Original Story: chicagotribune.com
Kraft Heinz announced Wednesday that it will move Oscar Mayer and the company's U.S. meats business from Madison, Wis., to Chicago — a move that will add 250 jobs to Chicago's Aon Center.
The company also announced plans to consolidate its production facilities during the next two years, which will result in the shutdown of seven North American manufacturing facilities: Fullerton, Calif.; San Leandro, Calif.; Federalsburg, Md.; St. Mary's, Canada; Campbell, N.Y.; Lehigh Valley, Pa., and the one in Madison.
The closings will result in the loss of about 2,600 manufacturing jobs at the company, including 700 in Madison. About 50 non-manufacturing positions in Madison also will be cut and not moved to Chicago. A Nashville labor lawyer is reviewing the details of this story.
Kraft Heinz also plans to transfer part of its cheese production in Champaign to other factories in its network, a move that could mean the loss of some of the 1,400 jobs at the plant, which will still produce sauces and dry goods like mayonnaise, Miracle Whip and pourable salad dressings.
The massive consolidation plan "is a critical step in our plan to eliminate excess capacity and reduce operational redundancies for the new combined company," Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said in a statement.
He added, "We have reached this difficult but necessary decision after thoroughly exploring extensive alternatives and options."
The announcement continues to confirm the fears of major cost-cutting and job reductions that surfaced soon after H.J. Heinz announced plans in March to acquire Northfield-based Kraft Foods Group, creating the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. The company aims to slash $1.5 billion in costs by the end of 2017. A Hartford employment attorney provides experienced advocacy in many matters of employment law.
The deal closed in early July and two weeks later, Kraft Heinz announced it would relocate its Northfield headquarters to Aon Center in early 2016, occupying 170,000 square feet over five floors in the city's third-tallest building. It is also maintaining offices in Pittsburgh.
In August, the company said it would lay off 700 of its Northfield employees as part of a broader plan to cut 2,500 salaried jobs in the U.S. and Canada. Most of those cuts have already occurred, Mullen said.
Before those layoffs, about 2,000 people were employed in Northfield.
Kraft traces its start to Chicago, where J.L. Kraft began selling cheese to local merchants in 1903. Oscar Mayer has been in Madison since 1919, and its exit from the community will be felt far beyond the factory floor, said Mayor Paul Soglin.
"When you take the payroll, the production, the packaging materials and all that goes into the operation at Oscar Mayer, which has been going on for over 100 years, and then extend that to the dry cleaners, the retailers, the supermarkets, the neighborhood groceries, the local dining spots, kids sporting activities, (the impact) is very significant," Soglin said at a news conference after the announcement. A Memphis business lawyer assists clients in several aspects of safeguarding the continuity of their business.
"Keep in mind when General Motors closed the GM plant. The ripple effect throughout the state was extensive. It's not just limited to the plant site itself."
In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel lauded the 250 Kraft Heinz jobs as another example of the city staking its position as a center for food company headquarters. Just last month, ConAgra Foods announced its plans to move its headquarters from Omaha to Chicago, locating 700 jobs in the Merchandise Mart.
"This builds on Chicago performing in that space in a very strong way," Emanuel said in an interview.
Showing posts with label Job Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job Loss. Show all posts
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
9 SIGNS YOU COULD BE JOBLESS IN 2015
Original Story: news.monster.com
Businesses; jobs and the workplaces are changing faster than ever before. Skills which were considered ‘hot’ until yesterday are no longer considered even special today. With the change in business due to competition and customers expectations soaring high; today the employees are evaluated on many additional parameters they aren’t even aware of. Fact is employees are constantly being observed to check if they have the critical yet unwritten ‘virtues’ to fit into the new roles & responsibilities needed for the organizations present success and future growth.
Follows 10… Oh! OK 9 signs that your career is getting ‘killed’ silently and you are gradually loosing the plot at the workplace without your knowledge.
1.If you are considered a Rambo…a one man army
You have won many awards in the past for great performance and have the personal ability to steer any project to success. You have always been a successful lone warrior. You never need anyone’s help and asking for help is a big embarrassment for you.
But you know; today’s work is too complex to be handled with just ‘personal heroism’. Today’s businesses need ‘collective’ efforts & intelligence to succeed. You need to collaborate with your peers; customers & partners every time. Today your success in the organization would depend more on how connected; collaborative & ‘social’ you are and less on how ‘capable’ you are as an individual.
2. If you are always worried about your work-life balance
Your idea of work-life balance is a 9 to 5 job. You haven’t yet discovered that there is nothing like work life balance. Actually life & work are integral to each other. You cannot separate them. You have to build a ‘synergy’ to do justice to both your personal and work lives. They cannot be delimited by time. Fact of the matter is you could never win doing the ‘balancing act’. You have to find ways how both gel well into a holistically rewarding experience for you.
3. If you and your desktop are inseparable
You have always loved your desktop computer. After all; it stores all software and documents you need for your work. You become uncomfortable if someone wants you to work on a ‘cloud’ application from a different computer. Where ever you are; you can start your work only when you are back at your desktop.
4. If for you work means phone calls; emails & face-to-face meetings
Your idea of work is to read/send emails; answer phone calls and if both don’t work have face to face meetings. You know these methods are big time wastes but you still continue with them. You are yet to catch up with the idea of using new communication methods like video chat; social collaboration & mobility at work. Remember, a meeting is an event where ‘minutes’ are taken and hours wasted. ” A conference call = 1 person talking and 26 people continuing to do their email” says Dr. Eddie Obeng a well known business guru.
5. If you find downloading Apps on your phone and using them cumbersome
You have a gleaming smartphone in your pocket but that’s only to attend calls and send emails. You don’t search or download apps in it to make your work easy. You wonder why the millennials in your office often ask you ‘ Why do you do this manually. Don’t you have an app for it?’
6. If you often wonder why some people bother so much about ‘virtual’ badges; levels or points
For you the perfect incentive is only bonuses & cash awards. You are motivated only when you get a salary hike or a promotion. Winning online badges & points doesn’t make sense for you. You are not able to figure out why someone would strive for ‘recognition’ as an ‘expert’ without any monetary rewards.
7. If you keep new ideas too close to your chest
You keep your ideas to yourself waiting for the perfect time to unleash it before the senior most guys. You feel they might get ‘stolen’ by your colleagues if you share them on employee’s internal social network.
8. If you trust on your conventional wisdom only and not on ‘data’.
Old perceptions are fading fast and what we have always considered right is turning out to be big myths. Thanks to the massive data today people easily have access to. No doubt your intuition/gut feelings are important but they need the support of data insights too.
9. Last but not least; if you still aren’t convinced that it could happen in 2015.
Great that you are an optimist! Loosing the job doesn’t necessarily mean you would immediately stop getting the paychecks. But the process could start in any or all of the following ways:
a) You getting isolated within the team
b) You not being included in important projects
c) You being sent on forced sabbatical
d) You not taken to customer meets
e) Millennials stopping interactions with you
f) Your boss & senior management start ignoring you.
If there is evidence of above signs in your work it simply indicates that you are gradually loosing your battle at the workplace and it should be addressed urgently. It makes a lot of sense to get pumped up and be the change agent for your self.
Businesses; jobs and the workplaces are changing faster than ever before. Skills which were considered ‘hot’ until yesterday are no longer considered even special today. With the change in business due to competition and customers expectations soaring high; today the employees are evaluated on many additional parameters they aren’t even aware of. Fact is employees are constantly being observed to check if they have the critical yet unwritten ‘virtues’ to fit into the new roles & responsibilities needed for the organizations present success and future growth.
Follows 10… Oh! OK 9 signs that your career is getting ‘killed’ silently and you are gradually loosing the plot at the workplace without your knowledge.
1.If you are considered a Rambo…a one man army
You have won many awards in the past for great performance and have the personal ability to steer any project to success. You have always been a successful lone warrior. You never need anyone’s help and asking for help is a big embarrassment for you.
But you know; today’s work is too complex to be handled with just ‘personal heroism’. Today’s businesses need ‘collective’ efforts & intelligence to succeed. You need to collaborate with your peers; customers & partners every time. Today your success in the organization would depend more on how connected; collaborative & ‘social’ you are and less on how ‘capable’ you are as an individual.
2. If you are always worried about your work-life balance
Your idea of work-life balance is a 9 to 5 job. You haven’t yet discovered that there is nothing like work life balance. Actually life & work are integral to each other. You cannot separate them. You have to build a ‘synergy’ to do justice to both your personal and work lives. They cannot be delimited by time. Fact of the matter is you could never win doing the ‘balancing act’. You have to find ways how both gel well into a holistically rewarding experience for you.
3. If you and your desktop are inseparable
You have always loved your desktop computer. After all; it stores all software and documents you need for your work. You become uncomfortable if someone wants you to work on a ‘cloud’ application from a different computer. Where ever you are; you can start your work only when you are back at your desktop.
4. If for you work means phone calls; emails & face-to-face meetings
Your idea of work is to read/send emails; answer phone calls and if both don’t work have face to face meetings. You know these methods are big time wastes but you still continue with them. You are yet to catch up with the idea of using new communication methods like video chat; social collaboration & mobility at work. Remember, a meeting is an event where ‘minutes’ are taken and hours wasted. ” A conference call = 1 person talking and 26 people continuing to do their email” says Dr. Eddie Obeng a well known business guru.
5. If you find downloading Apps on your phone and using them cumbersome
You have a gleaming smartphone in your pocket but that’s only to attend calls and send emails. You don’t search or download apps in it to make your work easy. You wonder why the millennials in your office often ask you ‘ Why do you do this manually. Don’t you have an app for it?’
6. If you often wonder why some people bother so much about ‘virtual’ badges; levels or points
For you the perfect incentive is only bonuses & cash awards. You are motivated only when you get a salary hike or a promotion. Winning online badges & points doesn’t make sense for you. You are not able to figure out why someone would strive for ‘recognition’ as an ‘expert’ without any monetary rewards.
7. If you keep new ideas too close to your chest
You keep your ideas to yourself waiting for the perfect time to unleash it before the senior most guys. You feel they might get ‘stolen’ by your colleagues if you share them on employee’s internal social network.
8. If you trust on your conventional wisdom only and not on ‘data’.
Old perceptions are fading fast and what we have always considered right is turning out to be big myths. Thanks to the massive data today people easily have access to. No doubt your intuition/gut feelings are important but they need the support of data insights too.
9. Last but not least; if you still aren’t convinced that it could happen in 2015.
Great that you are an optimist! Loosing the job doesn’t necessarily mean you would immediately stop getting the paychecks. But the process could start in any or all of the following ways:
a) You getting isolated within the team
b) You not being included in important projects
c) You being sent on forced sabbatical
d) You not taken to customer meets
e) Millennials stopping interactions with you
f) Your boss & senior management start ignoring you.
If there is evidence of above signs in your work it simply indicates that you are gradually loosing your battle at the workplace and it should be addressed urgently. It makes a lot of sense to get pumped up and be the change agent for your self.
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