MORE ON THE CATERPILLAR LAYOFFS IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

[Omaha Steve]

http://gangbox.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/more-on-the-caterpillar-layoffs-in-central-illinois/



RON JOHNSON/JOURNAL STAR
Caterpillar workers at an East Peoria plant, leave work after their shift on Friday afternoon. The company announced that 584 workers were laid off, part of more than 2,000 production workers laid off from three Illinois plants.
More related photos


By PAUL GORDON
Journal Star
Posted Jan 30, 2009 @ 08:15 AM
Last update Jan 30, 2009 @ 06:08 PM
PEORIA —

When Caterpillar Inc. warned on Monday that more layoffs were possible, even likely in some cases, few thought they would come four days later.

But the company, saying Friday it still needed to bring production in line with falling demand, pulled the trigger on more than 2,000 more full-time production jobs and more than 400 salaried positions.

More than 700 employees will be laid off in East Peoria, according to figures released by the company.

That brings the total Caterpillar layoffs since early December to more than 22,000 employees, including contract and agency workers.

The layoffs announced Friday will begin April 13, the company said. Under federal labor law, the company must give 60 days notice of a mass layoff.

A total of 2,110 production employees at plants in East Peoria, Aurora and Decatur will be laid off indefinitely “to bring production levels in line with current demand,” the company said in a news release.

FULL story at link.

[Critters2]

1. This will hit this area hard. nt

[liberal renegade]

3. Could this

be a repeat of the early 80's? I lived in the Quad City area during the 80's, and can remember well
how tough things were. International Harvester, Case, Caterpillar and John Deere had 1000's of people laid off. Hell, you couldn't buy a job back then! From the looks of things, the 80's will pale in comparison of what's about to come.

[Critters2]

4. I think it'll be at least as bad, maybe worse. I grew up in Davenport

and Kewanee. My dad was laid off by JI Case in 1970, and went to work for Kewanee Machinery, a small famil-owned (then) farm implement company. He designed augers and elevators for them. He was laid off there in 1983. The early 80's were especially hard on manufacturing. And yes, I think this'll be worse.

[uppityperson]

2. My family's business was road building/upkeep equipment sales/maintenance

It went under during Reagonomics. I hadn't heard of the Cat layoffs, damn.