About 200 Hufcor employees are in danger of losing their jobs to outsourcing plans in Mexico. | Twitter
About 200 Hufcor employees are in danger of losing their jobs to outsourcing plans in Mexico. | Twitter
Hufcor, a manufacturing plant that has made Janesville, Wisconsin, its home base for the last 120 years, is now looking to close down and move operations to Mexico.
The move comes after the company gained new ownership through OpenGate in 2017, which has since faced economic hardship in correlation with the COVID-19 pandemic. With about 200 employees' livelihoods endangered, the Janesville representatives are taking a stand against the move.
"Hey @AndrewNikoudid you read the paper this morning? The Janesville workers you are laying off have something to say about you outsourcing their jobs to Mexico. #SaveWisconsinJobs #SaveJanesvilleJobs" Sen. Tammy Baldwin tweeted July 9.
Baldwin referenced the news article announcing that the union published an ad in the L.A Times, Hufcor's CEO, Andrew Nikou's home city. The ad makes complaints against Nikou's for buying various companies throughout the U.S. and selling them, eliminating jobs. The ad was signed by 36 labor representatives and Wisconsin politicians, including Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers.
A statement was published in another article that the union plans to "stand against the company's efforts to end our longstanding relationship with the Janesville community," according to the Gazette Xtra.
The manufacturing plant known for its production of porch shade and awnings, hammocks, room partitions and accordion doors may move to Mexico, however, Meredith Bishop, a spokesperson for Hufcor, said the company plans to keep the customer service, research and development and the testing departments in Janesville.
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