It's sad to read the newspaper article above, and it brings back the memory of when I was working for Rand McNally as a Cartographer.
We had been waiting nearly the whole month of January to receive our list of map updates & projects for the year. In the 3rd week of January in 1992, a guy in a suit drove up in a rental car and walked into our production area. None of us recognized him, but evidently he had flown in from headquarters in Skokie, IL.
He started reading from a piece of paper. We were still going about our work wearing headphones, listening to our own music or radio, over our light tables, working.
The man continued reading about how the company had analyzed data and through careful consideration decided to close our facility in California, one in Texas and another one on the East coast.
One by one, we started peeling off our headphones and realized what this guy was saying.
They did a simultaneous announcement between our facility and the TX plant so we weren't able to call each other to talk until he was gone.
The plant on the East coast got their announcement 2-weeks later, with security on hand.
As soon as the man was done reading the piece of paper, he ran out the door, into his waiting car, and was gone, leaving us to pick up the pieces each of us heard to put together something that made sense.
We were all left with such a feeling of shock and disbelief. Several of us had just been hired only 6 months earlier.
Production ended that day. We packed up every single map we were working on with a note to a "future cartographer" and had to sit there for the next 3 weeks until they were ready to close our office.
I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone. I know that feeling the the St. Therese employees are feeling. With the advance warning they had, I'm hoping they have been able to move forward in a planned fashion. I wish the very best for all of them.
quote:Originally posted by 2002Z4CSS: Both the St Therese story and yours are real sad!
Yes, but I'm MUCH better now, so here's the "rest of the story". Had I stayed with Rand McNally, I would still be living in California (Oregon is home to me), making very little money. While I lived there, working full time for RMcN, I had to take a second, part time job to make ends barely meet. I racked up a lot of debt.
I didn't know what to do. I checked with the famous Raven Maps in Medford, OR, but Stuart Allen didn't have a vacancy at the time. I made the decision to move to the Portland, OR area to help my mom with my then teenage brother.
It took me 4 months to get my current job with Washington County, OR. I split the rent on an apartment w/Mom while paying off my debt. I helped her allow my brother live to see the age of 18, graduate H.S. and go into the Army Special Forces. (He's now 26.)
The good part of this story is this: My mom was dating someone in the local Camaro Club and for several years had told me about "the nicest young man" who was also a member of the club.
I had met him once before on a Christmas Light run, and rode in his '68 Camaro with Def Leppard blasting all the way. Seems we had a lot in common, but we were both involved with other interests at the time (I had a boyfriend, he had a girlfriend).
A year or two passed, and my debt was paid off. The Camaro Club helped me find my '67 Camaro, with the main help coming from one particular person (the nice, young man my mom kept telling me about).
This young man & I found ourselves single at the same time, and Mom started inviting him over to our house after club meetings. I began to take note, became interested, and Mom found ways to conveniently excuse herself, leaving us alone to get to know each other better.
We started finding out what we had in common with our ideas, thoughts, goals, philosophies, etc. and quickly became friends. We started hanging out together more and more.
The rest is below. January 2000, GM Edge
p.s....we'll be celebrating our 6th year Anniversary on the road, on our way back home from the B.G. event. How cool is THAT? Celebrating with friends during the day, and by ourselves at night .........Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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It's even worse you are the one that has to give the bad news to people that you have worked with for 16 years. Friends that you know need a job, have families etc. It is not good for anyone. My best wishes to the folks in St Therese. I hope they have great success in the future. Everything happens for a reason.
Posts: 5946 | From: Litchfield, NH, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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WOW WHAT A RUSH I JUST HAD I THOUGHT MY BROTHER AND SISTER-IN-LAW WERE DIE HARD GM FANS BUT U GOT THEM BEAT!!!!!!!!!!
Posts: 924 | From: new york | Registered: Feb 2002
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After reading the Gazette article I thought, "What a class act". I've been involved with a couple of plant closures during my career. It's a very emotional time, and there's aways a few 'hot heads' that go to extremes damaging equipment and making life even more uncomfortable for their co-workers. Looks like St. Therese closed with dignity.
On a happier note, a couple of Camaro fans introduced themselves to me at a car show, last weekend. They were engaged to be married. He had a '96 Z28 and she had an '84. They both were showing their cars. Their interest in Camaros brought them together. I thought what a great way to meet and have a relationship. It reminded me of Teri and Steve. Their only problem is, he wants to buy a 4th gen. SS, and she wants to buy a house. What to do? What to do? Posts: 2359 | From: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2001
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p.s....we'll be celebrating our 6th year Anniversary on the road, on our way back home from the B.G. event. How cool is THAT? Celebrating with friends during the day, and by ourselves at night .........[/QB][/QUOTE]
Hey now... "There will be no doing the 'hibbidity dibbity under my roof'.. hahah j/k.
- J.R.
Posts: 596 | From: Kansas City | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by JohnS: Their only problem is, he wants to buy a 4th gen. SS, and she wants to buy a house. What to do? What to do?
Buy the SS, build a BIG garage and have a small house...it works for us!
Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by J.R. Mayer: Hey now... "There will be no doing the 'hibbidity dibbity under my roof'.. hahah j/k.
- J.R.
Heh, heh....you're going to have quite the image in your mind all night when we stay over! BWAH, HA HA HA HA HA!
Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by OBSSD: At least y'all aren't travelling with them for two weeks
If you survive it, you'll be a stronger person. That deserves some sort of award or recognition I suppose.
Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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What I heard is that the hourly folks were offered jobs at other plants-naturally most didn't want to move to Oshawa. Most of the hourly employees were there long enough to collect either retirement or pretty good seperation packages, but not as good as the union had promised. The salary people were transferred ( and a lot left for other GM jobs) or they retired. I talked to a few of the guys I had worked with for the last 8 years, both while at GM and SLP, and they all took the retirement option. Since Ste. T. was an old plant, most of the employees were long timers and had good benefit packages. Also, its been known for eight years that the plant would close.
Posts: 1163 | From: Rochester Hills, Mi | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by DanA_F99_1977: JR, you got the web cams setup?
Oh, real nice..............
I've almost got webcams.teriandsteveinkc.com setup.. I will keep everyone updated! AHHAHAH!
Posts: 596 | From: Kansas City | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by JeffY: What I heard is that the hourly folks were offered jobs at other plants-naturally most didn't want to move to Oshawa. Most of the hourly employees were there long enough to collect either retirement or pretty good seperation packages, but not as good as the union had promised. The salary people were transferred ( and a lot left for other GM jobs) or they retired. I talked to a few of the guys I had worked with for the last 8 years, both while at GM and SLP, and they all took the retirement option. Since Ste. T. was an old plant, most of the employees were long timers and had good benefit packages. Also, its been known for eight years that the plant would close.
Thanks for the follow-up, Jeff. Most communication on events like plant closures focus on the actual event (the closure) but seldom revisit the human element after the fact.
Posts: 2359 | From: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:Originally posted by DanA_F99_1977: JR, you got the web cams setup?
Oh, real nice..............
I've almost got webcams.teriandsteveinkc.com setup.. I will keep everyone updated! AHHAHAH!
Ooooooh, you will be soooo sorry, Mr. Mayer.......we can make your life a living hell (Just ask OBSSD or NateSS!).
Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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