Monday, March 18, 2013

Layoffs at Westport

Westport Shipyard has announced layoffs.  Westport Human Resources General Manager Jennifer Swogger said:

“Westport Shipyard Inc. has made adjustments to employment levels at its 50-meter yacht construction facility.  The reduction is reflective of the current market conditions for premiere luxury yachts.”

19 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guess 150 foot long luxury yachts are not the hot item they once were. Good thing Port Angeles' future is not dependant on those!?


And, Nippon? Union busting? Just the kind of company Port Angeles keeps giving all those breaks and support to.

Wasn't there just any article about unemployment rising in Clallam?




2:14 PM, March 18, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

When the rich screw the little folks too much it comes back to bite them in the ass cuz they can't afford pecker extension boats. I'm just fine with that, not long after Westport came here I figured out that they were full of hype and just in the game for themselves.

5:28 PM, March 18, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When they get laid off, someone needs to hold their hands and make sure they don't get hit by a car or truck when crossing the street.

6:43 PM, March 18, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

@ 6:43 PM.....

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because someone didn't cook it on the other side.

8:25 PM, March 18, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

Me thinks the paper mill may be the next union shop to close down. Or they may go non union in order to keep costs down and stay in business. I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

5:30 AM, March 19, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Goodbye Nippon and goodbye Mayor Kiddbot, Nippon's ho!

10:25 AM, March 19, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

haha ...... fuck the union bastards

10:27 AM, March 19, 2013  
Anonymous Stop the union-busting! said...

I wonder whether the construction workers building Nippon's new biomass plant would honor a picket line if the mill workers went on strike?
Am I remembering right that constructions workers are non-union people hired from out of state?
Are any Teamsters Union drivers driving the delivery trucks?
The Nippon workers need the community's support along with the support and solidarity of other unions who will stand will them.

1:00 PM, March 19, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

I've been a union member two times over the years, cuz of jobs that required me to be, it was okay I guess.

But the first time I had only been to work for about a week when the cement finishers went on strike and there was a lockout so I was out of work. It was a piss poor time to be out of work just because some over paid assholes wanted more money.

1:46 PM, March 19, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes. All unions are about is wanting more money. Right?

And, all the union busting corporations want to do by lowering the wages and eliminating benefits for workers is to be able to offer goods and services at a lower price to consumers. Right?

8:49 AM, March 20, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow!!!
Breaking news in the PDN says that Nippon workers went on strike this morning!
The community stands with you, brothers and sisters. Solidarity!

12:05 PM, March 20, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

I was just out on the spit and they are picketing. They make good money compared to many here but that is how greed works. Won't hurt my feelings if they are out of work for three or six months.

12:58 PM, March 20, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, the depressed housing market and the higher unemployment rate won't be improving any time soon. Don't hold your breath for a cleanup of closed industrial sites to improve the looks of the waterfront - we can have blight and high UE rates!

5:44 PM, March 20, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dumb-ass comments like BBC, who wouldn't be as old as he is if he had worked in a time before unions. Ungratful grouchy old fart - shutup for once.

9:32 PM, March 20, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@BBC: do you reason before you write? Just because *most* jobs here pay less than a living wage - (one that you can buy a decent loaf of bread AND a gallon of clean milk for the kids with an hour's pay) - does not mean the union workers are greedy because they make a decent wage so they *can* make those purchases. And maybe even throw in a pacifier for you....

Its a bit shady-seeming that Westport lays off, and that damned mill throws out a laughable contract to long-term skilled employees, who still need to buy shoes for the kids. I don't work there, but I'll sure support the workers even though they do get paid better than I.

3:42 AM, March 21, 2013  
Blogger BBC said...

@ 3:42 AM,.... Of course I reason, just look at my reasoning as different than yours. Those mill workers are not just making decent wages, they are making damn good wages, I know some of them and see all the things they have and do so I'm just not blowing smoke out my ass.

But this is how greed works, it's not just at the top, it's at many levels. And don't ignore the fact that the mill has to compete with other mills to sell the products, if they can't compete they'll have to close shop and there will go the jobs.

Carry on.......

10:29 AM, March 21, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah, the "Race to the Bottom" is alive and well, here.

4:57 PM, March 21, 2013  
Anonymous babycat said...

Anonymous, you will be the first to the bottom. In 1977 I was working at a company called Washington Stove Works in Everett. After a year of working there the plant had to reorganize to stay competive. It was a union plant and because of that many workers thought they were owed a paycheck because they showed up for work 4 days a week. It was a 5 day a week job. I was layed off because others that only showed up for their check had more seniorty then I. the company finally had to shut down and terminate all employees. So much for union workers!

6:00 PM, March 22, 2013  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Baby cat, what a pathetic point of view. You really think that reducing peoples' wages to the bare minimum is going to make a community grow?

You wonder why millions in the US now rely on Food Stamps?

You ever wonder where the money comes from to pay for the Food Stamp program?

You really think people being paid the bare minimum, with no benefits, are going to be able to buy the things that will make this country grow again?

Used to be, you buy the cars I build, and I'll buy the washing machine you build. That worked. Unions and all.

Now, the corporations moved most of those factories to China, or India and. We have jobs at WalMart, and the money we spend on stuff gets sent to banks in Switzerland, where the corporations avoid paying any taxes in the US.

And, it sure is NOT working.

10:34 PM, March 25, 2013  

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