34 years

[neal b]

i worked for a company for 34 years we was informed today at 11:30 they sold the store tue. or wed. will be my last day they are going to give us 2 weeks pay oh well now i can sleep in for a while my teardrop rebuild is on hold i may try to get to a few gathering

neal b

[Juneaudave]

Sorry Neal...are you looking for a new job right away...or are you going to take some time off?

[Bigwoods]

Wow! That's a tough one. I sure hope a new opportunity pops up for you. I always feel like when one door slams another opens up. It just seem like like it takes forever when your there.

[oklahomajewel]

Neal .,, WOW !!! I bet you'll feel like a duck out of water, after being at the same place that long! I hit my 23 years at my company - wow - actually today! And have survived layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing , and early opt outs for the last year and half, but it's not over yet!

Hope you have a short break and find another good job !

Julie

[tinksdad]

I can only echo everybody else's sentiments to your plight. It's tough. Six months ago, my plan was to retire in 4 more years and everything was looking good. The company I worked for sold us. The new owners came in a month later and shut down one whole shift. It took me 4 months to find another job at 60% of what I was making (and no benefits). I took it to pay the bills while I keep looking for something better. If I can make it through the rough times ahead and if the current economy doesn't totally wipe out my 401K, I still hope to retire January 2013.

Keep your chin up and keep moving forward is all the advice I can offer.

[mikeschn]

Hey Neal,

That's tough. I had something similar happen 2 years ago. GM decided to eliminate all their contracts at the tech center. So after a nice Christmas and New Years, they came in the first week of January, and let us all go.

It seemed like it took forever to find a new job, actually it was just over 4 months... In retrospect, it was a blessing. The new job was better, the working environment and the attitude was better.

Keep your head up, and keep looking. You'll find the right job for you!

Mike...

[Roly Nelson]

After working for 13 years for the same general contractor, he decided to retire and laid as all off. I went out in the back yard and cried, not knowing what the future heald in store. As they say, one door shuts, another opens, and I found a job with a better contractor that kept me busy at a better-paying job for the next 28 years.

Neal, I hope the same thing happens for you. Somewhere out there is the perfect job that you have been looking for, all you have to so is go out and find it. Good luck on your efforts. Hang in there.
Roly

[Mighty Mouse]

Neal I feel your pain, literally. Like Mike my job was 100% dependant on the auto industry. First week in Dec. they informed all union employees that we would be laid off for the last two weeks of the month. No holiday pay (usually had 3 days at xmas and 2 or 3 for new years). If you had vacation pay you could use it but it would reduce any unemployment. They also fired 3 supervisors and several office nonunion employes. The week after the layoffs they told us about not paying holiday pay, said instead they would be continueing our insurance benifits until the end of Jan. Union agreed to this with out a vote by the working stiffs. Last week of Janruary they calledd for a union vote to alter our contract, after calling back less than 1/4 of the people laid off. They wanted to change the hours so those working would be required to work 15 extra minutes without pay everyday. This policy would be indeffinent. If agreed to that would continue insurance for the layed off workers for yet one more month. No garuntee of a call back though.
So now I am Laid off, no call back in sight, no insurance (cobra is $4,000 a month for family) no severance pay, didnt get paid for my vacation and sick days that I had comming, 3 weeks vac, 5 sick days and 2 floating holidays owed to me. Just finished school with an Associates degree in CAD that I have to pay for myself and no one wants to even send a polite thanks for your interest in our job opening to a middle aged guy with a degree but no experience. You had 34 yrs, I only had 10 but just shows ya companies today don't value your exprience or loyalty only how much is going in the bosses pocket.

Sorry to hijack your thread but been getting kinda down and it's only been a couple of months, can't work on the td or yard or house due to weather and money so going stir crazy looking for a job and getting no replys

Keep at it though it's got to get better sooner or later.

Bud

[reddz]

Neal,

I too can relate. After 35 years with my former employer my group got downsized. I knew I was on the short list so I took the offer and ran. I was lucky and had a job for the next 5 months but the encomy killed that too. So now I am taking advantage of the nice weather and working on my TD. (I stocked up on parts while I still had a pay check.)

My plan was to retire in 5 or 6 years but I guess I got that early. Take heart. Something will come along.

Take care of yourself and your family.

[Mike C.]

Neal, I'm real sorry to hear this.

I had a similar event happen 9 years ago. Worked for a company for 20 years, and one day they came in and said you're not making enough money, so they closed us. Fortunately, I knew some people and was able to find a job in about two weeks. At the time I was devistated, but it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. Making more money than I ever would have with the other company and now have a company car. Great people to work with and the benefits are about the same.

Hang in there, it will all work out for the best.