Could have seen this coming.
Will rose quality be the next to go?

Karl, quality and customer satisfaction will probably be next. If they aren't sharp enough to be concerened about the well being of those that make the company work. Qaulity and customer satisfaction will probably take a back seat to profits.

Interesting topic.

The most surprising thing is that they had a 401k to begin with.

Perhaps one day someone will create a comparison chart of all the rose "nurseries" "benefit" packages.

I bet that'd be really interesting.

MichaelAT

"Qaulity and customer satisfaction will probably take a back seat to profits."

With the loss of quality and customer satisfaction, sales and profits will fall, prices will increase, and soon we'll lose another grower.

I'm assuming that they did not get rid of their 401k, but that now there is no discretionary matching, which is happening with a lot of companies. It's just the sign of the times for this economy. You can blame all the folks who voted for this administration. JMO

Yes, Mike, I agree, we all smell a recession in the wind.

My Husband and I were "victims" of the poor housing market when our previous home sat on the market for a year. I feel the pain of anyone trying to sell.

401K Matching is based on profit (usually) so my guess is with the purchase and absorption of the J&P brand they had to cut it. I've always liked J&P products and services and never understood the vitriol some here have for them. You can't complain about them and dissuade others from buying from them and then get upset when their business suffers and consequently their employees get shafted. There is cause and effect going on here.

If J&P had been profitable, then Harry and David/Bear Creek wouldn't have sold a division that was making money.
Thus a change was made.
And the new business owner is doing what he feels necessary to make the business a success.
Dropping benefits to keep a business viable beats dropping jobs. (and/or outsourcing).

for all we know he might have dropped the 401k's and increased the commissions, but why the people who voted for this administration is to blame, i don't have a clue.

I'll tell you what this administration and the members of congress has to do with what a lot of workers are going through. Those that support free trade...look at the US trade deficit since we started with free trade. It is the workers who end up suffering....either by loosing their jobs or making less and less each year. Sorry, I know this doesn't have anything to do with roses.

same sort of issue but different. (red apples to green ones?)
The government is thinking of privatizing certain jobs in the hospitals, like sanitation. Which means the contract will go to their favorite bidder. This may mean a drop in wages for the sanitation workers which may well mean a drop in job satisfaction and thus performance? And where do we REALLY have to be mindful of sanitation? HOSPITALS!! I am fearful of the possible long term effects. Seems you have to PAY people enough to CARE these days. If wages and benefits go down the tubes in an effort to save a buck then they will be hiring anybody with a pulse, they will be so desperate for workers. It will become another 'McJob'. Scary.

I just retired from a major Fortune 500 company and spent 31 years in management. Most of the office jobs are being outsourced to India, China, and Panama, etc. All in the name of "we are a global company". IMO it has NOTHING to do with the current administration in office. It has EVERYTHING to do with making money for the stockholders and increasing the bottom line. Our own American CEOs are selling the American dream....piece by piece overseas.

I feel sorry for the folks at J&P; I talked to one of Customer Service reps last November and she was very upset about the changes in her company.
-terry

NAFTA and free trade started under Clinton. Not to get political, but to blame everything on Bush and pretend the world was perfect before he took office is a sickness.

Jobs are being outsourced and people getting laid off because WE, the consumers, are the ones who demand lower and lower prices. We don't seem to be concerned about that when we shop for the deepest discount.

Preach it, Buford. Have you noticed everything seems to be made in China anymore? Maybe we'd better jump over to Hot Topics with Pete. Where is he, anyway? Out fishing?

Remember the warnings by Ross Perot about the "great sucking noise" of jobs going elsewhere (South of the border primarily at the time)? Not only are the wages cheaper overseas, but they don't have to deal with govt regulations, etc.

I loved his charts; remember those? He was a visionary.

There is plenty of people to blame. Clinton, Bush, Congress, corporations & ceo's, and consumers. But, something needs to be done about it. A local company has let go over 900 employees....the company has shipped the jobs to China and Mexico.

Actually an enormous portion of the trade deficit is petroleum: $90/barrel adds up fast. Let us hope US auto manufacturers start paying attention to technology like this:

(disclaimer: I have no connection to this organization whatsoever)

Here is a link that might be useful: 150 mpg?

wow that sounds mighty tasty. It is too bad that although it will save money in the long run and reduce our carbon footprint, some of us live paycheck to paycheck. As much as we would LIKE to have a vehicle like that to save money and help the planet it is still, comparatively speaking, a 'rich man's toy'. They will run at least $8,000 more than your regular SUV to buy new. Well a brand new ANYTHING is out of reach for alot of us. I guess we will have to wait until they come down in price, just like microwaves and dvd players. It also gives them time to work the bugs out.
SO where were we? ...oh yeah. Roses. haha.