Kohler Plant
Editor’s note: Kohler’s response to our inquiry follows the original story.
The number of Kohler employees working locally in the Brass division is likely to shrink by the end of this year – that according to UAW Local 833 President Tim Tayloe.
In a Wednesday morning interview with WHBL News, Tayloe said that Kohler Company approached the Union last week Thursday about moving around 1/3 of Brass Division jobs to southern states, and/or possibly to India, and is in negotiations with the Local to work out the details. Tayloe said the current collective bargaining agreement has rules guiding such negotiations so that the Union and Company can work together to “get all open jobs so people can transition into them (jobs) when they need to.”
Tayloe said that Kohler now has lots of open jobs that they’re seeking to fill in the midst of the ongoing worker shortage, but he added that “it’s kind of hard to come to Kohler when, you know, layoffs and they do this. Some people quit jobs to come to Kohler, which only have maybe 60 days in, you know, so they gave up their last job to move to Kohler and then this happens. You know these people could be in jeopardy of losing their job or being displaced somewhere else in the company, and hopefully that’s what we can work out with the company….to make sure that all the people that right now are affected that they can go to their other jobs. I mean, these people are loyal to Kohler Company and this affects their families and the whole community when something happens like this.”
Tayloe said that of the 350-400 persons now working in the Brass Division at Kohler, approximately 100 jobs are being eyed for relocation, but that number may change when plans are finalized by the end of this year.
One positive note is that with the current shortage of workers in the overall labor market, he’s hoping it won’t be difficult to find new positions among those displaced. He said that right now he and others at Local 833 have been “scrambling around here to get lists together for our union members and try to get whatever we can out there so people can move and continue working at Kohler.”
WHBL requested a response from Kohler Company and its response is below:
“Kohler Co. regularly reviews our operations to ensure that the company and Kohler campus are positioned for long-term success. After careful consideration, the company is moving toward shifting some manufacturing processes within our North American faucets operations to drive efficiency and competitiveness. Kohler remains committed to our Wisconsin manufacturing operations, including the ongoing 155,000 square-foot expansion to its existing North American generator production facility in Mosel, Wisconsin. Our company is a leader in the markets in which we compete, and we continue to aggressively invest across our businesses to drive future growth and ensure customer delight.”
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