There Were Big Changes Coming

Day Three -- NaBloPoMo

The day got away from me, and I almost forgot to make a post. I was busy this afternoon helping Thomas get ready for a job out of town. 

That was one of the things that changed in 2018 that I never really took the time to write about, what with Thomas' cancer and then knee surgery, Andrew's marriage, and Eler Beth's engagement and wedding. Thomas had to change jobs. I'll go into more detail on how he saw it coming and began laying plans early on, and what he is doing now in a later post, because I know how I am and how involved I can get when I'm telling a story. This is going to be a multiple-parter!

We moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1991 because Thomas started working for a company called Jeffboat. He commuted for a few months from our home in Hardinsburg, KY, but then we made the move to save him the hour and a half drive. 

Jeffboat, a division of American Commercial Barge Lines, was one of the largest barge builders in the country, and they also built towboats and some of those big ocean-going barges. I'll write about the history of the company and the family that founded it later as well. The company closed for a few years in the 80s during the recession but then opened back up again, and Thomas began working there in the fall of 1990. In the spring we moved to Jeffersonville when Andrew was 1-1/2 years old. 

Jeffboat was among those companies going the way of the dinosaur these days. It was union and paid well, with good benefits, regular raises, a pension, matching 401k, etc. When Thomas first began working there -- and for most of the years he worked there -- there were at any given time between 700 and 1,000 skilled union employees. But in recent years I think the number of employees probably topped out at 5- or 600.

We've weathered more than one strike while Thomas worked at Jeffboat, including a wildcat strike around the year 2000, one that lasted more than two months, and few for which he didn't vote in favor. And always he seemed to know which way the wind was blowing and would begin making plans for our family if there was a strike or layoff. We've weathered more than one layoff as well! I learned very early to trust his judgment on such things. The company saw a handful of owners, managers, directors, during Thomas employment there, not always good "bosses" who looked out for the workers' well-being as well as the company's. Sometimes striking was seriously the only way to make sure the employees were able to ensure safe working conditions.

Anyway, it had been a good industry to be in and a basically good company to work for, as large manufacturing companies go. But changes in the economy hit Jeffboat as it did all other large manufacturing firms. Eventually things got rougher. They stopped matching the 401k and stopped offering a pension. (Thankfully Thomas was vested and was grandfathered in when they stopped.) But decisions began to be made that didn't really make sense and mistakes were made that cost the company millions of dollars -- one such mistake cost the company I believe around 16 million and coveted contract. Good supervisors were quitting in disgust. That was really the beginning of the end. Many of the "old guard" retired or died. Good managers were let go and younger, less experienced managers who didn't have to be paid high salaries were brought in.

In 2017 Thomas knew something was about to happen. He knew either there would be a massive layoff or a closure. So he started making plans.

To be continued...

~~ Lori