AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT HUBBELL LIGHTING

Greenville, South Carolina-based Hubbell Lighting, a manufacturer and distributor of indoor and outdoor lighting products, has announced that it is consolidating manufacturing operations and will be permanently closing its manufacturing operations in Newtown, Connecticut which will result in 143 layoffs, a small Burndy facility in Bethel, Connecticut which will result in 54 layoffs, and a manufacturing operation in Hudson Wisconsin which will result in another 54 layoffs. According to a company spokesperson, the work performed at the Newtown facility is being transferred to a Hubble facility in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and the work performed at Bethel is being transferred to a Hubble facility in Leeds, Alabama. The work being performed in the Hudson facility will be terminated due to the discontinuance of the company’s P2 (Precision-Paragon) brand.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? MASS LAYOFFS AT AMTRAK

Washington, D.C.-based Amtrak, the passenger rail service formally known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, has announced the closure of its Western Reservations Sales Center in Riverside, California and eliminating 550 employees at its call center.

The cost-cutting measure was announced by Amtrak’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tim Griffin who noted, “By consolidating our operations, we will be able to use our resources more efficiently, lower overall operation and utility costs and require less managerial staff.” The Riverside, California operations will be consolidated with the existing reservation center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Riverside property will be sold.

It appears that technology is driving the decision as Griffin claimed, “at our busiest time, only 25 percent of our agents are on the phone at the same time.” And, that approximately 90% of reservations are booked online.

As for the financial impact, Griffin added, “We are committed to consolidating our real estate holdings, where it makes sense to do so. From an operational efficiency and cash perspective, it is better to have many people at one location than smaller groups of people at multiple locations. When we divest facilities we own, like we will do with Riverside, we generate significant cash.”

The company said that all employees, with the exception of mangers, would be welcome to apply for positions in Philadelphia, which seems ludicrous that a Californian would move 2,700 miles for a call center job asked to train heir replacements.

It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you wondering, Am I Next?