Liberal Forum

Beekeeper » 04 Apr 2024, 6:14 am » wrote: ↑

04 Apr 2024, 6:14 am

So where is the cheers now, ****???

Workers at factories in Illinois have been hit by mass layoffs and closures in recent months.

 Since the start of 2024, four factories in Illinois have announced they will make more than 1,000 employees redundant due to manufacturing costs, revenue losses and the need to relocate operations. The Quaker Oats Company, Blommer Chocolate Company, Rivian and Monterey Mushrooms have all announced or enacted layoffs since January this year.

"The Quaker Oats Company announces that we are permanently closing our facility in Danville, Illinois," the company said in a statement. It cited the need for modernization and enhancements at the facility that would require it to be closed for an extended period of time. The company has opted to move production to other facilities instead of carrying out the necessary changes.

In late March, Blommer Chocolate Company notified state officials that the closure of its factory in Chicago's Fulton River District would result in 226 job losses as of May 31. A statement seen by the daily newspaper Chicago Sun-Times said the decision is down to the "location and age of the Chicago facility coupled with increasing repair and maintenance of the building and equipment has elevated operating costs and created production reliability issues."

 In February, electric car manufacturer Rivian announced 100 redundancies for workers at its assembly plant in Normal in January this year, amounting to 10 percent of its salaried workforce. The company reported a loss of $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to a loss of about $1.7 billion during the same period of 2022.

 "Our business is facing a challenging macroeconomic environment - including historically high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty - and we need to make purposeful changes now to ensure our promising future," founder and chief executive R.J. Scaringe wrote in an email to staff, according to AB7 Chicago.