,000 for the year and surpass Walker's previous yearly high of 9,000 in 2011 when the Great Recession was strong, according to WKOW-TV:
From 2012-2014, the state averaged roughly 6,500 layoff notifications per year, before skyrocketing in 2015. 
Oscar Mayer sits in Rep. Chris Taylor's (D-Madison) district. She told 27 News something has to change. 
"We're on pace to double the layoffs from last year and it's totally unacceptable," said Rep. Taylor. 
"And in this body, in the state legislature, we need to really get serious - these Republicans need to get serious about job creation and job retention."


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

When is this governor and his Republican legislators going to do something to grow jobs... bring jobs.....keep jobs in this state. He campaigned on creating 250,000 jobs but there has been no jobs legislation from the time he took office until the present. This governor and his lapdog legislators are a train wreck and have driven this state and its economy along with our education system and environment into a ditch. We must vote collectively and throw them all out of office so that in time we can get our state back!

Anonymous said...

This is terrible news. I can't believe it. I know some of the decedents of Oscar Mayer. They still live in Madison.

Peter Felknor said...

We're on track, James. Eliminate all family-supporting jobs (now state workers can't make ends meet, the private sector had to follow... I'm sure there are plans for Epic Systems and their liberal suck-ups too). Then the Kochs and Diane Hendricks come in and put everyone to work for $7.25/hour. That was the plan all along.

Anonymous said...

In the next four years we WILL create, (lose) 250,000 jobs. You think if he gets a cabinet appointment it will be Sec'y of Labor. Wait you probably need a college degree for that job.

my5cents said...

So, how does all of the jobs leaving Wisconsin compare to all of the jobs Walker claims to have brought to Wisconsin? How many of those jobs are now leaving once the company used up all of its tax breaks?

One other note on Food stamp fraud, Welfare fraud, and unemployment compensation fraud. How does all of that fraud compare to the fraud WEDC has committed giving millions to companies who didn't deserve it or who never used the money for what it was intended? Not to mention all of the loans that were defaulted. More of our tax dollars down the drain.

Republicans need to get their heads out of the sand and stop growing government and spending tax dollars foolishly. Walker as governor is the worst thing that could have ever happened to Wisconsin along with all of his tea party cronies. Starving the beast to make it lose weight only makes the beast more and more angry until it attacks the keeper.

Anonymous said...

Good luck getting unemployment...you need to be a donor, have ties to Diane Hendricks and then you will get considered....

Unknown said...

Have you tasted their hot dogs recently? I am not surprised they are in trouble.