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Outsourced Bain workers describe life in Romney’s America


umbertino
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by: Blake Deppe

October 17 2012

FREEPORT, Il. - GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is utterly disconnected from workers in America. This much is evident when one visits the tent city, "Bainport," here, a protest encampment set up 36 days ago by 170 Bain Capital-owned Sensata workers who will all have lost their jobs by December.

"If you vote for Romney, this is what will happen," said 64-year-old Bobby Ballard, gesturing to the rows of tents that make up the "streets" of Bainport. Ballard, who was laid off after making automobile sensors for 16 years at the plant across the road, warned, "This is what the whole country will look like. What do we do now? Where will we go?"

Sensata worker Tom Gaulrapp is among those who are searching for answers to those questions. In a letter printed by the Huffington Post later that day, he noted, "Layoff notices have been sent out, and some folks have already been laid off. Where there was once lots of people and energy and life, now there's only the discoloration on the floor where the machinery used to be. It's depressing. They're not just dismantling the equipment and the plant; they're dismantling the community."

As the dismantling continued on the morning of October 16, six community supporters were arrested during a sit-in at the Sensata facility after occupying the plant's lobby. Those include JoAnn Matthews (mother of plant worker Mary Jo Kerr); 82 year-old Paul Holz; and Kathy Hoyer (who worked at Sensata for 20 years before being laid off this year) and her son.

"With so many hardworking Americans facing the loss of their jobs to outsourcing, we felt it was time to take a stand," said Hoyer on the reason for the sit-in. "We can't afford to let companies like Bain turn our communities into ghost towns. So our message is clear: Freeport isn't going down without a fight."

Ballard described what it was like the day she learned that her livelihood was gone. "When I found out I was being laid off, I was just in shock," she explained to the People's World. "We all were in shock when we received the news that we were to be replaced by underpaid Chinese workers. The whole room went quiet. None of us knew what to say.

"I'm gonna be 64 in February, and it's going to be hard finding another job. What can I do? I have some savings, but the only options now are part-time jobs with no health benefits. I have four growing children, and grandchildren. I've always been able to help them because I had this good job. Now, I won't be able to do that anymore."

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do if my job is sent to China," said Gaulrapp. "I thought that at this point in my life, after 33 years of working at the plant, that I'd be headed toward retirement. Now, I'm worried that I'll be competing with my nephew for the minimum wage jobs that are just about all that's left in town."

Most of those minimum wage jobs would likely be offered by the giant Walmart supercenter right down the road from Bainport - an anti-union, profit-driven department store otherwise surrounded by struggling smaller stores and workers with options dwindling as fast as their projected incomes.

Referencing the now-infamous remark by Romney in which the Republican denounced 47 percent of Americans as lazy, unemployed people with a sense of entitlement, Ballard clarified, "There's going to be a lot more people unemployed if Romney keeps shipping jobs overseas. The '47 percent' [as he calls us], are going to grow."

"Everyone needs to stand together," she concluded. "Don't just complain - do something."

Mark Schreck, an eight-year Sensata worker, will put in his last day on October 19. From there, he doesn't know where he'll go.

What's particularly insulting in light of this, he said, is when someone drives by Bainport in a car, yelling, 'Get a job!' "I had a job," Schreck clarified. "I did excellent work, and it was a very good job. The job is getting taken away from me."

But Schreck doesn't let those people get him down, because Bainport - yesterday's number-two trending topic on Twitter - is getting support throughout the town, online, and worldwide. "The sense of community that we had inside the Sensata plant is gone now," he said. "We took that pretty hard. But there's a lot of support for what we're doing here and now. People come out, make donations, and really get behind us; that's a really big help."

But despite the fact that they're getting the message out, he said, everything still looks uncertain for him. "I'm recently divorced, with three kids. I'm scared about how I'll support them. If they get hurt, I need to have the best health care coverage to take care of them."

"There won't be anything left in Freeport after this," he lamented. "If you want a decent job, you're gonna have to commute. I mean, if you're gonna take a job out of town, at least put in another job that's just as good or better." Walmart and other minimum wage jobs, he agreed, certainly don't fit that category.

http://www.peoplesworld.org/outsourced-bain-workers-describe-life-in-romney-s-america/

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You do realize that Romney isnt in charge at Bain, and that

the person responsible for our current Economy has been destroying

jobs for the last 4 years....Right?......These people should be protesting

Obama....Of course, Im sure the smart ones are :rolleyes:

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You must have a boring life umbertino. All you contribute to this site are your crappy music videos that I'm sure nobody listens too, and your anti-Romney crap. Don't you have a job in Italy? Or maybe the reason your an Obama supporter is because you like free handouts?

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You must have a boring life umbertino. All you contribute to this site are your crappy music videos that I'm sure nobody listens too, and your anti-Romney crap. Don't you have a job in Italy? Or maybe the reason your an Obama supporter is because you like free handouts?

Umbertino is actually really cool. Although he is either democrat or liberal. but all in all.....umbertinos alright. hes not the usual lib prototype. obviously i disagree with umbertinos views though. he will come around one day....i know hes seeing the light

Edited by sandstorm
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You do realize that Romney isnt in charge at Bain, and that

the person responsible for our current Economy has been destroying

jobs for the last 4 years....Right?......These people should be protesting

Obama....Of course, Im sure the smart ones are rolleyes.gif

Spin it anyway you like cris...

What I read was about their lives and how They see it.

Do you ever step in anyone else's shoes for even a minute... or are Romneys so small thay are jammed and STUCK on your feet.

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Spin it anyway you like cris...

What I read was about their lives and how They see it.

Do you ever step in anyone else's shoes for even a minute... or are Romneys so small thay are jammed and STUCK on your feet.

Their ignorant. the company they worked for failed them. bain capital only showed up because THEY WERE INVITED IN.

they help rebuild failing companies. its not bains fault these companies sucked at making a profit.

a business isnt in business to provide jobs.......its in business to be profitable for investors....who risk their money. wake up

if bain didnt risk their equity.....every single employee would of been canned....bain saves businesses and the jobs that are viable

Edited by sandstorm
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There`s no spin here. Fact: Romney does not work for bain. Hasnt for a very long time. So every factory that gets in trouble . Its gonna be Romneys fault ? hahahahahaha Umberto my little commie pal. How you doing today. In the red again I see.

Goofy liberal garbage. Thats all this is.

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Spin it anyway you like cris...

What I read was about their lives and how They see it.

Do you ever step in anyone else's shoes for even a minute... or are Romneys so small thay are jammed and STUCK on your feet.

Do I have to step in someones shoes to understand that O'blah

is a job destroyer?......Maybe you should try stepping in the shoes of

the job creators in this Country.....Including me.....If you understood how

many people I help every day (hundreds) and how over the last 4 years, it has

become more & more difficult to do, you might understand America better.

The current Administration blatantly hates Business....They have no qualms about

voicing that opinion.

The problem here is Libs ginning-up protest against Romney, He's not

in charge at Bain or in this Country....Yet ;)

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Their ignorant. the company they worked for failed them. bain capital only showed up because THEY WERE INVITED IN.

Yeah Sandstorm "Their Ignorant" Live Upside Down And They Have No Clue What Happened To Their Jobs. Right!

Fact: Romney does not work for bain. Hasnt for a very long time. So every factory that gets in trouble . Its gonna be Romneys fault ? hahahahahaha

It's Romney's Business Model That He Still Profits From.

wink.gifbiggrin.giftongue.gifdry.gifangry.gifblink.gifrolleyes.gif

Lost Your Quote cris but DO Tell Us More about how you help hundreds a day. Truly Curious...

OH You Fabulous Five Are A Real Wonder! Here Jon Jon... tongue.gif

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I for one appreciate Umbertino's style of music... he's got class. Thanks!!! peace.gif

Your political views however my friend are a mystery to me??? huh.gif

I'm not gonna knock your opinion, we all have em... but I find it somewhat curious that you are quick to post information on America's political system when you live in Italy! emot-questioned.gif I guess to each his own my friend... have a good one!!! wink.gif

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Lost Your Quote cris but DO Tell Us More about how you help hundreds a day. Truly Curious...

Oh Maggie ;)

Let me help you out.....Im going to explain a Business owners shoes

(my fellow business owners already know this) anyone looking for a job

should also understand this.

Im in the construction business

1.....I have a business.....I help my staff

2.....I help my Clients.....They help to pay my staff

I also help....

3.....The Real Estate Agents I work with....Their staffs

4.....The Developers I work with....Their Business and staff

5.....The Contractors that I work with....and their staffs

6.....The Sub-Contractors I work with....all of their staffs

7.....The Suppliers and their staffs

8.....The Manufacturers and all of their Employees

This is just my little Business and some of the people it touches daily, not including

all of the fees, taxes, bonds, retainers, etc. that affects thousands more.

If I am to stay in Business, I need a friendly environment....Every job creator needs

that situation....Without that.....We leave, and those people you 'feel' for will have less

and less opportunity to be employed.

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Im in the construction business

1.....I have a business.....I help my staff

2.....I help my Clients.....They help to pay my staff

I also help....

3.....The Real Estate Agents I work with....Their staffs

4.....The Developers I work with....Their Business and staff

5.....The Contractors that I work with....and their staffs

6.....The Sub-Contractors I work with....all of their staffs

7.....The Suppliers and their staffs

8.....The Manufacturers and all of their Employees

This is just my little Business and some of the people it touches daily, not including

all of the fees, taxes, bonds, retainers, etc. that affects thousands more.

If I am to stay in Business, I need a friendly environment....Every job creator needs

that situation....Without that.....We leave, and those people you 'feel' for will have less

and less opportunity to be employed.

Gee Cris... does that mean we can call you...(drum roll please)... "Cris and Staff" rolleyes.gifwink.gif (sorry.. inside joke with Grand Pubah and me... only difference, you have "a staff"... I only carve em). laugh.gif

Btw... as a business man over the years I totally agree with you ... it's like a stone thrown in the pond... being in business has a ripple effect, without small business's a community dries up pretty fast!

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Gee Cris... does that mean we can call you...(drum roll please)..."Cris and Staff"

Thats what my Lady Friends call me......so :lol::D :D

Btw... as a business man over the years I totally agree with you ... it's like a stone thrown in the pond... being in business has a ripple effect, without small business's a community dries up pretty fast!

Couldnt agree with you more on this one Rod ;)

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Oh Maggie wink.gif

Let me help you out.....Im going to explain a Business owners shoes

(my fellow business owners already know this) anyone looking for a job

should also understand this.

Im in the construction business

1.....I have a business.....I help my staff

2.....I help my Clients.....They help to pay my staff

I also help....

3.....The Real Estate Agents I work with....Their staffs

4.....The Developers I work with....Their Business and staff

5.....The Contractors that I work with....and their staffs

6.....The Sub-Contractors I work with....all of their staffs

7.....The Suppliers and their staffs

8.....The Manufacturers and all of their Employees

This is just my little Business and some of the people it touches daily, not including

all of the fees, taxes, bonds, retainers, etc. that affects thousands more.

If I am to stay in Business, I need a friendly environment....Every job creator needs

that situation....Without that.....We leave, and those people you 'feel' for will have less

and less opportunity to be employed.

Nice Condescending Post cris... your so good at that, although you are talking about a business community helping each other, and thats all good...

Having been a business owner with my husband in a commercial framing construction co. that directly employed a crew of over 100 framers that worked both all over the US and internationally...

I have a full concept of what you are describing and how business's rely on each other.

However our creedo was to "take good care of our people and they would take care of us".

Never did we take the attitude that we were "helping" them by allowing them to work for us... that would be pretty pompus concidering we couldn't prosper without THEM.

To do that we offered Better Than "Fair" Wages and Health Insurance which is as you may know unusual in the construction industry.

It worked for us though... having an experienced and loyal crew that we could always count on was a win / win for all.

Taxes were a burden but that was always a part of the deal... less taxes would always have been better, no doubt. It's just not something you can shirk.

Now as for taking our company base overseas that was never a desire nor a viable option,

probably wouldn't be for you either if that is what you meant by... "We Leave"

Don't want to argue until the moon turns blue about Who has the best tax plan... I was just wondering how you were helping 100's of people.

Now I see... nice insinuation there cris... glad you cleared that up.

Edited by Maggie123
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***///

People who accuse Romney of ruining their lives through Bain are

members of one of obummer's favorite groups:

VICTIM MENTALITY

Easy pickings for his army of Democracy Destruction.

You losers are NOT the first people to lose your jobs.

Get over yourselves.

Grow a pair,

put on your big boy pants and do something to help yourselves.

Complaining, kvetching, blaming everybody else for your problems is NOT going to help you or anyone else.

Man up crybaby pu$$ys. <_<

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Nice Condescending Post cris... your so good at that, although you are talking about a business community helping each other, and thats all good...

Having been a business owner with my husband in a commercial framing construction co. that directly employed a crew of over 100 framers that worked both all over the US and internationally...

I have a full concept of what you are describing and how business's rely on each other.

However our creedo was to "take good care of our people and they would take care of us".

Never did we take the attitude that we were "helping" them by allowing them to work for us... that would be pretty pompus concidering we couldn't prosper without THEM.

To do that we offered Better Than "Fair" Wages and Health Insurance which is as you may know unusual in the construction industry.

It worked for us though... having an experienced and loyal crew that we could always count on was a win / win for all.

Taxes were a burden but that was always a part of the deal... less taxes would always have been better, no doubt. It's just not something you can shirk.

Now as for taking our company base overseas that was never a desire nor a viable option,

probably wouldn't be for you either if that is what you meant by... "We Leave"

Don't want to argue until the moon turns blue about Who has the best tax plan... I was just wondering how you were helping 100's of people.

Now I see... nice insinuation there cris... glad you cleared that up.

Oh Maggie....stuff it ;)

Take out your own palpable condescension and you would have a good response,

except in that, how could you possibly be a Lib?....Maybe it has to do with the shirking

remark.....Any good business model keeps Taxes as minimal as possible....They arent

some sort of duty....Taxes are a burden that should be eliminated in any legal manner

possible...That is a Patriotic Obligation ....Feeding Welfare helps no one

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Oh Maggie....stuff it wink.gif

Take out your own palpable condescension and you would have a good response,

except in that, how could you possibly be a Lib?....Maybe it has to do with the shirking

remark.....Any good business model keeps Taxes as minimal as possible....They arent

some sort of duty....Taxes are a burden that should be eliminated in any legal manner

possible...That is a Patriotic Obligation ....Feeding Welfare helps no one

Stop TWISTING My Words and You "Stuff It"!!!

We kept taxes as low as possible with the help of a Damn Good Accountant.

Who said anything about "feeding welfare"? Wasn't ever a part of this topic cris. Job's Remember???

What's Wrong With You? Your Little Ego Get Bruised? rolleyes.gif

I'm Not A "Lib" cris. But If That's A Dirty Word For You... Than... "Pooo Pooo On You" laugh.gif

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I for one appreciate Umbertino's style of music... he's got class. Thanks!!! peace.gif

Your political views however my friend are a mystery to me??? huh.gif

I'm not gonna knock your opinion, we all have em... but I find it somewhat curious that you are quick to post information on America's political system when you live in Italy! emot-questioned.gif I guess to each his own my friend... have a good one!!! wink.gif

Thanks for not denying me your friendship just for our different opinions and visions, my Friend... That's appreciated. Something that I would like to take for granted but I see it's not.

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Stop TWISTING My Words and You "Stuff It"!!!

We kept taxes as low as possible with the help of a Damn Good Accountant.

Who said anything about "feeding welfare"? Wasn't ever a part of this topic cris. Job's Remember???

What's Wrong With You? Your Little Ego Get Bruised?

I'm Not A "Lib" cris. But If That's A Dirty Word For You... Than... "Pooo Pooo On You"

Oh Maggie :D

No need to get all worked up....You called me out with what you termed

'truly curious'...If you dont like the responses, dont ask the questions....I cannot

be held responsible for how you 'feel' :rolleyes: and Lib is not a dirty word, it is

a frame of mind....The Libs would like to be called 'progressive' but that aint

gonna happen.....They are self proclaimed Libs and are going to have to live

with the history of what they have done to this Country....The days of PC & trying

to rewrite that History are over.

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Nice Condescending Post cris... your so good at that, although you are talking about a business community helping each other, and thats all good...

Having been a business owner with my husband in a commercial framing construction co. that directly employed a crew of over 100 framers that worked both all over the US and internationally...

I have a full concept of what you are describing and how business's rely on each other.

However our creedo was to "take good care of our people and they would take care of us".

Never did we take the attitude that we were "helping" them by allowing them to work for us... that would be pretty pompus concidering we couldn't prosper without THEM.

To do that we offered Better Than "Fair" Wages and Health Insurance which is as you may know unusual in the construction industry.

It worked for us though... having an experienced and loyal crew that we could always count on was a win / win for all.

Taxes were a burden but that was always a part of the deal... less taxes would always have been better, no doubt. It's just not something you can shirk.

Now as for taking our company base overseas that was never a desire nor a viable option,

probably wouldn't be for you either if that is what you meant by... "We Leave"

Don't want to argue until the moon turns blue about Who has the best tax plan... I was just wondering how you were helping 100's of people.

Now I see... nice insinuation there cris... glad you cleared that up.

Sometimes the ripple effects are not good for a community. Sometimes it's trickle down situations and not positive.

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You must have a boring life umbertino. All you contribute to this site are your crappy music videos that I'm sure nobody listens too, and your anti-Romney crap. Don't you have a job in Italy? Or maybe the reason your an Obama supporter is because you like free handouts?

Yea that bankrupt socialist country he lives is a model to follow. :lol:

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...are going to have to live with the history of what they have done to this Country....The days of PC & trying

to rewrite that History are over.

Can You Say "Bush"?...

No Didn't Think So. Really Sticks In Your Craw Doesn't It?

Sometimes the ripple effects are not good for a community. Sometimes it's trickle down situations and not positive.

biggrin.gif I Hear You Simple biggrin.gif

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