ASV Shutters Towables Divisions in Elkhart & Coburg - Over One Hundred Loose Jobs

[soundman7]

Originally Posted by edgray

Maybe not. This closure is for TOWABLES only. Apparently, Monaco & Holiday Rambler motorhomes are going to continue at the Decatur, IN plant where all the other ASV brands are produced.

I wouldn't buy one of there products. If they treat the people who build there products like that how are they going to treat the people who purchase them.
No way not me.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by soundman7

I wouldn't buy one of there products. If they treat the people who build there products like that how are they going to treat the people who purchase them. No way not me.

A business decision was made to get out of the towables business. All the employees were given 60 days pay as a severance package at a minimum. This is fairly common in manufacturing businesses.

Fleetwood owners give ASV high marks for customer service.

[nforus]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

A business decision was made to get out of the towables business. All the employees were given 60 days pay as a severance package at a minimum. This is fairly common in manufacturing businesses.

Fleetwood owners give ASV high marks for customer service.

I was mad when I first saw the article ( as usual didn't give all of the details), but if they actually gave 60 days and some extended insurance benefits, then that's not that bad, a week of severance per year of service is a norm so they assumed 8 years. Kinda bothers me that they talked about their expanding Class A business without mentioning that these folks could re-articulate into that side. I spent the first few years of my career in a big MFG shop in Missouri, and sometimes layoffs are a way of getting rid of bad wood!!

[palehorse89]

A " 60 days pay as a severance package" and what ever else they offered does not for one moment excuse the company's communication manners with their employee's! For me.......
I will never spend a dime with this company now. There would of been a lot more suttle and comforting way to do this, other company's do, have meetings, talk, training offers for new work, job placement personal to work with the affected, and on and on......to each their own.... no for me!
I was taught to treat people like I would like to be treated.......this company and the people that run it was not brought up like that, it is obvious.

[nforus]

Originally Posted by palehorse89

A " 60 days pay as a severance package" and what ever else they offered does not for one moment excuse the company's communication manners with their employee's! For me.......
I will never spend a dime with this company now. There would of been a lot more suttle and comforting way to do this, other company's do, have meetings, talk, training offers for new work, job placement personal to work with the affected, and on and on......to each their own.... no for me!
I was taught to treat people like I would like to be treated.......this company and the people that run it was not brought up like that, it is obvious.

Agreed, I understand that layoffs are commonplace in Elkhart country, but it's SO easy to do it in a gentler fashion and keep more of the respect of the remaining workforce who are responsible for building the RV's that will (or will not) carry the company forward.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by nforus

Agreed, I understand that layoffs are commonplace in Elkhart country, but it's SO easy to do it in a gentler fashion and keep more of the respect of the remaining workforce who are responsible for building the RV's that will (or will not) carry the company forward.

Here is an expanded view of the situation from a source in the area:

http://rvdailyreport.com/opinion/did...lant-closings/

[nforus]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

Here is an expanded view of the situation from a source in the area:

Did ASV violate WARN Act with plant closings? | RV Daily Report | Breaking RV Industry News and Campground Information

All well and good, still doesn't change the fact that they turned employees away at the gate and could have really looked good if they called them in sat them down and explained, but the lawyers and HR experts would probably have none of that, too much
"liability" involved. Oh well, the Chinese will figure it out and I'm sure our first Hancook 45' will be real nice, won't be that hard for them, they already build my ISX 600.

[disc1]

Yes I now it is towables but with the way it has been going with HR I'll pass. Been long time member but to shaky now for me.

[PyrateSilly]

Companies "down size" all the time. This is not the first to do it this way and they will not be the last.
I know of one that closed completely with several thousand employees and all they got was a recorded phone call to let them all know on a Sunday.
I know of one that "down sized" all the employees without a bachelor's or master's and then ended up bringing back some of those that they got rid of back on a temp basis just to teach the ones with the degrees how to do the job.
Again they are not the first company to let employees go like that and they will not be the last.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly

Companies "down size" all the time. This is not the first to do it this way and they will not be the last.
I know of one that closed completely with several thousand employees and all they got was a recorded phone call to let them all know on a Sunday.
I know of one that "down sized" all the employees without a bachelor's or master's and then ended up bringing back some of those that they got rid of back on a temp basis just to teach the ones with the degrees how to do the job.
Again they are not the first company to let employees go like that and they will not be the last.

So Thom, the fashion in how this company and others layed off/fired their employee's is OK with you?

[JMonroe]

Sucks, yes, but the sad truth is it would only take a couple of those 100, determined to cause mayhem, to do 10s of thousands of dollars in damage and odds are there are at least a couple people like that in any sample of 100 people.

I suspect the 60 days severance was to comply with the 60 day notice law and if the motorhome side of the equation is growing as fast as is claimed I'd guess many could end up back in one plant or another after their forced "vacation" - we can hope.

[CLIFFTALL]

Originally Posted by JMonroe

Sucks, yes, but the sad truth is it would only take a couple of those 100, determined to cause mayhem, to do 10s of thousands of dollars in damage and odds are there are at least a couple people like that I any sample of 100 people. I suspect the 60 days severance was to comply with the 60 day notice law and if the motorhome side of the equation is growing as fast as is claimed I'd guess many could end up back in one plant or another after their forced "vacation" - we can hope.

Excellent point , Jay. Companies are sometimes damned if they do and damned if they don't. :(.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by JMonroe

Sucks, yes, but the sad truth is it would only take a couple of those 100, determined to cause mayhem, to do 10s of thousands of dollars in damage and odds are there are at least a couple people like that in any sample of 100 people.

I suspect the 60 days severance was to comply with the 60 day notice law and if the motorhome side of the equation is growing as fast as is claimed I'd guess many could end up back in one plant or another after their forced "vacation" - we can hope.

As Cliff said above, good point........I still say, a meeting with all of them, instead of going to their work stations, meet in the cafeteria, or somewhere, even in the parking lot w/tents set up, something other that communicating with their employee's through a fence they were once on the inside looking out, now looking in, "locked" out,staffed w/security gaurds........maybe these 116 employee's were a hostile bunch and could not be trusted anymore..... that the company had to keep a fence between them?

[Route 66]

2 months off with pay to go look for another job is far better than having to work those 2 months for the same pay, then having to look for a job while receiving no pay.