Sears call hub closing; 800 jobs cut off (by CitiGroup)

[Whoa_Nelly]

The nation's largest financial services conglomerate announced it will cut more than 800 positions at a credit card customer service center in New Orleans.

Citigroup Inc. last week told employees that it would shutter its Sears credit card center in eastern New Orleans by October, said Maria Mendler, a spokeswoman for Citigroup's Citibank unit. The office employs 847 workers who handle customer-service and collection calls, Mendler said.

Citigroup's move comes less than three months after the financial giant finalized its acquisition of Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s customer credit card portfolio for $3 billion in November.

<snip>
Eugene Green, president of the New Orleans Business and Industrial District, where the center is located, said the loss of the center was a blow. However, he said, the city's economy should be able to absorb the workers, particularly given that the center will not close until October.

more...
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1075188336126380.xml

[liberalhistorian]

1. Everyone who has one

should cut up their Sears cards and send them to Citigroup telling them they can go fuck themselves, they're not going to get another dime from you so that they can keep on screwing people over and collecting their exorbitant salaries and perks.

[Avalon Sparks]

5. I got the notice last week... with my Sears statement...

I don't have any debt on the card, and that's exactly what I plan on doing.

We've been bombarded in the past with credit card offers from Citi and I knew all about their bullshit business dealings (goodle the web, there's too many to list) so I shredded everyone of them. They used to come about once a month.

Then I saw where they 'got' us anyway last week via our Sears credit card and I decided to cancel it soon. We're about to buy a house and I don't want to make any changes to my credit, but as soon as we're done... bye, bye Citi Fascist Corp.

[liberalhistorian]

8. Good for you!

As soon as she's paid off the card, my mom's going to do the same with hers. If someone calls about the card when she's late with a payment, and they sound like they're Indian, she's going to hang up, as well.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[teryang]

2. It's the inevitable 2 million new jobs

...every repuke econopundit has been babbling about since the market went skunky.

[Fargin Ice Hole]

3. Damn, wonder if neil Diamond gonna right a new song.......

They go from America!!!!! Today!!!!!!!

[liberalhistorian]

7. LOL!

I wish he would. He'd probably catch a major shitstorm from the freakers and wingnuts, though, the same ones who worship Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith, etc.

I know I'm finally out of here for good if the Bushistas are still in power a year from now, this just isn't the same country anymore and I'm afraid it never will be again no matter what we do.

[KamaAina]

4. Look at that Bush* job machine go!

Go, jobs, go! Go far away from Louisiana where they actually voted in a DemoncRAT governor!

</sarcasm>

[kittykitty]

6. Add All These To That Number!

Add to that for just 2004 so far:

Kraft Food ----1300 in N. America

KB Toys--------3500

Ford-----------1000 in St. Louis

Ford------------200 in Claymo

MCI------------1700

Sun-------------300 in CA

Premier Elec----523 in KY

Slane Hosiery---241 NC

Excel Corp------700 Dodge City Kansas

Earthlink------1300

Plus many smaller layoffs of a couple hundred at many smaller businesses throughout the country.

[Merrick]

9. add

Beckman Coulter Instruments (my former employer)---300 in US (funny their stock/earnings weren't bad prior to the cuts, have risen since, and people there are still nervous)

[Pegleg Thd]

10. Another name to add is

Kwikset. They make door locks at Bristow Oklahoma. They are owned by Black & Decker. Most of their production is going to Mexico this year. 1200 plus employees losing jobs.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. And in Iowa...

Unilever will cut another 58 jobs


Dennis Myers, Unilever plant manager, said 43-58 hourly, production-line positions will be phased out over a year's time when the company installs a $13.3 million upgrade to the operation. That represents as many as half the division's workforce and more than 16 percent of the plant's total.

Last Friday, approval came from corporate headquarters for the replacement of four packing lines with two state-of-the-art, high-speed lines that will allow the division to process the same volume, cheaper.

"From a business perspective, this positions us very well for the future," Myers said.


http://newstribune.com/articles/2004/01/30/business/0130040018.txt

Hourly production- line positions? Those being cut are probably already living below the poverty line.
How cruel.