P3D Re: Mexican V-M viewers

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> >I'm sure the View-Master workers in Portland, Ore., USA, who lost their
> >jobs would have something to say about this :-(

It's really in Beaverton, Oregon.  Or was.

> 
> Yes, they may be asking themselves how American workers can demand so much
> money 

How much were they demanding?  I really have no idea if they worked for
minimum wage or $80/hour.  What are the VM worker's demands?  Isn't
such work pretty much fully automated?  Or perhaps the machines are unionized? 


> to mold plastic for a dwindling niche market.  I'd guess it's a good
> strong union shop that thwarted efforts to reduce costs.
>
> >BTW, Fisher-Price has announced a 20% price increase in the wholesale cost
> >of the viewers ...
> 
> Which shows they're not making a bundle on this stuff.

Which maybe true because they now have to pay off the amortized
aquisition cost of Mattel buying them out and to pay off the
costs of reorganization, moving the machines, and perhaps paying
off serverance costs for the people cut.  Their unemployment insurance
rates will jump up because of the layoffs too.  All of this has
to be made up for!

Mike (in Beaverton, Oregon) K.



> 
> Tom
> 
> 
> 


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