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Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

nytimes.com

61–70 of 110 posts

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#61

Can't say no one saw this coming. They continue to build products not on time and not on budget.

It seems like they've been having financial difficulties for the last 10-20 years. It's almost like they are the Radio Shack of trains/plains/snowmobiles.

But since they're a Canadian company and we protect our own, they continue to win contracts because we're too conservative and risk-averse to allow new companies to be formed and let Bombardier lay people off. It's finally happening and I'm glad. It sucks that 7500 people are losing their jobs but they have valuable skills that will be more useful at Bombardier's existing competitors and future, not yet created competitors.

Here's hoping some more competition happens in the Canadian business world because it's woefully uncompetitive and tends towards oligopolies and monopolies.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#62

There is a lot of value and scale at Bombardier. What is likely to happen is some private equity firm will form a syndicate and purchase the company - cut it into pieces, slash management, remove the fat etc. It will be a 3-5 year process. Worth highlighting I am not saying this with disdain for the private equity industry. One of its intanigble benefits is that it serves as an agent of dramatic change for companies…

That won't happen, because the Quebec government will not allow it.

Because canadians are risk-averse. Hence why only the banks have been continuing to make money; they even invest in each other to keep the risk-averse cycle going.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#63
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Visible to who? I only know of them because I ride in subway cars they made. http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-service... Nobody rides ATVs, snowmobiles and jetskis. Everyone rides the subway.

Depends where you live. I don't ride the subway; they're impractical where I live. ATVs or snowmobiles are necessary for reaching many areas of my state not covered by the road system.

"Nobody" = thousands of people, compared to millions.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#64
post #33

There are hundreds of millions of people in North America. Why do people act like gaining or losing a couple thousand jobs is some kind of earth-shaking development? I get that losing jobs sucks for the people involved, but sometimes I even see US jobs reports delivered as breaking news in national newspapers. Why?

In the case of aerospace, the jobs are frequently high-skill, high-pay blue-collar. That type of job is quickly disappearing in N. America. So, even though the absolute numbers might be small for any given event, the sum of the losses has a noticeable impact on the economy.

>the sum of the losses has a noticeable impact on the economy

I get what you're saying, but...does it? If I look at global real GDP, we're going along, business as usual.

As the OP says, jobs are gained and lost on a much greater scale, monthly. There's a reason that jobs are being shed at this particular company, and it isn't because we no longer need transportation infrastructure. Bombardier is out, Tesla is in.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the case of aerospace, the jobs are frequently high-skill, high-pay blue-collar. That type of job is quickly disappearing in N. America. So, even though the absolute numbers might be small for any given event, the sum of the losses has a noticeable impact on the economy.

> the sum of the losses has a noticeable impact on the economy I get what you're saying, but...does it? If I look at global real GDP, we're going along, business as usual. As the OP says, jobs are gained and lost on a much greater scale, monthly. There's a reason that jobs are being shed at this particular company, and it isn't because we no longer need transportation infrastructure. Bombardier is out, Tesla is in.

>Bombardier is out, Tesla is in.

Pump the brakes there. The next time you ride the subway or take a commuter flight you won't be riding on a Tesla train car or aircraft. I get that the average HN visitor is enamored with Elon and Tesla, but c'mon now.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#66
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>", but facing lots of competition from Airbus and Embraer, which also receive government support." Do you mean Canadian government support? Not US?

Airbus is European and Embraer is Brazilian. Airbus even lost a WTO case over illegal subsidies.

Sure, I was just curious if someone US money was funneling to the EU in some circuitous fashion. Airbus is France and German y correct?

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#67
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firing people has an exponential effect.

Whatever that means.

It means that when you fire one person it affects many more. When you fire 7,500 there are thousands more affected.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#68
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airbus is European and Embraer is Brazilian. Airbus even lost a WTO case over illegal subsidies.

Sure, I was just curious if someone US money was funneling to the EU in some circuitous fashion. Airbus is France and German y correct?

Well, and Spain and the UK.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#69
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airbus is European and Embraer is Brazilian. Airbus even lost a WTO case over illegal subsidies.

Sure, I was just curious if someone US money was funneling to the EU in some circuitous fashion. Airbus is France and German y correct?

It's not my industry, but I'm confident Boeing has enough pull in Washington to keep that from happening.

Re: Bombardier to Cut 7,500 More Jobs Through 2018, Most in Rail

#70
post #33

There are hundreds of millions of people in North America. Why do people act like gaining or losing a couple thousand jobs is some kind of earth-shaking development? I get that losing jobs sucks for the people involved, but sometimes I even see US jobs reports delivered as breaking news in national newspapers. Why?

Emotional resonance in the service of opinion manipulation.
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