Ashley Furniture Pulling Out of California: 840 Workers (minimum wage, legal, Brown)
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"The 840-employee Ashley Furniture factory in Colton, California is preparing to shut down over Labor Day weekend — thanks to the state’s new $15 minimum hourly wage — and join the over 9,000 companies that have left California in the last seven years. The company told the San Bernardino Sun that giving employees the required 60 days’ notice to comply with federal regulations governing layoffs of factory and warehouse employees the week before Labor Day was an effort to consolidate production and create more efficiency at plants in other U.S. states. But the real culprit appears to be California passing a $15 minimum wage and Gov. Jerry Brown signing the SB 32 climate change legislation on August 25. A majority of production from Colton will be relocated to U.S. plants in Wisconsin, Mississippi and North Carolina. The minimum wage rates in all three of the locations is 52 percent lower than California’s coming $15 legal minimum, which will ratchet up over the next several years."
CEO's get more wealth and workers get the shaft. Get to hire new workers who will be worked like slaves with no benefits,low wages and long hours. Thanks for giving me another store I WON'T be using to furnish our new home in October!
“We cannot let companies like Ashley bleed the American dream,” Naja said. “It’s not only the employees, but the families, the kids, the wives. They’ve got wives with medical situations and things like that. There’s no way a huge company like Ashley’s can shut down the doors.”
Another former employee, Juan Zuniga, 36, said he is the only breadwinner for his family, with three kids.
“I feel sorry for every single one of our family,” Zuniga said. “This is my family. I’ve been here more than in my home. I’ve spent 10 to 12 hours working in there.”
Roselia Serrano, 40, of Colton, also is the sole income provider for her family with two teenagers. She said Friday was the first time the workers were informed of the layoffs.
“Right now, I’m in shock. My head is spinning and I don’t know what’s going to be my next step,” Serrano said. “I know we have to look for another job.”
Zuniga said he and other workers are organizing a Labor Day protest in front of the store.
“We’re going to be here making a protest and we’re calling everybody that can come to please support us and find out what they did to us,” Zuniga said. “Come and support all the hard-working employees and parents that take income to their house. I’m the only one supporting my family. I’m the only one paying a mortgage.”
All the people who want the employees to get $15 an hour would be happy to pay more for the furniture -- right??
I'm guessing, no -- they would go buy something made in China and grouse about the 'high prices' at Ashley.
Throw rocks if you must but you know I'm right.
And I am NOT advocating for cheap labor. I am simply saying we as a nation of consumers buy the lesser priced options and force the producers to cut corners where ever they can or lose business
All the people who want the employees to get $15 an hour would be happy to pay more for the furniture -- right??
I'm guessing, no -- they would go buy something made in China and grouse about the 'high prices' at Ashley.
Throw rocks if you must but you know I'm right.
And I am NOT advocating for cheap labor. I am simply saying we as a nation of consumers buy the lesser priced options and force the producers to cut corners where ever they can or lose business
Pay them what the markets demand.
Furniture is a volatile market, the first to crash in any recession.
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