or maybe “Dodging Axes” would be more appropriate. It all started a little over a year ago when I narrowly escaped getting laid off from Chief Automotive, I had been with the company six month longer than the other the engineer they “let go”. After limping along for a year, and taking a 20% pay cut I left Chief Automotive and took a contract position with Case New Holland. Two weeks after starting the job, CNH reported a first quarter loss of 125 million dollars and a plan for “restructuring”. When I flew out to Pennsylvania for training I was told that “restructuring” meant that due to budget cuts all salaried contract employees are going to be “let go”… wait I’m a salaried contract employee!?! Luckily due to my unique position in the company, I am considered essential and am one of the very few salaried contracts allowed to stay on. That would have been the worst business trip ever. That brings me to today, six weeks after leaving, Chief Automotive has announced that they are closing the plant in Grand Island and moving all operations to Indiana where they will merge with a sister company, RotaryLift. Most everyone is getting laid off, a few people, 1 or 2, could have the option of relocate to Madison Indiana, 850 miles away.
Hopefully I am in the clear for now but who knows what will happens next quarter, this recession is a real bitch. I know Gillian is getting tired of me coming home and telling her “Ok, I still have a job, but…”
Frozenrobot 
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