How is health care restructuring going to reduce consumer spending? I think the effect would be the other way, that with increased security, people would feel more at ease to spend -- and that would be especially true for the growing number of workers whose employers don't provide health care plans. It's hard to see how any change could make the situation much worse than it is now.

Capitalism, what has it done for you lately?

Less taxes bring businesses in. Wisconsin likes to tax a lot. How are businesses supposed to flourish?

Great, more governemnt involvement. What did this do for GM workers?

Contact Paul Ryan – U.S. Congressman at the following web site…
http://www.house.gov/ryan/email.htm
he requires the full zip code which would be 53545-0815 if you live near the factory in Janesville. Or call 1-888-909-7926.

Contact Russ Fiengold – U.S. Senator at the following web site…
http://feingold.senate.gov/contact.html or call (202)-224-5323.

Contact Herb Kohl – U.S. Senator at the following web site…
http://kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm or call 1-800-247-5645.

Contact Governor Jim Doyle at the following web site…
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/contact.as... or call 608-266-1212

possible talking points:

1. Loss of so many jobs in Janesville this last year

2. The effort and money spent in hopes of 80 jobs to build high speed trains in Janesville vs. the 150 jobs at stake with Sanford moving.

3. The history of Parker Pen

4. The fact the Sanford in Janesville will clear in excess of $10,000,000 profit this year, even in this down economy. This is not a business loosing money, rather it is a decision based on trying to increase profit short term to meet executive bonus goals. Long term this is not a good strategic move for the company and share holders.

5. Once gone, these type of businesses are very hard to replace in a community and far more money will be required to attract new business to locate in Wisconsin than what it would take to keep this business here.

6. The company is still “on the fence” about this. A good hard push by government might change the decision to move it.

Feingold is from Janesville.

http://feingold.senate.gov/contact_opini...

Maybe, just maybe, it's not too late for Newell to reconsider moving JVL jobs to Mexico for the small savings they'll reap in labor costs. I urge everyone- everyone who cares about keeping Sanford operating here in Janesville- to contact your State Senator, your Congressman, your Governor. You can google the name and be given an email link for contacting them. Email Newell President & CEO, Mark Ketchum @ mark.ketchum@newellco.com directly- ask him how the cost savings of such a move fits in to their corporate identity. Make some noise (respectful, polite noise), Janesville. Let Newell know how strongly we feel about keeping this part of their business in the United States of America. Do it now, before you post another blog. Do it before it's too late.

A different point. Some of you seem to want to lecture the rest of the posters on reality. Sure, you're right, outsourcing to India and moving to Mexico will make the corporation more money in the short term. I think we all get that.

Of course, as more and more jobs ship over seas the economy weakens, and Sanford B2B loses more business. But as long as you do your job, right Corporate Joe?

As more and more corporations follow this path and more jobs are lost, the United States becomes a less powerful market.

Really loving a world where even Americans don't look after their own out of basic common sense. But I'm supposed to be afraid of the socialists....ya...right...

A few things for the record. MaestroGarcia was the 3rd shift production supervisor. While the company is not legally allowed to tell us why, one day the guy was no longer the supervisor. Read between the lines. Don't put any stock in his opinions, he is simply hoping to strike back at those who he incompetently led until he no longer was employed.

The facilities that Newell Rubbermaid mentioned are Oakbrook Illinois and Mexicali Mexico. Most of the jobs that are being lost here will be going to Mexicali. Same kind of cost savings the rest of the corporations have been going for. Most Parker Pens are manufactured in China, go figure.

quote;
I'm thinking the same thing. Maestrogarcia sounds a lot like someone that was let go from Sanford. This person also use to tell us that he knew a lot of people that would work for less money then us. If it's so great in Mexico, why do they all come up here to work? There must be work all over down there by now.

Also, it just is so sad that as bad as the economy is here that these companies just keep leaving the country. We can never recover this way.
maybe this person is from mexico and trying to
make up for the reason he was let go, company
made contact with him to run the mexico plant ??

"Newell Rubbermaid, brands that matter... our people don't."

Definitely...

Another thing meastrogarcia---how dare you talk about unions and union workers the way you do. I am a union worker and have been my whole working like. I am not lazy. I work hard and so do my co workers. I am very proud of the work I do and am not ashamed to be a memeber of a union. I do not use being a union member to get out of work or expect to not have to do what is expected or me. Don't you dare speak in generalizations like that. You have no idea what all unions or union members are like.

i hope that if all these companys in the US move to other countries and out sourcing blows up in the companies faces.. why? when all the AMERICAN jobs are gone,DO you think the out sourcing companies,Mexico,China.India ect, will stay at the low wages? no I don't think so. they will demand more pay. then what will the companies do. go out of business,bankrupt come crawling back to us to give them a cushion in their pockets again?

The biggest problem alot of us have with all that is happening is that it took Mexico several years to be up & running with only 1 and then a 2nd product down there & they still have very many issues... For anyone to think that this business will even survive with all of the other products we deal with, after they go down there is a joke.

Did we see this coming?? Possibly. There has been a significant slow down at work. But if anything, almost all of us thought they would move our business to Tennessee, not out of the country.

I'm thinking the same thing. Maestrogarcia sounds a lot like someone that was let go from Sanford. This person also use to tell us that he knew a lot of people that would work for less money then us. If it's so great in Mexico, why do they all come up here to work? There must be work all over down there by now.

Also, it just is so sad that as bad as the economy is here that these companies just keep leaving the country. We can never recover this way.

"Why are southern states doing better than northern states?"

The main production part of of this business is going out of the country to Mexico... Not a southern state.

lulutwo- I don't want Sanford workers to feel any worse then they already do. I want them to ask the correct questions and not dwell on the "bigwigs" "greed" and "outsourcing."
They shoulde be asking:
What policies are causing business to either move out of WI or stay out of WI?
Why are southern states doing better than northern states?
What party is pro-buiness and what party isn't?

maestrogarcia - you sound just like a disgruntled ex-employee that was let go because of their attitude towards us...

I happen to believe that with lower taxes and sensible regulations along with reasonable worker demands we could have good jobs paying good benefits and wages. Also, understanding that profits are a good thing that allows companies to expand and hire more workers and/or increase pay etc.

Not bashing anyone... Why comments like this?? "Many of these folks talk about how thesed companies are greedy and they just want to put money in there pockets but they fail to say that about their self serving, bloated unions who protect the lazy union worker who is grossly overpaid and expects to get compensated for tenure rather than on performance. I don't get that."

maestrogarcia and magneto1-Stop posting. You're only making Sanford workers feel worse. Are you both employed?

For what you do, the wage is probably right on target.

Our aim is not to bash anyone but to simply point out that it's a simple law of economics.

1.Lose money and profits 2.People get laid off 3.In order to make money 4. In order for the company to survive

It's a sad reality. It's happening all over.

magneto1 & maestrogarcia - how does bashing the union workers or any Sanford workers make you feel when you don't know all of the details? Do we make $25/hr - no, try maybe 1/2 of that or much less...

magneto1 & Maestrogarcia: A livable wage for me is being able to make my payment on my 900 square foot house (not 2500- I wish!), my 2005 vehicle, my utilities, food, clothing, and school needs for my kids. Please be respectful - the two of you need to stop commenting. I don't know which of you is more rude. My guess is both of you are Newell employees.
i would guess these people are plants for
the company, to cool the input , but that wont happen, they to will soon be done and on are same side of the fence as soon as the company
does not need them anymore

luvmycity- Why do you wish for a bigger house? This is my point, workers feel they are getting the shaft when they can't purchase everything they want. I know people who live on $30,000 per year, debt free and are happy and people who make $80,000+, loaded with debt and are miserable. The 80k friend of mine is always complaining, stressed and feels like he is getting the shaft while the "bigwigs" make on the money. How each of us choose to live our lives is up to us and not the responsibility of our employers.

luvmycityi I dont't mean any disrespect. Some folk have a different view on livable wage. Some need 25 bucks an hour some 13 bucks an hour. It depends on how you live your life. The more excess you have the more you are going to complain. Live within your means.

India was being used because at one point they could not keep up with the demand. And, it was coincidentally cheaper to use India also.

magneto1 & Maestrogarcia: A livable wage for me is being able to make my payment on my 900 square foot house (not 2500- I wish!), my 2005 vehicle, my utilities, food, clothing, and school needs for my kids. Please be respectful - the two of you need to stop commenting. I don't know which of you is more rude. My guess is both of you are Newell employees.

A careful and thorough review of our office products business indicates a need to further improve efficiencies in order to remain competitive in a challenging economy,” the statement says. “As a result, we are considering the consolidation of administrative and manufacturing operations from our Janesville, Wis., facility into other company locations with excess capacity
i guess by this that mexico is the best place
at 2.65 cents per hour, the us goverment need to
tax the live h out of these companys that keep moving job to mexico and china, newell rubermaid just did this move and said the same
b.s to there workers in iowa at the dewitt vise grip plant, they are moving that to china, you can bet the higher ups are not taking a cut in there pay,maybe they should work like the rest of us have to , but than again what comes around goes around, this co has been playing with people from the time they took over 9 yrs ago

Initially only some of the work was being sent to India. Then, as times got tough, more work was sent to India to "save money". People lost their jobs in Janesville. So how is that not loosing your job to outsourcing?

Who is going to step up?

http://spend-local.com/blog/janesville/w...

It's Ramen noodles

Magneto and I will make sure we buy a Honda, Toyota, or even a Nissan vehicle so it does not break down.

magneto1: Livable wage is only subjective to some. To me it means being able to pay rent/mortgage, utilities, auto, and food. That can't be done on eight to ten bucks an hour around here. Maybe if your car never breaks, you can walk to work, and you eat Ramon noodles and peanut butter seven days a week.

Newell Rubbermaid Inc. is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales of approximately $6 billion and a strong portfolio of brands, including Sharpie(R), Paper Mate(R), DYMO(R), EXPO(R), Waterman(R), Parker(R), Rolodex(R), IRWIN(R), LENOX(R), BernzOmatic(R), Rubbermaid(R), Graco(R), Calphalon(R) and Goody(R). The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and has approximately 28,000 employees worldwide.

Gillette previously owned Parker Pen, Waterman, and PaperMate. They sold all to Newell Rubbermaid around 2000. The balance of Gillette is now owned by PG. Show us where you researched the other brands you mention.

Correct

Newell Rubbermaid headquarters is in Atlanta.

wrong jo. They are all owned by Newell rubbermaid. headquarters are in freeport, IL

ou812, your post is correct. I wanted to make the point that the outsourcing to India just didn't happen recently.

Well, I've been hanging around the area looking for the silver lining but I'm starting to think that there isn't one. This one business a week closing is getting old. Something has to give here pretty quick or my family may have to move too. Our savings account will only last so long.

lulutwo- not true, unemployment in the US has been roughly 4% for decades whereas other countries like in Europe have been 10+% for the same period of time.

maestrogarcia- that is why blue collar jobs have been going the way of the dinos in America. Union jobs are good for the ones left standing. How about the workers that have lost out because business left. I don't get it either.

lulutwo, I understand your loyalty to those that lost their jobs as I also want to be very respectful to those who lost their jobs. Sanford has been working with India for years. That is not new. When sales decline, so will the number of positions in those departments. Everyone has their own opinions based on emotions, but he facts are the facts.

magneto1-Far more workers are displaced from work being sent overseas than workers being placed from business coming here from overseas. Look at our nations unemployment rates and look at the why's and you will have your answer.

Magneto1. Many of these folks talk about how thesed companies are greedy and they just want to put money in there pockets but they fail to say that about their self serving, bloated unions who protect the lazy union worker who is grossly overpaid and expects to get compensated for tenure rather than on performance. I don't get that.

Actually j01603456, those folks lost their jobs because they went to India as a cost-savings measure. The company's sales continued to diminish this year, since promotional products are not a "necessity" in a down-turned market. Now the remaining employees will lose their jobs to Mexico and Oak Brook, IL in a consolidation effort.

lulutwo- how do you feel about foreign companies that come to the United States and employ American workers?

j07603456- Wrong! The majority of the office workers who lost their jobs earlier this year lost them due to their jobs being sent to India. So not only is work going to be sourced to Mexicali, it is also CURRENTLY being sourced to India. Keep buying foreign......

Welcome to the real world Janesville.

lulutwo, I am not defending Newell, however, most of the Sanford people that have been let go to date was not due to Sanford closing, they were laid off due to the downward spiral of sales in Janesville.

Newell Rubbermaid, brands that matter... our people don't.

What is a "livable wage?" Does it mean having food, clothes, shelter as well as a few extras or does it mean having 2 new vehicles, a harley, 2500 sq foot home, a cabin up north etc. The point is, a living wage is subjective.

http://www.newellrubbermaid.com/public/O...

Jatr, Sanford is owned by Newell Rubbermaid. Gillette, Westbend, Coucellor, Rogers are not brands affiliated with Newell that I am aware of. Let's get the facts correct so these innocent brands are not trashed through this. If anyone wants to see which brands they own - google Newell Rubbermaid.

ihavealife-quote-Just so you know ..Any worker that is put out of work because of a closing,is/will be offered job training and schooling.
Really? What about the many Sanford displaced workers that lost their jobs earlier this year due to outsourcing? None of them were offered education of any type. Wish what you were saying held true with Newell Rubbermaid, the company that owns Sanford Business to Business in Janesville.

dlphn35: Having gone through a similar situation several times now, I'm truly sorry for your situation. The lack of compassion for those losing jobs or potentially losing jobs in this area is a bit disheartening. Regardless of the reasoning for a company moving, people need to make a livable wage in the United States. It's not the workers fault if they take pay that is line with the cost of living. In addition, it's not the workers in the United States fault if workers in Mexico are happy with twenty cents an hour only because their government is so inadequate. That said, I do believe WI is going to struggle to replace these jobs. There just aren't enough incentives for companies to locate here. I think we'll land a few government based jobs and some stimulus jobs, but those are short term solutions.

I hear you dlphn35. I work there too. We have always & still do our best, but it stinks there are so many unknowns out there right now for us...

opinionsforfree -- I agree. We've become a service oriented workforce but who in the heck are we going to service?

Training and School are great. They do no good when there is no place to work

dlphn35 -- I'm thinking about you and your co-workers...as I know several of them well. Is it a done deal or is there something that can be done?

We will all have to move to Mexico in order to keep working. Nice and sunny down there plus drugs are cheap and healthcare is cheaper.

Best wishes to you dlphn35. My fear is that if Cap and Trade and health care passes millions more will be out of work. Put simply, buiness will not and, in many cases, cannot absorb the huge costs these program will have. I don't blame buiness for moving to countries where they can reduce cost and compete. I blame politians and their policies that drive companies out.

i work at Sanford. I have alot of repect for the job that i do. It truely is a shame that Sanford is moving the business to Mexico for cheaper labor. But I know that everyday i go in could be my last. It's a shame that many of us employess at Sanford go home early,do 1/2 day vacations and furloug. But I know no matter what I do I did my best and i will go home knowing that my best was done,but the decision is completly out of the employess hands because the fact is their minds are already made up to move the company. They are trying to make sure that the Union trys to fight for the union side of the company and the office side is in LIMBO just waiting.

My heart breaks for all the wonderful people with many, many years of experience and pride. Newell is making a big mistake, but it is one none of us can change as much as we hope to. They do not walk the talk about "valuing our employees". How sad. Hang in there everyone.

I am sure Gov. Doyle will step in and offer extended unemployment and additional training and schooling resourses to all these affected employees. Everyone just hold your breath........

Feeling used. You bet. First India, now Mexico. Knowing that hard working, loyal employees are nothing but puppets in the corporation's master plan. Be honest Sanford/Newell Co - your decision has been made.

Would I be doing the right thing by leaving my IRS funds in an account that keeps losing money just so I can keep the folks who manage my account employed? At my long term expense?

"Do the right thing?" I suppose Sara that you know what that is? People like you won't be happy until we are all "equally" miserable and referring to each other as comrade.

If you had a lemonade and it cost you $10.00 a week to pay someone to help you run it and $20.00 to pay the person to rent or lease the space you occupy but you only made $15.00 a week in sales? Would you keep that stand or would you go to a different block where you could actually make $50.00 in sales and keep making money every week instead of losing money?

sky blue. Do you have any idea how big this company is? Who owns them and who they own? You will never able to just not buy any sanford products. Sanford, Parker, Waterman, Gilette, West Bend, counsellor, Eldon, Rubbermaid, Rogers, Just to name a few of their brands.

Exactly magneto. Labor is the biggest expense. Why pay folks here when you can pay them less elsewhere?

for 50 years manufacturing has been moving to the southern states as well as over seas. Why is this? Greed? Perhaps in some cases, but most businesses do not have the profit margins to absorb high taxes, punitive regulations and union labor. If the United States operated in isolation that would be one thing, but we don't.

TheJoker -- No joke. I'd like a response to your question from any city official. The first time this happened at Arrow Park the employees of Parker/Gillette had to contact the city so the city could gather details. Shame, shame.

Where are our so called city officals and leaders regarding this issue? They are nowhere to be found as we all watch the air continue to escape from the balloon that was once a great city called Janesville.

We were basically told we were tops with our production, customer service & safety but because of the almighty dollar they are looking to move the operations to Mexico. They already have their minds made up...

i lost respect for this company, when they outsourced all of their office jobs to India and proceeded to get rid of the AMERICAN people who did them, before announcing they were closing the janesville plant. Twenty-plus people whom could have been eligible for the dislocated workers program, are left with squat, because Sanford worked around it. Its too bad for the few people left in the departments that were outsourced,whos jobs are going to be 'merged' into other facilities. Little did they know, they were working so hard to 'better' the company, by training their own replacements.

sanford wants to be idiots. so I'll not buy their products. I also hope if they leave janesville, that stores in the area will replace sanford pruducts on their store shelves. of which I'll then be more happy to purchase instead of sanford's items.
.
its simple economics
.
and yes, I have some Parker pens and sanford pens that will go in a shoe box, into the closet where they can collect dust.

From what I understand this division in Janesville was the darling of the stationery products division (as recent as last year). Like many corporations they are using the "recession" to trim where ever they can because everyone else is doing it. My question to the executives would be -- "If the employees in Janesville were not a part of the mix for the last 10 years would your business have been as profitable as it was?" Just curious.

In other words, they are making a profit but not the millions needed to feed the corporate big wigs retirement and slush funds. So they conveniently use Janesville's bad times to further beat down on the employee's pay and benefits. You don't hear about Sanford exec's "helping out" in these trying times.