[poochee]

Buy Dove, it's better anyway!!

Hershey plans to cut work force by 1,500
By PETER JACKSON -- Associated Press Writer
Last Updated 7:08 am PST Friday, February 16, 2007

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The Hershey Co., whose name has been synonymous with U.S. candymaking for more than a century, is moving a bigger chunk of its production to Mexico.

A day after Valentine sweethearts across the country enjoyed bags of Hershey Kisses, the company on Thursday announced a restructuring plan that will scale back its work force by 1,500 jobs and force some plants to close.

Hershey said the three-year blueprint would reduce the number of production lines by more than one-third while saving the company as much as $190 million a year.

The maker of Hershey's Kisses, Reese's peanut butter cups and Mounds bars currently employs about 13,000 people at 20 plants in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The planned cuts amount to 11.5 percent of that work force.

The proportion of Hershey's manufacturing done in the U.S. and Canada will shrink, from 90 percent currently to 80 percent, and the impact will vary from one plant to another.

"Some will be expanded, some will be downsized and some will close," said Hershey spokesman Kirk Saville. He declined to elaborate.

"We recognize this will involve considerable change over the next three years, and intend to make this transformation of our supply chain as smooth as possible for our employees and customers," said Richard H. Lenny, Hershey's president, chairman and CEO.

A union leader suggested that the planned new plant in Monterrey, Mexico, would make the job cuts in the United States and Canada particularly acute.

Dennis Bomberger, business manager for Chocolate Workers Local 464, which represents 2,500 workers at Hershey plants in Hershey and Reading, speculated that the actual job cuts could have to be deeper to achieve a net work force reduction of 1,500.

"They're going to gain some jobs in Mexico ... so there's going to be a higher number lost" in the U.S. and Canada, Bomberger said. "Whenever they move something out the country, that's not good news for any company from the workers' standpoint."

Saville declined to discuss any details about the job cuts or the Mexico plant. Hershey managers began holding meetings with employees Thursday to discuss the changes ahead.

"We will communicate with our employees and (their) union representatives," he said.

Hershey's stock rose 1.6 percent Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, to close at $52.10, up 80 cents.

Hershey, the nation's largest candy maker, reported a 10 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings last month on lackluster sales. Results lagged due to weak merchandising, the company said, as well as a recall of products made at a plant in Canada last year after salmonella bacteria was discovered.

Reaction to Thursday's announcement among financial analysts was mixed.

"Bottom-line, this plan should provide (Hershey) with far more marketing firepower, behind which to invest in its core brands ... as well as new platforms," such as premium chocolate and dark chocolate, "while still delivering margin improvement," wrote Andrew Lazar of Lehman Brothers.

Wachovia Securities analyst Jonathan P. Feeney said the plan leaves fundamental problems unaddressed.

"We are skeptical that pulling capacity out of the system while allocating capital away from the core business accomplishes the critical mission, which is to reinvigorate consumer response to its core chocolate products," Feeney wrote.

The company said it will outsource production of low value-added items and that the new Mexico plant would help meet growing demand for its products in that country.

Rest at:
http://dwb.sacbee.com/24hour/jobs/st...12780743c.html

[lexmarks567]

why are these jobs out sorcing the job markets bad enough jeeze when you get a job you expect to keep it not walk in one day and Oh BTW your jobs been outsorced to china we don't need you bye bye thats the way of it and they don't care cause there making MONEY AND SAVING IT

[poochee]

Originally Posted by lexmarks567

why are these jobs out sorcing the job markets bad enough jeeze when you get a job you expect to keep it not walk in one day and Oh BTW your jobs been outsorced to china we don't need you bye bye thats the way of it and they don't care cause there making MONEY AND SAVING IT

I, for one will not buy anymore Hershey products.

[sy2]

But hey, keep raising that minimum wage!

We legislate all these things that make doing business in America so expensive, are you really surprised that people are using other, cheaper resources that are easily available? This is just the beginning.

[poochee]

Greed.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by poochee

Greed.

Exactly--union greed. And stupid anti-business legisalation by your party. Expect many other companies to move jobs out of the US where they don't have to deal with liberal red tape.

I for one will continue to buy Hershey's as its the best cholcolate IMO! In fact, I'll by twice what you don't buy anymore!

[lexmarks567]

but in the mean time make 100s of thousand of workers jobless make the un-employment rate go up even more and soon the homeless will to

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by lexmarks567

but in the mean time make 100s of thousand of workers jobless make the un-employment rate go up even more and soon the homeless will to

Tell it to poochee, not me. I could bring twice the jobs into this country we have now if I had my way--and there would be a lot more good high paying jobs.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by poochee

Buy Dove, it's better anyway!!
[/url]

Dove is owned by Mars--you think they don't have facilities outside the US?

And they'll be moving jobs out of here as well when they have to start paying people top dollar to watch M&Ms go buy on the assembly line!

[Mulderator]

Here ya go poochee--here's your new favorite company--Mars!!! LOL!

Fair Trade Chocolate and Cocoa: The Sweet Solution to Abusive Child Labor and Poverty

San Francisco, CA — July 1, 2005 will mark the expiration of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, a voluntary protocol agreed to by the chocolate industry to ensure U.S. chocolate products aren't made using illegal child labor.

Eyewitness reports from the field confirm that the industry has failed to fulfill its promise to monitor and certify by July 2005 that the cocoa it imports is not made by forced child labor.

Thus, Global Exchange, an international human rights group based in San Francisco, and the International Labor Rights Fund, an advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, are calling on the US government to step in and end the use of illegal child labor by the U.S. chocolate industry.

"Americans do not want to eat chocolate that was made with illegal child labor or slave labor. No chocolate can taste good that was made under such conditions. It's time for Congress to take action to mandate industry action. And until then, people should seek out Fair Trade chocolate—that is, chocolate which has been certified by an international monitoring group to meet certain labor, wage, and environmental standards," says Jamie Guzzi of Global Exchange.

Producer poverty comes at the hands of large chocolate corporations, such as M&M/Mars and other members of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America, that manipulate the market to keep profits high while producer incomes stay low.

We need to come together in even larger numbers make it clear that we will accept nothing less than Fair Trade from M&M/Mars and the US chocolate industry. We also need to work to make existing Fair Trade chocolate and cocoa products available in our communities through school/youth-club fundraisers, stores, campuses, community groups, faith-based groups, and more. Join us today to make chocolate as sweet for cocoa producers as it is for you.

Yeah--you buy Dove (owned 100% by Mars) and you'll be supporting abuse of children in other countries!

[Mulderator]

http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=55

Starbucks, M & M Mars, Wal-Mart - Common Denominator Sweatshops
by Joanna Farley
May 2005

It is certainly unfortunate that slavery still exists in the world. In reality, it continues to thrive in many foreign company locations, despite supposed strict measures taken to abolish slavery over the years. The smallest estimations indicate that at least 27 million people toil in the utmost desolate forced bondage conditions possible on this earth. The areas affected by this devastation include places such as Nigeria, Indonesia, and Brazil. It is a shame to note that other sources document the number referred to above to be as much as 10 times larger ("In Ecuador", 5). However, it is also imperative to note that slavery statistics at times are particularly uncertain because there is a definite lack of information on the precise number of those in bondage. The companies involved in these tactics prefer to keep their operations masked. Nevertheless, as more and more products are available in the United States and other more developed countries, the truth is becoming increasingly accessible as well. In a more intensely focused approach, there will now be a thorough examination of some various examples of American-adored companies that exploit child slave labor for their own advancement ("In Ecuador", 7).

Those who shop at the retail store known as Wal-Mart know and love it for its cheap and good quality products. This is just a mask disguising the company's true intentions. First, in January 2004, the New York Times reported on an internal Wal-Mart audit which found "extensive violations of child labor laws and state regulations requiring time for breaks and meals." One week of time records from 25,000 employees in July 2000 found 1,371 instances of minors working too late, during school hours, or for too many hours in a day. There were 60,767 missed breaks and 15,705 lost meal times ("Wal-Mart", 3-4). Second, according to the New York Times report: "Verette Richardson, a former Wal-Mart cashier in Kansas City, MO., said it was sometimes so hard to get a break that some cashiers urinated on themselves. Bella Blaubergs, a diabetic who worked at a Wal-Mart in Washington State, said she sometimes nearly fainted from low blood sugar because managers often would not give breaks ("Wal-Mart", 5). Next, a store manager in Kentucky told the New York Times that, after the audit was issued, he received no word from company executives to try harder to cut down on violations: "There was no follow-up to that audit, there was nothing sent out I was aware of saying, 'We're bad. We screwed up. This is the remedy we're going to follow to correct the situation" ("Wal-Mart", 5).

Wal-Mart claims that their products are made in America, but this is entirely false. Wal-Mart's demands on suppliers that they cut costs have caused these suppliers to move majority production overseas. Greg Palast reports that Chinese dissident Hongda Wu discovered, in 1995, that Wal-Mart was contracting prison slave labor in Guangdong Province (Miller, 10). Wu and Palast fight together that numerous items at Wal-Mart are made by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Hongda Wu is a convicted felon who served 19 years in China. Slave labor is hard labor prison in China. American prisons also make products and hence continue slave labor. Michael Moore's recent documentary showed American prisoners making jeans and providing travel advices for several states (James, 6). In Bangladesh, Palast reported that in 1992 teenagers were working in "sweatshops" approximately 80 hours per week, at $0.14 per hour, for Wal-Mart contractor Beximco. In 1994, Guatemalan Wendy Diaz reported that, at the age of 13, she had been working for Wal-Mart at $0.30 per hour (Miller, 11).

Another beloved American favorite is Starbucks coffee. They certainly charge high prices for their elaborate fancy drinks. Many Americans insist on only consuming Starbucks blend coffee, considering anything else inferior. However, like everyone else, Starbucks is also an imposter trying to hide the truth. Their coffee is not premium as everyone believes it to be. Starbucks uses cheap coffee to construct its products, and it is super cheap to make. In addition, there are no environmental standards, worker standards, or worker unions. Total control is assumed by the company ("Fighting", 13).

Coffee in general is a labor-intensive product to cultivate, harvest and process. Extra care to maintain a standard of quality on the farm and through the finalization processes requires additional time and effort. Coffee experts in producing countries estimate that the amount of labor required to produce a pound of coffee is 2.2 hours. Even at commodity price levels of $1.00, pressure to have labor costs low is intense. At current prices, which have decreased far below the average cost of production, labor costs are being driven down even further ("Fighting", 13).

There is some good that Starbucks adheres to. Starbucks also markets "fair trade certified coffee" that makes sure that "farmers who grew the coffee received a premium price above the prevailing market prices," which helps them have a better quality of life ("Fair Trade"). This in itself notes that the company is concerned about its international policies. Yet it reminds one of one of many students in a school, who are generally nice kids and by senior year learn that there are other people in their grade instead of those in their crowd, yet are still torn between being popular and breaking out of their familiar group of friends. Ultimately, it is an excuse that they use to justify their reasons for their ignorance. It is common knowledge that a company, or a person, has reached full maturity once they can change these comfortable habits and explore broader horizons.

There is yet another American company known to use child slave labor. M&M/Mars Inc. has often employed harvest of cocoa beans for their chocolate from the Ivory Coast. Most of these cocoa beans come from the poor West African coast. Child slave labor has increased because of such low prices in the cocoa industry in the past few years. Cocoa farmers now receive about one cent in exchange for a candy bar. Due to this insufficient payment method, cocoa growers have been forced to cut their labor costs, thus in turn causing them to utilize child slave labor. These ridiculously low prices mean that cocoa farmers and children endure intense suffering. Meanwhile, M&M/Mars benefits from the low cocoa prices and lower raw material costs ("In Ecuador", 9).

M&M/Mars Inc. and other companies comprising the general chocolate industry have agreed to take small measures decreasing this exploitative cruelty. They have released a Protocol and Joint Statement. However, their plan does not include a guarantee for fair wages for adults. If M&M/Mars Inc. would become Fair Trade Certified, it would greatly correct the situation. Being Fair Trade Certified allows a minimum price per pound and disallows child and forced labor. Fair Trade Certified products are widely available in Europe, but in the US. Fair Trade specifies that chocolate producers must be small farmers. A majority 90% of all cocoa worldwide is made by small private farmers who own twelve acres or less ("In Ecuador", 10). Fair Trade is therefore quite possible and readily available for most of world's cocoa producers. M&M/Mars has the capability to improve the world's overall plight by enacting Fair Trade Certification. It is the fourth largest private company in the US, controls up to 17% of the US chocolate market, and is the leader of the $13 billion chocolate industry.

All three companies, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and M&M/Mars are involved in unfair exploitation of young children in third-world countries. It is sad to see such derogatory and medieval treatment thrives in our world. Demanding Fair Trade Certification and writing/sending petitions to various companies like those described above will hopefully force them to stop these practices. Slavery will continue to exist in the US until it is dealt with as a main priority and countered for good. Until people rate it as the most pressing current issue, there will be no effective end.

Think of those poor kids in Africa next time you munch a Dove bar, poochee!

[MSM Hobbes]

Why should Hershey be punished for doing what is best for their bottom line, and having a facility in a country where they desire to gain market share? Yes, I would rather see the jobs of US and Canadian workers not lost. However, keep in mind that the workers at these facilities were compensated quite well - maybe too much, potentially helping make them a target - and then having a strike where they were asked to pay part of their health benefits and copay, that surely wouldn't sit too well neither. And, yes, the big mucky mucks within the firm, as well as vast majority of companies, are likewise too well compensated.

[poochee]

Originally Posted by lexmarks567

but in the mean time make 100s of thousand of workers jobless make the un-employment rate go up even more and soon the homeless will to

When I find out a company is doing this I don't deal them anymore if I can find an American Co. to buy from. I also encourage my friends and relatives to do the same. My activist nature.

If I want some chocolate I will go to a candy store and buy some that is made here. I'll gladly pay the extra cost.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by poochee

If I want some chocolate I will go to a candy store and buy some that is made here. I'll gladly pay the extra cost.

And what about the fact your favorite company is using child slave labor to manufacture the cocoa? Do you care about that?

[steppenwolf]

maybe ill boycott hersheys then again who knows

the guy who started it was interesting -i think there is a book out