Bank may bring 300 jobs to Utica

[Swimmy]

Bank may bring 300 jobs to Utica

While I make no attempt to hide my distaste for the current mayor, I have to give credit where credit is due. Three hundred jobs is an impressive number for the area. I hope that he is able to secure them and bring them to Utica. It is increasingly difficult to stay optimistic in this area, but I still have hope.

[Ralph]

While I try to retain the same vestige of hope, this is one I just don't see happening.

[bobbbiez]

I have to agree with Swimmy and remain optimistic on hoping the deal goes through. That would definitely help this area's economy in a great way.

Keep the faith Ralph. Time will tell.

[Clipper]

A lower wage and cost of living, might bring the jobs here instead of Newark NJ, which is an extremely high cost of living area, due to it's proximity to NYC.

Most NYC folks don't want to move out of their beloved city. I doubt that a lot of them would move up to Utica from the city.

I am praying for a good outcome and for the best part of the 300 jobs to come to Utica.

[Swimmy]

The irony lays in the fact that the city and county will probably offer tax incentives to lure the company here. But we can't live without OIN's taxes.

[dgriffin]

From the WKTV article:

"They are looking to cut costs and are looking for a community that will work with them. The city is working with the economic development corporation through the state."

Their cost cutting = your taxes.

Since the Empire Zone accountability disaster, is anyone holding these companies' feet to the fire in regard to jobs that never materialize?

Here's a true story. A local company, Ferroxcube, shut the doors when it could no longer compete with other electronics manufacturers overseas. The plant set about laying off hundreds and was about to close up the site. Along comes a candle company who offers to bring their company to the site and employ all the laid off workers. Much hoopla hits the news outlets as a principal in the company, a Revlon heir, begins to campaign or "work with" local officials. The deal struck is no taxes for a few years and Empire Zone amenities. Unbeknownst to the locals, the Revlon heir and other known company principals immediately sell the candle company to a group of Hassidic Jews who have a summer retreat compound about 30 miles south of here. (Hassids are the fundamentalist orthodox jews whose men wear curlicue sideburns, pigtails and black, southern European garb.) Operation starts up and the workers soon are told their salaries are cut in half ("bad business climate.") Most weren't making all that much to begin with, so they headed out for jobs in food markets, hardware stores, construction, etc. They're replaced by workers in a move that unearths what the plan was all the while. The Hassids have made a deal with the federal governments to import native Ecuadorians to work in the candle plant. These poor bastards are housed in the summer retreat and bused up to the candle plant each morning, where they work in terrible and by now unsafe conditions. Finally, when one of them is killed on the job, the state steps in with OSHA and closes the place down. It sits there rusting in the sunlight today, waiting for the next Empire Zone scam.

[Clipper]

I forgot the one important segment of people that might move here. The bank employees with friends and family in our prisons. ;D

[Swimmy]

Dave,

That's really a true story? Where abouts? I don't recall ever reading about it. How could that be allowed?

[dgriffin]

And we've been discussing in another thread the need to support posts! Unfortunately, access to newspaper archives is virtually impossible without paid-for archive subscriptions. (Can any help me there? I find few places where I can get access to old articles. I'll share what I have, too.) You'll have to take my word that the company, American Candle, the Revlon heir, the Empire Zone involvement, the PILOT agreement, the later sale to the Hassidic Community, the death of the worker, OSHA and state agencies closing the plant for safety violations were all specifically reported in local newspapers. Told to me by former workers were the cut in wages, the busing of the Ecuadorians (although I do think I also read a reference to that in the local press) and their living arrangements, as well as the federal involvement and deal in their immigration. The former Ferroxcube site, later American Candle, is located at 1033 Kings-Highway on 41.5 acres in the Town of Saugerties, Ulster County, New York, about 45 miles south of Albany

[Clipper]

I remember Ferroxcube and their closing when I was driving for Ahles trucking in Verona. and used to spend time downstate, eating occasionally in diners in that vicinity ::)y. I am reminded also of the American Candle Scandal. I cannot put any fingers on facts either, other than the rumors and discussions I heard take place by locals.

I don't know about your newspaper, but the OD and the paper here in Bristol Tn charge for archival material, and neither of them are anything I would rely on, or spend money on archival retrieval from. haha! Hell, half what you retrieved from the OD would most likely be inaccurate anyhow!

[dgriffin]

Here is some reading material on American Candle:
tinyurl.com/32wswm
www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny22_hinchey/030603candles.html
archive.recordonline.com/archive/2005/02/12/brf705.htm

I had forgotten about the issue where, to quote the Congressman, ""Residents have experienced eye irritations, headaches, nausea and dizziness at times. The odor has been so overwhelming at times that outdoor activities are impossible."
I am too far away from the site and upwind of it to have noticed it, except when driving in the area.
The article on the worker's death doesn't mention that he was working entirely alone at the time (against OSHA and state regulations) after the operaton closed down and wasn't found until later the next day. No one knows how long it took him to die.

[Swimmy]

Cool, thank you. I appreciate it. The links will make for some good reading later tonight.

[thelma]

admin said:

I forgot the one important segment of people that might move here. The bank employees with friends and family in our prisons. ;D[/quoteAccording to the article in this morning's paper, ALL 300 jobs will be filled with local workers.

Personally, I feel this will be exactly what this area needs to boost our economy. Whenever a "new" business starts up in our area, there is a great chance that many people hired in lower paid positions will earn promotions very quickly as they will be needed.

The downsize part is that none of these jobs (including management positions) will pay "high" salaries.

[kim]

The wktv article, that has since been removed, originally said that they'd be moving EMPLOYEES to the area, which would mean that Utica would have 300 more workers, but not jobs because the jobs would already be filled. However, that article has been removed and now it's saying jobs with no mention of employees relocating. If that happens, possibly good for Utica, although it would suck for the people who might lose jobs in the city.

I, though, am not overly optimistic. I want to be optimistic, but every time I've thought I've seen the light at the end of the tunnel job wise up there I've been disappointed. I hope I'm not disappointed this time. I really want Utica to do well again. Reverse the trend of the last 50 years.

[thelma]

Kim - I think the key word for this Bank is that they are expanding their operations - NOT downsizing (where they would keep former employees).

We have an empty building they could move in, and I'm willing to bet that they will also be given tax abatements for at least 10 years, and we certainly have enough people living here that care trained enough to work in a Bank. The only negative I can see is that ALL employees for a Bank must pass a Security Clearance Background check where they can have no criminal record of any kind. When my youngest daughter was employed by the Bank of New York, she was checked out by the FBI.

IF this "new" Bank does come to Utica, they probably will bring a few Executives with them to make sure all procedures are followed per the operation perimeters of the Bank and they will bring "trainers" to make sure all new employees are trained properly.

IMO - I can see no reason why the Bank would not want to extend their operation to our City as we have the employee base, living here is considered very economical, and with Fax machines and computers, we are not that far away from New York City.