Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Levis closes last US mfg plants.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/01/08/levi.s.closing.ap/index.html

What next ?? Mustangs from Korea ?? Coke from China ???

Did they really expect Levi's to keep them employed at 10-12 an hour? Get real!

More importantly, while Levis might be an "American Icon", Americans just don't buy them anymore. The majority of their sales are overseas.

If Americans want their "American Companies" to stay they better buy their stuff. You can be damn sure Ford would build the Mustang in China if the majority of Mustangs were sold there.

You just can't sell Levis in China for $3 a pair when they're made in the US where labor is $12/hr.

At least they're giving their workers pretty damn nice severance packages. A severance package that could easily surpass 20 grand and benefits is better than I've ever heard for menial labor positions.

Not surprising. Dirt-cheap foreign labor, few environmental controls, low operating costs and much different insurance and medical requirements (usually next to nothing compared to what is offered here stateside) will continue to utterly GUT the manufacturing sector here in the US.

Certain high-tech jobs are making their way over there as well, especially on the support side. Some development jobs have headed off to India and China, too, which still floors me.

I'm half-tempted to look at what it would take to relocate and set up a training/consulting firm for high-tech firms in the Orient, as I know of an individual that took his retirement from IBM and has been making a KILLING doing this type of work.

Well that just friggin sucks.

Now we just need to figure out a way to make the mumu as fashionable.

Dan - just bought a new pair of button-fly 501's the other day

I saw that as well, but every long-term projection I've seen in every publication I've had my hands on in the past 10 years has shown a steady decline.

Unless there's a security or timeliness reason on the particular product in question, just about every major US company is looking to move more of their manufacturing base offshore, be it the whole product or just certain integrated components.

It royally stinks, but I fear this good news is like a fly struggling in a web instead of just staying still...

Heard of this a few weeks ago

Most of the jeans I buy are Levi's and I just spent some money last week on some other stuff from the Levi's outlet, none of it is/was made in the US. Is any clothing American made anymore?

I think Levi's downfall were the button fly jeans... I mean when you really have to go who wants to mess with those buttons!

Seriously though is $10 to $12 dollars an hour a living wage? That's roughly twenty some thousand a year. Subtract 23% for Uncle Sam and well if you have a family that's not a lot of money.
American workers(mostly middle class and down) lose ground to the cost of living every year. When your raise doesn't keep pace with the cost of living well you can see where this is going. Why is it that those who can afford to give up the least are forced to give up the most.
How's that belt tightening up at corporate going? (crickets chirping)

On a side rant, trying to get tech support from someone who doesn't speak english well makes me crazy!