Post by TonyV on Sept 12, 2010 12:07:16 GMT -5
Hello, I would like to bring your attention on a new post published on the
UAWLAP.org Site.
Details of the post follow.
In Solidarity,
Steven M. Stone
GE's Dim Bulb Move Shines A Light On Corporate America's Poor Priorities
Sept. 8, 2010
by Brian Sullivan, foxbusiness.com
What's happening in my hometown tells the story in a nutshell, or rather, a
light bulb, of everything that's wrong in American business today.
This month General Electric will close its last incandescent light bulb factory
in America. 200 workers will be laid off as G.E. moves to production of the
new compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs to another plant.
That plant being shut down is in my hometown of Winchester, Virginia. The
new bulb factories,and new jobs, are in China.
Think about what's going on here. In order to be more environmental, G.E. will
close a U.S. plant, lay people off and ship manufacturing to China. The new
'green' bulbs will be made in some Chinese factory, be transported to the coast,
put on a ship for the 7,000 mile journey to Long Beach, and then put on another
truck or train for the 3,000 mile trip back to the east coast. Somehow
making something in China and shipping it 10,000 miles on diesel guzzling ships
and trucks doesn't seem very 'green' to me.
The Washington Post wrote an excellent piece highlighting the concerns of the
mostly middle-aged workers in Winchester who will now lose their jobs. Jobs
that paid a solid wage of about per hour. In Winchester, that kind of pay
provides for a comfortable life.
G.E.'s excuse for the move is that a law passed in 2007 bans the sale of
incandescent bulbs by 2014. It's a hollow argument. The law may ban the
old style bulbs from sale, but it certainly doesn't prevent G.E. from
retrofitting the factory to make the new CFL bulbs here in America. Keep in
mind G.E. isn't just a company that makes light bulbs. It's a company whose
founder, Thomas Edison, invented the light bulb.
The President says again and again that so-called 'green' jobs are the future of
America. Apparently G.E., a company whose CEO Jeff Immelt is on the
President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, isn't listening. Someone needs
to remind Washington that the future of America isn't just green jobs. It's
jobs, period.
Yes, making the new bulbs in America would cost more. The Washington Post
reports that G.E. looked at keeping the plant open, but ultimately it didn't
make economic sense. Laying off 200 loyal workers in a town desperate for
opportunity doesn't make economic sense either. If those workers can't find
another job, they'll be forced to join the growing ranks of laid off
manufacturing workers filing for unemployment benefits. That, with any health
care expenses they have while out of work, would likely be picked up by the
taxpayer. G.E. saves so we all can pay on the back end.
To be fair, this isn't just a G.E. issue. We all need to do our part in
store aisles. Companies everywhere are cutting jobs and running overseas,
seeking cheaper production to quench American thirst for bargains. At some
point consumers need to recognize that with 'cheap' comes a cost. The cost
of American jobs. And that should be worth paying a little more for
products, like light bulbs, that are made in America.
Changing our national shopper culture is a much larger issue. This is a
simple story. General Electric needs to man up, pay up and upgrade the
Winchester factory to make the new bulbs. It's good for Winchester. It's
good for America. It's probably a good move for a corporate America that's
suffering a severe image problem, too.
To borrow G.E.'s own catchphrase, it boggles the 'eco:magination' to understand
how laying off 200 hard working Americans to ship 'green' jobs to China is good
for anyone, except maybe the Chinese. The 'green' we should all be concerned
about right now is the cash coming from the paychecks of American workers in
American factories.
Link to the post:
uawlap.org/building-chairpersons-report/ges-dim-bulb-move-shines-a-light-on-corporate-americas-poor-priorities.php
Link to UAWLAP.org: uawlap.org
UAWLAP.org Site.
Details of the post follow.
In Solidarity,
Steven M. Stone
GE's Dim Bulb Move Shines A Light On Corporate America's Poor Priorities
Sept. 8, 2010
by Brian Sullivan, foxbusiness.com
What's happening in my hometown tells the story in a nutshell, or rather, a
light bulb, of everything that's wrong in American business today.
This month General Electric will close its last incandescent light bulb factory
in America. 200 workers will be laid off as G.E. moves to production of the
new compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs to another plant.
That plant being shut down is in my hometown of Winchester, Virginia. The
new bulb factories,and new jobs, are in China.
Think about what's going on here. In order to be more environmental, G.E. will
close a U.S. plant, lay people off and ship manufacturing to China. The new
'green' bulbs will be made in some Chinese factory, be transported to the coast,
put on a ship for the 7,000 mile journey to Long Beach, and then put on another
truck or train for the 3,000 mile trip back to the east coast. Somehow
making something in China and shipping it 10,000 miles on diesel guzzling ships
and trucks doesn't seem very 'green' to me.
The Washington Post wrote an excellent piece highlighting the concerns of the
mostly middle-aged workers in Winchester who will now lose their jobs. Jobs
that paid a solid wage of about per hour. In Winchester, that kind of pay
provides for a comfortable life.
G.E.'s excuse for the move is that a law passed in 2007 bans the sale of
incandescent bulbs by 2014. It's a hollow argument. The law may ban the
old style bulbs from sale, but it certainly doesn't prevent G.E. from
retrofitting the factory to make the new CFL bulbs here in America. Keep in
mind G.E. isn't just a company that makes light bulbs. It's a company whose
founder, Thomas Edison, invented the light bulb.
The President says again and again that so-called 'green' jobs are the future of
America. Apparently G.E., a company whose CEO Jeff Immelt is on the
President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, isn't listening. Someone needs
to remind Washington that the future of America isn't just green jobs. It's
jobs, period.
Yes, making the new bulbs in America would cost more. The Washington Post
reports that G.E. looked at keeping the plant open, but ultimately it didn't
make economic sense. Laying off 200 loyal workers in a town desperate for
opportunity doesn't make economic sense either. If those workers can't find
another job, they'll be forced to join the growing ranks of laid off
manufacturing workers filing for unemployment benefits. That, with any health
care expenses they have while out of work, would likely be picked up by the
taxpayer. G.E. saves so we all can pay on the back end.
To be fair, this isn't just a G.E. issue. We all need to do our part in
store aisles. Companies everywhere are cutting jobs and running overseas,
seeking cheaper production to quench American thirst for bargains. At some
point consumers need to recognize that with 'cheap' comes a cost. The cost
of American jobs. And that should be worth paying a little more for
products, like light bulbs, that are made in America.
Changing our national shopper culture is a much larger issue. This is a
simple story. General Electric needs to man up, pay up and upgrade the
Winchester factory to make the new bulbs. It's good for Winchester. It's
good for America. It's probably a good move for a corporate America that's
suffering a severe image problem, too.
To borrow G.E.'s own catchphrase, it boggles the 'eco:magination' to understand
how laying off 200 hard working Americans to ship 'green' jobs to China is good
for anyone, except maybe the Chinese. The 'green' we should all be concerned
about right now is the cash coming from the paychecks of American workers in
American factories.
Link to the post:
uawlap.org/building-chairpersons-report/ges-dim-bulb-move-shines-a-light-on-corporate-americas-poor-priorities.php
Link to UAWLAP.org: uawlap.org