News Just need to vent a bit...

Just need to vent a bit...

Well, AbitibiBowater is closing or indefinitely idling 8 of their pulp and/or paper mills by January 31st... including closing the mill where my dad works as well as over 400 other people (in a town of 3600 people)... so many people I know and their familes are going to be affected by that... They we're the biggest employer in the town and the salaries we're very good, starting salary there was just over $26/Hr... so thats going to basically destroy the economy of my hometown and the surrounding little communities

Don't get me wrong, I can understand from a financial standpoint why they had to close some mills because the whole pulp/paper industry in North America isn't doing well, but fuck, its still hard to take, especially a month before xmas to find that you'll be out of a really good paying job really soon... and a good percentage of the workforce is around 50 years old... I personally know about a dozen people that work there that are 50 or older, and a few more that are in their late 40s... its people that we're 5 or so years away from retiring, like my dad...

Anyways, thats my little venting for today...

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/11/29/abitibibowater.html

Do you know if he is getting a severance package? Or his retirement benefits rolled over?? Is he union?

Yeah, their unionized... They only found out about it last night, they are definitely getting a severance package but they don't know how much... for his pension they are getting back what they paid into it with interest only (which interest rate they use is unknown), but not what the company paid into it nor the extra funds from the investments they placed it in.

Isn't it amazing how companies get away with this?? Well, I hope everything works out for the best. I'm sure this isn't the first time your Dad has had a hardship of some kind. He'll pull through.

Thanks

corprate america canbe a bitch at times....good luck with it bro!