Fruit of the Loom to close Jamestown plant, lay off all 600 workers

If you want to buy American and maybe even save a little money while doing it, try Etsy.

Seriously, check this out: many think of Etsy as a website to buy 'designer' crafted goods. It is. Many of the crafted goods are 'high end' and sold for a premium. But there is this other trend too, and that's the one people are just starting to catch on to, a trend where you can get goods that are sometimes even both better AND cheaper than you can get at stores. Other times, they are a little better for about the same amount of money, and that's still pretty cool, eh? And in even more cases, you can if you are so inclined pay a small premium to put money directly in the hands of the person who made what you are buying, which some people are into but is of course not the exciting thing here. The exciting thing here is doing that while paying less for a higher quality product.

How is this possible? When a company moves a factory overseas to hire cheaper labor, do they pass the savings on to their customers? Do things become cheaper? The answer we have seen over the past 10-20 years is no, in plenty of industries / markets they mostly do not. Some industries are price competitive at the consumer level, but many are not. Particularly for clothes, it is this 'taking without giving' that has created this opportunity for some revenge for both the American worker and the American consumer:

Right now, an experienced, capable sewing machine operator can now often offer all of these things at the same time:

-higher quality (in materials, in custom fitting, in custom design work, in some customer service such as guarantees/repairs/replacements, etc)

-lower prices than comparable goods at retail, even "discounted" retail.

-do both of those things while paying themselves a higher wage than they ever made at the factory before it moved overseas, and/or a higher wage than they would make at some crappy local service job like working a cash register or pouring coffee or waiting tables.

Has Obama commented on this yet?

If not, why not?

Unless.....

macman
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

What's the problem here?

A company is moving operations to a place where it costs less to make something than it does here in the US.

A company is supposed to make money, not be there to provide jobs.

Should all Americans take that approach in regards to this country when it comes to their profits and best interests?

My, how differently we look at things now. Companies are here to make money, a reasonable amount of money. Trouble is there are too many companies that are not privately owned. They must make money for their share holders who get greedier, and greedier. Warren Buffet has no conscience. Companies used to care about the jobs they created in an area. They moved to areas with a skilled work force. Not so now. Money, Money, Money is the root of all evil.

macman
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

What's the problem here?

A company is moving operations to a place where it costs less to make something than it does here in the US.

A company is supposed to make money, not be there to provide jobs.

"No you don't understand, it was too expensive to keep paying them this livable wage! The only sustainable way we can stay in business is to ship the jobs to overseas to borderline slaves at slave wages. I mean sure, there's millions and millions of dollars worth of slack in the executives paychecks, but the company can actually afford to pay those (far above living) wages. It's the living wages that they can't afford!"

True, no one and nothing has any obligation to not screw over the people around them.

But when they do screw people over for their own benefit, I feel quite obligated to call them out on being so (cuss)-ey.

Please correct any of this if I'm wrong:
Warren Buffett always tries to be this cool hip liberal who complains about those greedy corporations yet his company is doing the samething. Wouldn't Buffett have a huge say in Fruit of the Loom relocating? Hopefully America can find ways to add news jobs because American can't compete with these other countries when it comes to factory jobs. It sucks so many Americans (including me at times) say they are going to boycott these companies when this happens yet the vast majority don't, I can't blame them though most people need to spend every dollar wisely and I can't fought them for wanting to pay less. I wish our Economy/country didn't have so much stock in buying from other countries and we could actually do something.

reply to post by Mamatus


I too contacted Fruit of the Loom letting them know I will buy my undies elsewhere, or just go without the darn things! Going to post on facebook as well! someone needs to stand up to these f%#@%ers!

smoketheresfire
reply to post by Mamatus

 

I too contacted Fruit of the Loom letting them know I will buy my undies elsewhere, or just go without the darn things! Going to post on facebook as well! someone needs to stand up to these f%#@%ers!

Great idea! Like I said before, I wrote too and don't expect that they will change their plans, but it's good if we can let them know how we feel.

reply to post by macman


Yes what you speak of is the "de-industrialization" of the US...
Eventually, ALL manufacturing jobs will be gone in Amerika...

So I guess we should just shut up and deal with it...

Don't worry though, the jobs will return eventually when there is no middle-class left and the poor will all be in work-camps and then we will be willing to work for 25 cents an hour (if you are lucky enough to be chosen as a "supervisor")... Then we wil be truelly on-par with the rest of the world competitively ...

Can't wait...

jjkenobi

macman
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

What's the problem here?

A company is moving operations to a place where it costs less to make something than it does here in the US.

A company is supposed to make money, not be there to provide jobs.

Agree with you. My problem with it is the USA's policies make it cheaper for companies like this to move jobs out of America.

So you'd like to see people in the US being paid 62 cents an hour like the factory workers in Hanes factories in Haiti? As far as policies that move jobs out of America, I'd have to agree. Our governmental policies are absolutely behind moving jobs out of the US.

www.thenation.com...
www.cbsnews.com...

Another interesting mix of US government and US corporate power in our southerly neighbors would be the United Fruit Company but that's bananas really. We don't grow them here but it still is a nice case of US government mixing with corporate power.
www.nytimes.com...

So yes, our government's policies do absolutely encourage the deportment of jobs from within the US.

macman
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

What's the problem here?

A company is moving operations to a place where it costs less to make something than it does here in the US.

A company is supposed to make money, not be there to provide jobs.

the problem is a buisness should be loyal. Gives the efforts of workers a bad name. Exploitation caused by greed

smoketheresfire
reply to post by Mamatus

 

I too contacted Fruit of the Loom letting them know I will buy my undies elsewhere, or just go without the darn things! Going to post on facebook as well! someone needs to stand up to these f%#@%ers!

The supporters of the "Free Market" say that the consumer holds all the power in putting a stop to this.
Just don't buy nor support these corporations that move their operations overseas.
Their number one customer I imagine is the USA.

The thing is, the Constitution was setup for the best interests of this country and that is how the politicians are supposed to run it.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The politicians should not be running the country for the best interests of corporations and its shareholders but for all people of this country. Since politicians can legally deal in insider trading and have a stake in stocks I don't see things changing.

Instead we have Fascism.

The consumer really does not hold the cards nor have all the power but is a propaganda statement.
Where were the Cheap Chinese Goods that "Americans could not get enough of" prior to all the Trade Pacts?
I live in a Big City and 30 years ago, there was a strip of specialty stores selling goods from all over the world.
One store selling China made goods was the size of a Gas Station. That was the extent of Chinese Products here in the USA.

The consumer does not have the power like the Board of Directors, Politicians and Lobbyists that Collude and Conspire to enrich themselves at the expense to this country.

You would see a Big Cry come from these people if the Consumers and Laborers Organized Movements in order to Collude and Conspire in solidarity against them.

We need to put politicians in office that put America first and not Corporations and Shareholders.
If they want to go to Honduras to pay a worker 2 bucks a day, then put in tariffs to make it cost them 10 bucks an hour if they want to sell here.

We are a major Importer of goods unlike the last time tariffs were passed in the depression.

1. NAFTA and open borders = open markets is a policy that was never in the best interest of American citizens, consumers or workers. It allowed cheap foreign-made goods to "compete equally" with US made stuff. Obviously, the producer with the lower cost structure will win, driving the noncompetitive sellers. BOTH parties were falling all over themselves to be the first to implement NAFTA, and trade American sovereignty for the profits of their political patrons.

2. Free Enterprise means ... freedom, for the consumer, the workers, and the factory owners. Freedom for consumers means switching brands to the one that suits their needs. For the workers, it means not having to do a job when you'd rather not work there. For the owner, it means not having to take a loss when you make and sell a product.

3. I didn't even know that Fruit of the Loom was even STILL IN THE USA. I sort of assumed they were made in Latin America, like everything else. Funny, I think some ATSers are punishing Fruit of the Loom are basically punishing them for being the last company to leave...

4. My spouse is beginning to sew more and more of our clothes herself. High end goods are cost prohibitive, due to the price of nice looking materials. She actually looked at making me a suit! It would have cost what a cheap one off the rack costs at a warehouse. On the other hand, she made me my camo hunting 'scrubs', for about half of retail. She already makes our pajamas and children's clothes (where the highest mark-up is).

framedragged

macman
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

What's the problem here?

A company is moving operations to a place where it costs less to make something than it does here in the US.

A company is supposed to make money, not be there to provide jobs.

"No you don't understand, it was too expensive to keep paying them this livable wage! The only sustainable way we can stay in business is to ship the jobs to overseas to borderline slaves at slave wages. I mean sure, there's millions and millions of dollars worth of slack in the executives paychecks, but the company can actually afford to pay those (far above living) wages. It's the living wages that they can't afford!"

True, no one and nothing has any obligation to not screw over the people around them.

But when they do screw people over for their own benefit, I feel quite obligated to call them out on being so (cuss)-ey.

Well said Framedragged. The executives of Fruit of the Loom only care about lining their own pockets with gold. It would be one thing to move operations overseas in an attempt to bail out a failing company, but "Fruit of the Doom" (as we affectionately call them here in Russell County) frankly stated that their primary motive was to increase the company's profits (as well as the executives' own personal gains.)

Fruit of the Doom gave the struggling American middle class family the middle finger.

Greed will cause this country to spiral into another Depression.

Night Star
When I first hit the workforce you could literally quit one job and walk right into another in the same day. It was like that for many years, jobs were everywhere. Now, people have to fight tooth and nail to get even a part time job in many areas. This Country of ours has changed so much over the years, I hardly recognize it anymore.

This is true nowadays in many countries that manufactured its own goods and produce. Jobs are being taken out of the country left and right, not only in America, but also China now. I wish I was the President of the United States. I would immediately level a fair playing game. "It won't matter where the product is made or grown", the price would reflect if it were to be made in America. Just have the import tax increased, ah, but wait, wasn't it America coming up with all these free trade zones around the world. Check into the TPP.

www.japantimes.co.jp...

Nothing less than treason in my mind. Selling out the American people to pad Warren Buffet's pocket.

Stronger words are called for, but this is ATS, so I will let it rest.

Warren Buffet, the same liberal Warren Buffet who said;

"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on."

And he also said;

"If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further. But I think that people at the high end - people like myself - should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it."

And also;

"Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1."

Now you all can boycott Fruit of the Loom. But you can also support and promote any competing company, or hell, start your own as well!

Even if they don't move to Honduras,they can use robots to replace human workers.

As a consumer, you do the only thing that can possibly hurt them. Firmly commit to never buy their products again.
If there were any solidarity in this, it would be a totally different economic situation in this country.

Mamatus
reply to post by BattleStarGal

 

Hey Warren if you are listening, just want you to know you just lost a customer. My junk swings in Red, White and Blue only.

I bet poor Warren is devastated by this announcement!!

It's hard to like the successful and ambitiously motivated!! Don't you think?

Well for people who are not, it is!!