Are you a moron or what? They are moving the CUT AND SEW operations....we do not have a "dye" operation of any kind- we used to have a place to stain and finish our own wood, but that ended several years ago, when LZB decided that it was cheaper to farm it out. Now, I challenge you to go to your nearest LZB retailer and find ANY real wood.... take notice people...it's plastic!!(Speaking here of the handles with the LZB logo on them) Also made off site. The wood that you do see- bases and the wooden arms on the 532 chairs is done off site and shipped in. Our fabric, and leather come into the LZB plants ready to go. Fabric comes in on large rolls, where it is laid on large tables, cut and sent to the sewing departments for further operations. The leather comes in precut pieces in boxes so that all we have to do is unpack it, cut the vinyl and the black paper that doesn't show, sew what we have to and then send it to be stuffed and put on the frame. 50 to 60 % of our operations right now are cut and sewn in CHINA. This is cloth and leather combined.
They tell us that there will be other jobs that we can do in the plant. These jobs will be in their "cells" (small upholstery groups).... Tell me, how many women do you know that have the UPPER ARM STRENGTH that it takes to be able to pull fabric that has been stuffed, hold it in one place while stapleing it to a frame? Not many. We have women that know nothing but the sewing operations. Most of whom are fast approaching the retirement age.
I know of what I speak first hand as I have been a LOYAL LZB employee for 10 years. It don't look to me like I will be able to retire from there unless I can figure out a way to age another 10 years in the next 12 months!