View Full Version : Company Closing
I would like to let everyone know about a tragic company closing that happened without notice on Wednesday evening.
Consolidated Electrical Services listed in EC&M as #22 largest in the US with $175,000,000 in sales.
Constar International
Port City Electric
All have been closed without warning and all medical benefits were stopped as of 10/31 at 3pm.
This put at least 800 people out of work with at least 300 in MA.
I know that some of the members were working for these companies and some left before the closing.
There was a lot of shady bookwork going on and the banks finally caught up to it and shut us down.
Now there are a lot of family's that are disrupted and left in the lurch without health insurance since they pulled the plug just before the November premium was paid.
According to a spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, said as many as 400 employees may be affected statewide. Walsh said her office has yet to receive a WARN notice from the company - a federal requirement that most employers must give 60 days notice before mass layoffs.
http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/homepage/x756868307
The company is owned by some investors that don't care about the people that they employ and only care about their money. Even though they could not manage the company.
I am not sure what we could do except to try to pick up the pieces and move on.
One thing that I do know is that with an influx of available electricians available on the market all at once it lowered the average wage for these people to get rehired by other companies.
LawnGuyLandSparky
11-02-2007, 12:49 PM
Sad news indeed. I wouldn't worry much though, I've worked for TONS of shops that went out of business! :grin:
In times like this it's important to be positive. Remember that the loss of an employer in no way means there is less work - the work is still out there, it'll just be someone else that does it.
Mike Monahan, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103 in Dorchester, said that union contractors have already been receiving calls to work on jobs that were interrupted by Constar's closure.
yanici
11-02-2007, 01:13 PM
That's too bad for those people at Consolidated. I'm wondering if Local 103 in Boston will absorb some of the workers. With the price of heating our homes this winter, going way up, there will be an extra burden. Also, you are now required by law to have health ins. in MA. If you don't there is a tax or fine you must pay. Nice timing on that, too.
emahler
11-02-2007, 01:44 PM
i guess Iwire really is irreplaceable.....
I feel for you brother, I have been through the same thing. However, keep in mind that if you are smart and good at whatever it is you do you will be in demand somewhere else.
P.S. Chrysler announced 12,000 job cuts yesterday, mostly in Detroit area, not even front page news here in the motor city, we are actually getting used to it and have the highest unemployment rate in the US. Today is my last day here, I am getting out while I can and moving to NC.
Good luck!
Nobody wants to go out of business, and nobody plans for it either. I can see giving notice for a reduction in force to cut back and try to save a business, but sometimes things happen fast and the doors do shut with little notice, all it takes is missing one payroll and its over. I cant even count the times that I felt like I was 30-days from going out of business, and if I had said a word the vultures would have picked me clean before I had a chance to bail myself out.
If the GCs get wind of your money problems they will stop paying your draws thinking they may need that money to pay someone else to finish the work you could not finish because they would not pay you.
Not trying to defend their actions, just trying to offer another perspective.
"Nobody wants to go out of business, and nobody plans for it either"
Not true, companies are purchased for thier assests and dismantled all of the time, been there, done that.
iwire
11-02-2007, 04:30 PM
i guess Iwire really is irreplaceable.....
I saw the writing on the wall and moved on last July.
Like I have said before I take care of myself.
Obviously I am not gloating it is very sad, many of my friends are now jobless. TKB was actually my CPR training partner at that employer.
You may recall not to long ago I was complaining about investment companies trying to run an electrical shop.
iwire
11-02-2007, 04:33 PM
but sometimes things happen fast and the doors do shut with little notice,
I was not in management and I could see the signs, I think the ego of the management kept them from believing it could happen.
On the up side many of the people let go have already been picked up by the shop I now work for.
electricmanscott
11-02-2007, 04:50 PM
TKB was actually my CPR training partner at that employer.
.
Who brought the breath mints ?? :D
Seriously, though I'm glad to hear many have already moved on to other jobs. Nothing hurts the little guys like myself more than a few hundred guys suddenly hungry for work.
I certainly don't have a problem with them trying to earn a living, but let's be honest, many times these are the guys that are collecting and doing "side work" for cheap money.
peter d
11-02-2007, 05:40 PM
I also worked for CES and I quit last June, however, I really had no clue what was going on behind the scenes. I quit for unrelated reasons, although I was unhappy with the way jobs were going.
As Bob said the handwriting was indeed on the wall as many of the jobs I worked on were a blood letting, money wise. I guess it was finally time to pay the piper and there was nothing left.
All those guys losing their jobs overnight simply because of bad management is downright horrible. :(
With hindsight, it was a good move to quit get another job.
"Nobody wants to go out of business, and nobody plans for it either"
Not true, companies are purchased for thier assests and dismantled all of the time, been there, done that.
That is not quite the same thing.
jimport
11-02-2007, 08:23 PM
Well this certainly helps to explain a phone call I got yesterday asking me to fax a letter stating that I had just laid off a crew of 40 from the Wilmington area. As I am a 1 man shop I told them that I had not laid anyone off. They sounded miffed and hung up.
My company has one of the names listed, but has no relationship to any of the shops that closed.
peter d
11-02-2007, 08:28 PM
My company has one of the names listed, but has no relationship to any of the shops that closed.
You're based in Maryland but working in Massachusetts?
hardworkingstiff
11-02-2007, 10:27 PM
On the up side many of the people let go have already been picked up by the shop I now work for.
That IS good news.
brantmacga
11-02-2007, 10:31 PM
I wouldn't worry much though, I've worked for TONS of shops that went out of business!
Don't ever tell that to a prospective employer!!!
dSilanskas
11-02-2007, 10:33 PM
local 223 in lakeville is always looking for more electricians!
peter d
11-02-2007, 10:53 PM
local 223 in lakeville is always looking for more electricians!
I'm sure they are. But you should know that bringing up union issues here will always cause animosity and hard feelings among friends here, and there is no point to that at all.
brian john
11-02-2007, 11:28 PM
I'm sure they are But you should know that bringing up union
This site IMO is open to any job offers, it is when folks throw open shop VS union around problems start. I am for full employment with the contractor of your choice.
peter d
11-02-2007, 11:34 PM
This site IMO is open to any job offers,
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't think of it as a classified ad section in a newspaper. Others may disagree.
As for the topic at hand, rest assured that the IBEW has taken notice of CES's closing and will no doubt welcome any laid off employees of CES into their ranks, assuming that they pass the requirements. Other will move to non-union companies. And the sun will still rise and set....life will go on...
tseed chris
11-03-2007, 01:24 AM
Every one is going to go out of work unless the labor force is fixed. Kids these days don't care about nothing at all. Just their paycheck on Friday.
hillbilly
11-03-2007, 11:35 AM
Also, you are now required by law to have health ins. in MA. If you don't there is a tax or fine you must pay. Nice timing on that, too.
Is that for real?
Most people don't have health insurance because they (or their employers) can't afford it.
What good will adding a fine to the mix help anyone (besides the government coffer)?
Man that smells like a BIG dead rat.
I don't see how such a law is constitutional.
Just my opinion
steve
yanici
11-03-2007, 12:10 PM
Here is some info on the mandatory health insurance in MA. Sorry if it's off topic.
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=cagoterminal&L=2&L0=Home&L1=Health+Care&sid=Cago&b=terminalcontent&f=healthcare_mandatory_health_insurance&csid=Cago
LawnGuyLandSparky
11-03-2007, 02:00 PM
Is that for real?
Most people don't have health insurance because they (or their employers) can't afford it.
What good will adding a fine to the mix help anyone (besides the government coffer)?
Man that smells like a BIG dead rat.
I don't see how such a law is constitutional.
Just my opinion
steve
Consider the unpaid medical costs eventually charged to taxpayers and those who DO have medical coverage when those individuals and employers who claim unaffordability don't pay for their own out of pocket expenses.
JohnJ0906
11-04-2007, 09:12 AM
I admit, I feel for these guys. I'm glad to hear a lot of them have already found work.
Been there, done that. At least the company gave us a little time, while they still had work to finish, and we were assured that they would be able to meet payroll. They also notified some of the companies around that we would be looking for jobs.
We were told that everything was fine and we weren't in trouble and not to worry right up to the minute they closed. The bank was going to take care of us.
They closed us without warning and did not pay the medical insurance premiums that were due the next day for November.
Everyone lost their medical insurance just like that.
My self, I was lucky enough to get right on my wifes insurance, but there are hundreds of family's that could not go this route because of only breadwinner in the family.
Losing a job without notice is one thing, but to pull all medical benefits without even a chance given to anyone to get new insurance is down right criminal.
It looks like since they went bankrupt there is no chance for COBRA either.
I am sure they could have restructured us and split off some of the no performing companies and kept the jobs going. The investors decided just to cut their losses and put 800 people out of work so they don't have to stop eating lobster and caviar.
They were supose to give 60 days notice of a mass layoff or closing under federal law WARN, but is trying to use an exemption because they are a faultering company.
So every one seems to be losing accrued vacation time, medicial benifits, apprentices are losing their documation of their hours (I hope they all saved the stubs).
Sorry, I am just venting since this whole situation makes me MAD.
I hope the state gets involved and investigates. I am sure some laws were broken and I hope the people are charged for this.
khixxx
11-07-2007, 04:52 PM
Sad to hear, I been working for great companies that the CEO gets a 20mill bonus and I worked at crap companies. You can tell the difference night and day on these companies.
How does one find out about trying to buy some of the companies assets from the bank or who ever?
LawnGuyLandSparky
11-07-2007, 08:59 PM
We were told that everything was fine and we weren't in trouble and not to worry right up to the minute they closed.
A contractor lied to you, imagine that.
emahler
11-07-2007, 10:12 PM
A contractor lied to you, imagine that.
yeah...employees never lie
you really dislike employers don't you? just curious.
LawnGuyLandSparky
11-08-2007, 10:30 AM
yeah...employees never lie
you really dislike employers don't you? just curious.
Not at all! It just bothers me when a company closes, knows it's closing, lies to all it's employees, gets away with defeating COBRA and probably ERISA laws, knowing the principals will probably get away with it. I don't like it when employers crow and hem and haw about "we take ALL the risks" crap and in the end, they really aren't, and it is actually the employee who gets hurt when the bottom falls out.
You might say I care more about people than businesss.
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