My son just phoned me 15 minutes ago and said Cat Big Shots and lots of Security just walked in to 3rd shift workers at Mossville and said your layoff starts now! Rounded up everyones badge and walked them out the door. So much for February 18th.

Well a bunch of real sweethearts.

That totally sucks. What a huge emotional toll on people. They could have at least waited till the end of their shift! If I was a potty mouth I would have had some choice words for them!

what a waste of a Company. City Government failed to stop the immoral actions of this company. Creating a factory in another state to employ cheaper labor, and 800 people lose their jobs. You have the Mayor on TV saying, Its better Here. I'd say its better in Texas where they are building this new factory. American's have lost their spirit, the fact that Cat merchandise and brands are even bought or sold in this town after this is a slap in the face of everyone that was laid off. Luckily, I don't work for cat... I'll never allow the name to to spoken in my house. Companies must be held accountable for their greed.

... as long as they got their bonuses.

What bonuses?

Immoral actions of the company? Are you serious? Caterpillar is running a business not a charity. Successful, profitable companies, like Cat, make cuts where needed to remain profitable. Yes, the job losses are substantial and unfortunate but Cat cannot continue to employ thousands of unionized laborers when there is less expensive labor available for the same output.

Tactics to remain profitable... The same type tactics that were devised by mortgage brokers who lured people into Sub prime mortgages when they didn't need sub prime and than sold those toxic mortgages for a profit to other banks that then failed. GM, Who as we speak is building a 400 million dollar factory in Russia while being bailed out by tax payer dollars. Cat, Who last year posted record profits from the hard labor of those they just walked out the door. "Caterpillar Inc. announced record sales and revenues of $51.324 billion for 2008, up 14 percent from 2007." Don't talk to me about profit. Without those employees they would of never had a cent. But who cares right? As long as they can exploit the next person in line. "unionized laborers" Ya, kick the man out who is making, 30,000 a year and keep the group of men making 20 million a year.. Good Sound, American Business there. Making profit off a person, and kicking them to the curb just months after you post record profits, that is Immoral my friend and what is wrong with this country. It isn't American. Pock

[quote]Caterpillar Announces Additional Layoffs for Employees at Three Illinois Facilities PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To bring production levels in line with current demand, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today notified full- time production employees at its Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria, Illinois, manufacturing facilities of permanent layoffs. A total of 2,110 production employees will be laid off at the three facilities as a result of this decision. The layoffs for production employees announced today are in addition to a wide range of other workforce and cost-reduction actions that were outlined by Caterpillar on Monday, January 26, 2009. In Aurora, where Caterpillar manufactures wheel loaders and hydraulic excavators, 500 production employees will be laid off. In Decatur, where the company manufactures off-highway trucks, motor graders and wheel tractor scrapers, 1,026 production employees will be laid off. In East Peoria, where Caterpillar manufactures track-type tractors and pipelayers, 584 production employees will be laid off. In addition to the production employees, a total of 416 support and management employees in Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria have also been notified of layoffs today. This includes 96 support and management staff in Aurora, 146 in Decatur and 174 in East Peoria. These 416 support and management staff make up a portion of the as many as 5,000 layoffs and separations announced by Caterpillar on January 26, 2009. Other Caterpillar business units are currently determining the level of layoffs and separations needed to reach the previously announced plan to reduce the company's support and management workforce. These actions are in response to lower demand for products made at the Illinois facilities. As previously announced, Caterpillar is rapidly executing strategic "trough" plans and implementing actions throughout the company to deal with a very challenging global business environment. Depending on business conditions, more layoffs and separations may be required as the year unfolds. "It is never easy to take steps that impact the lives of our employees and their families," said Bob Williams, Caterpillar vice president for the Americas Operations Division that includes the facilities in Aurora, Decatur and East Peoria. "But over the last few months, recessionary conditions have had a very negative impact on our customers and we must drastically reduce our production levels and cost structure in order to remain competitive for the long run." Employees impacted by this decision were notified today by Caterpillar that the layoffs would begin on April 13, 2009. In addition, various government agencies and other officials were notified of this decision under the United States Department of Labor's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act ("IL WARN"). In addition to reducing its global employment, Caterpillar has previously announced other actions in response to current conditions. These include: -- Hiring freezes and suspension of salary increases for most support and management employees. -- Significant reductions in total compensation for executives/senior managers. -- Significant reduction in capital expenditures. -- Sharp declines in overtime work. -- Several facilities have shortened workweeks. Others will or have implemented full and partial plant shutdowns. [/quote]

Any truth in that Mossville shutting down earlier than expected is due to some actions by the floor team? Sabatoging some product is what has been heard?

Good points, Gocubsgo.

http://pundit.blogpeoria.com/2009/01/30/local-riot-at-mossville/

one option to control cost that hasn't been explored that was used in the 80s is reduction in base pay.  I'd much rather have a pay cut than lose my job....

All the new employees that started at CAT after 2005, more or less already took a pay cut. The old timers (as we call them) make an average of $5-6 more an hour. Maybe they should take the pay cut. In March, The top dogs are going to receive their bonuses from last year. Maybe they should give up them bonuses and put it back intom the facility. This could save ALOT of jobs, but do you think that will happen? NOPE! The top dogs and management will not feel the pinch of this UNTIL 2010. This is when their bonuses and other is being cut. I guess I'll go into work today and see if I am one of those 500 plus people who are being given layoff notices today. I believe layoffs are coming earlier because CAT stock has dropped to 31. CAT cares more about it's stockholders than the people who work for them.

itsonlleme, You are right. It is all about Greed. This underscored by the words he chose to use, "unionized" placing blame on those making thirty to fourty thousand a year and saying nothing about the fat cats at top to whom a 10% cut could probably save 10 jobs. Who cares though, you have somoene in texas who wil work for 5 dollars less.. or in China for a few cents an hour. Corporate GREED. President Obama has declared War on Fat Cats... Lets see if Cat has it's judgement day.

[quote]Pock writes: Making profit off a person, and kicking them to the curb just months after you post record profits, that is Immoral my friend and what is wrong with this country. It isn't American. Pock[/quote] As much as I might agree that it's morally wrong, Pock I have to disagree that it's not American. This is what our country's founded on. Free enterprise. That's the freedom Cat is expounding on, like it or not. I think if we want to place blame a good percentage of that blame will have to lie with the Unions. They got bored and they got greedy. In states where Unions still rule companies get skittish. There's always a right to work state available just over the border. Cat's a greedy plant but when they move their business over the border we won't be quite so uppity about accepting a smaller salary. I never thought I'd be punching a time clock.