Saturday, January 21, 2012

Weather Shield to Close Window and Door Plant in Wisconsin


Sorry, Wisconsin, but even if your attempted recall of your idiot governor is successful, as reported last week by Woodworking Network, it isn't going to help these people:
MOSINEE, WI -- Weather Shield's factory dedicated to vinyl window and door production here in Mosinee will permanently close by Aug. 31, putting more than 500 people out of work.

Workers, many of them members of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, were informed of the decision by Schield Family Brands to shutter the plant last month. Layoffs are to begin Feb. 7 and continue through the summer as operations are scaled back and then ceased. Schield of Medford, OR, is parent company to Weathershield, SNE Enterprises and Peachtree Doors and Windows.

Central Wisconsin Business reported that Schield cited the ongoing housing crisis and refusal of union workers to extend its current contract, including accepting a pay freeze, as major factors in deciding to close the plant.
And the housing crash carnage just keeps on piling up, even as the mainstream media acts as if it is yesterday's news. You residents of The Badger State should stop worrying about that largely meaningless political kabuki theater show going on in Madison and instead look around at what is happening to your economic livelihoods. Scott Walker may by a psychopathic asshole who hates unions, but even so he wasn't the one responsible for closing this factory down. The corporate flacks are trying to blame the union, but ultimately it is the economy that's responsible.

10 comments:

  1. Suburban homes everywhere are looking older, more tired. Their residents simply aren't spending money on repairs, and upgrades. They aren't fixing their cars until the last minute.

    In my new job with transit, there are others of the new hires who like me in our former roles, serviced the residential customer, and watched our industry collapse. There is an electrician. I was a carpet cleaner. There are two former auto mechanics. All of us have the same story: the demand for our services simply disappeared.

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    1. Geez - you would have thought the demand for your services would have risen as people try to get more out of the stuff they have rather than buying new stuff they can't afford. That shows just how bad the economy really is.

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  2. Weathershield in mosinee is closing their factory because they are moving the lines up to ladysmith Wisconsin (northern). Just to clear that up. -WeatherShield Employee

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    1. Ladysmith is only getting these lines because us people in Mosinee are sick and tired of being dragged through the mud and losing more and more money and benefits. Across the board ALL Weathershield employees can look forward to another pay-cut up to 10% plus loss of all benefits. That sounds like great business ethics to me... Production and quality at the Mosinee facility will never be matched due to the lack of training that we were not allowed to give. Even with the previous pay-cuts, Mosinee employees were very proud and dedicated to the quality products that left the facility. Weathershield made a huge mistake by closing the Mosinee facility and outsourcing its products to various other facilities making the processes even longer. The smartest thing that could have been done would have been to close the facilities with POOR work ethics and moved everything to the Mosinee Facility where the quality was excellent and the people gave a damn! Also where the processes to build a quality window were under one roof. With that said, I just wanted to CLEAR that up. -SNE Employee

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  3. Will any of the marketing staff or efforts be moving to Ladysmith?

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  4. SNE closing and the contract concessions that the Shield family asked for, all started after the company lost an arbitration case with the union about a glass line wage. I guarantees that after the union contract for that plant expires the Shield family will reopen that plant at near poverty level wages. That family will spare no expense to get rid of the union even at the expense of 500 jobs.

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  5. I am a ex WS employee and I once bled the colors. The demise of that organization began many years ago with the loss of one GREAT man Aarron Sliminski. His passing allowed the visogoths that he kept behind the gates loose to take what was once a great company to today's small statue

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  6. I make less than 11.00 an hour. Pay alot for shitty insurance, and you bastards are whining about a freeze and/or cuts at your wages? Wake up you arrogant retards. Try living on my wages you pathetic morons.

    Oh, now your plant is closed. IMAGINE THAT!

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    1. Well said PEON - as I read "because us people in Mosinee are sick and tired of being dragged through the mud and losing more and more money and benefits" I was thinking "so you would rather have no money and no benefits???".

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  7. SNE was a shit plant to work for. I worked at the one in Hungington WV, the pay was shit, long hours, like working in a oven, made you work without asking unless you told them you have to give us a 24 hour notice to work on a Saturday or to come in early. If you was 1 minute late they put 1 point against you and 7 they fired. Worked they 7 years and was never hired in by SNE. Really a shit place to work and the windows wasnt worth the paper you clean your ass with.

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