NO LOVE AT LENOVO'S MOTOROLA

Continuing the restructuring announced in 2017, China-based Lenovo’s Motorola operation is said to have laid off between thirty to fifty percent of its workforce in Chicago, Illinois. Rumors and speculation preceded the layoff, but the company refused to confirm the details or provide a reduction-in-force headcount.  

In a statement to an industry blog, GSMArena, Lenvovo is quoted as saying, “In late 2017, Lenovo announced a worldwide resource action that would occur over the next several quarters, and impacting less than two percent of its global workforce. This week’s employment reductions are a continuation of that process. We are reducing our Motorola operations in Chicago, however, this did not impact half of our workforce there and our Moto Z family will continue.”

Let us not forget that the iconic Motorola company patented the cellphone in 1973 and produced the first commercial handheld cellphone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000 in 1984, followed by the first flip phone, the MicroTAC in 1989, the first GSM handset, the Motorola 3200 in 1991, and the first clamshell phone, the StarTAC in 1996. Unfortunately, Motorola was split and merged out of existence as a result of poor management decisions. 

All my original communications equipment was made by Motorola, GE, or Harris. My original mobile phone was made by Motorola, my in-car system was from Nokia, and then on to the iPhone series of so-called smartphones. 

Are you asking yourself, Am I Next?

NO LOVE AT ROCKWELL-COLLINS

Rockwell Collins, a military/aerospace supplier based in Cedars Rapid, Iowa and acquired by United Technologies for $23 billion has embarked on a cost-reduction restructuring plan that will see its Tucson aircraft seating company shuttered with more than 400 employees laid off. Any remaining operations will be transferred to other company locations. Reduced demand for high-quality luxury aircraft seating is being cited for the restructuring.

Additionally, approximately 130 people will be laid off at their Winston-Salem, North Carolina seat assembly facility and some of the operations in its aftermarket services division, including manufacturing, assembly and spares support will be outsourced to a facility in the Philippines.

Some of the people in the Winston-Salem layoff program will have contractual union “bumping privileges” and be allowed to replace less tenured employees in remaining positions. An additional 32 engineering, program management, and product support positions will be transferred from the company’s Tucson, Arizona location to the Winston-Salem facility. 

Parent company, United Technologies was quick to point out that this is not your typical “jobs reduction story,” but simply a realignment of capabilities, capacity, and demand.

Are you asking yourself, Am I Next?

NO LOVE AT SPRINT

In the process of funding and building-out its next-generation wireless network, Sprint Corp., the fourth wireless network in the United States, is restructuring and executing a cost-containment program, originally initiated with a change in management in 2014,  that will see 500 employee layoffs at Sprint’s Overland Park, Kansas headquarters. This is in addition to top- and mid-level managers who either resigned or were laid-off last year.

Sprint spokesperson, Dave Tovar, commented, “ We realized there were some redundant jobs, and looked at how we could combine areas of the company under a smaller leadership team. Now we're in the process of looking team by team at those organizations, and looking at ways they can operate more efficiently. Eliminating roles is never easy. These are difficult decisions we do not take lightly. This is an ongoing process for us. We're going to always look for ways to operate our business more efficiently and effectively."

Are you asking yourself, Am I Next?