Carhartt of Galesburg, Illinois, Cutting Jobs

Carhartt is cutting jobs in the small town of Galesburg, Illinois. Some residents and workers were expecting it, but it is still a shock for this small town.

Carhartt is planning on leaving 25 jobs in Galesburg. They are going to turn the building into a warehouse/distribution center. Although 25 people will be secure with a job, no one knows exactly who will be filling these coveted 25 jobs.

Carhartt is the manufacturer of Carhartt work clothes. Carhartt has been the "workhorse" for work clothes for many years. Made of canvas, the clothes are durable and wear well in inclement weather and hard outdoor jobs.

The Carhartt clothing, up to this point in time, sported a tag on the inside of their coats. It reads 'Crafted with Pride in USA'. That's what mine all say. What will the new tag say? Made in China and distributed in USA?

The not so amusing part of this story is that in all print and TV coverage so far, no one states where Carhartt is going. That would seem to be an elephant in the room. It would seem that a very large piece of the Carhartt leaving Galesburg, Illinois story is missing. Why?

Carhartt is but one company of a mass exodus of companies. Companies from cities and rural towns are vanishing from the USA. Are they just ceasing to exist? Hardly! You can still buy these products shipped back into the USA from foreign companies. Companies paying foreigners next to nothing, in order to keep their profit margins in the black.

Is there anything we can do about Carhartt and all the other companies that have put their bottom lines ahead of Americans well being? SHOULD we do anything about these companies?

I say people had better bone up on the shape the USA's manufacturing state is in. Between VAT and Fair Trade, American workers are being short changed at best. At worst, our country's ability to "take care of herself" is in great peril.

40 years ago, the USA could have withstood boycotts from other countries and survived quite nicely. From environmental groups to Vat and Free Trade, our companies are forced to go overseas or die a quiet death here.