By Lewis Loflin
Published: March 29, 2017
More jobs for politically connected consultants, zero for working people.
The allocation of another $1.3 million in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grants to the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM) is, in my opinion, another waste of public funds, having been around for years with no tangible results. **SVAM has facilitated some workforce training programs, though specific job creation outcomes remain unclear in public reports.** They purportedly advise companies on retooling from coal to other manufacturing sectors. Having existed in various forms for at least 15 years, they have produced little that is publicly shared.
I raised this issue with their predecessor and was told in no uncertain terms by a Mr. Kravitz that their mission is to assist businesses, not address labor issues. He stated, “Local business doesn’t give a damn about your education, skills, or experience.” Bristol Compressors exemplifies the typical abusive and low-wage employer we deal with every day. **Bristol Compressors closed its Bristol, Virginia, facility in 2018, after this article’s initial publication.** This is the kind of issue SVAM refuses to address. There is no labor or skills shortage in this region, but rather a refusal by workers to tolerate low pay and abusive labor tactics—issues these non-profit consultants consistently ignore.
SVAM’s website is www.swvam.org. They outline their goals as follows:
To establish and promote the regional collaborations in support of manufacturing and manufacturing careers as part of an economic development initiative.
This is vague academic language.
To redefine the image of manufacturing with young people and their parents, their educators, the community, and policymakers in a manner that increases the number of young adults and other members of the workforce who pursue manufacturing careers.
Why don’t they address the abuse, low pay, and questionable labor tactics used by local businesses? Consider the comments below from workers at Bristol Compressors, one of SVAM’s members.
To close the skills gap for regional manufacturers by aligning educational and workforce training resources with the most pressing demands of area industry.
Yet, many of these programs are already available at community colleges without the need for another layer of consultants and grant recipients. Moreover, local employers rarely commit to hiring those who invest in these existing programs. This appears to be a jobs program for the consultants themselves. I’ve requested a list of how many people they’ve actually helped secure jobs, but I’m still waiting for a response.
Here are some firsthand accounts from workers:
Charles B., Kingsport, Tennessee, June 28, 2015:
Bristol Compressors doesn’t have the reputation or the pay grades any longer to draw BACK the skilled labor they once had. Changing a CEO does not change the history of a company.
Eugene P., June 28, 2015:
Worked there about 8 years ago. I almost got my 5 years in until new owners took over and decided they didn’t need a few hundred of us, so they said that in a few weeks they would inform us of the ones that were leaving, but that was a lie. When we went back to our jobs, our layoff envelopes were on our supervisor’s desk. Hope new owners are more honest.
Lisa W., Bristol, Virginia, June 28, 2015:
“Gniewek said the average rate of pay is around $17 an hour with good benefits.” Excuse me? I have worked at Bristol Compressors continuously for 21 years; my loyalty and hard work is worth slightly less than $15 an hour.
Stephen S., Castlewood High, July 1, 2015:
That is average rate. When you look that most of the employees have been there for 20 years or longer. And Lisa, if you have been there 21 years and only making $15 an hour, there are other departments that make more. I worked there 15 yrs. MYSELF and started out at $4 an hr. I was making a little over $15 when I left.
Greg S., Cypress College, June 29, 2015:
Bristol is a 2nd tier compressor behind Copeland and LG. I won’t sell air conditioning units with Bristol compressors.
Crystal R., Works at Johnson City Medical Center, June 29, 2015:
$17 hr average pay? My stepdad worked there over 19 yrs and hardly cleared $19 hr. Maybe if they stopped laying off so frequently, laborers would apply. The benefits get worse every year. There are more “chiefs” than “Indians”. This used to be a good place to work; now it’s only a good place to get some sort of income in for the quarter before standing in the unemployment line.
Sheila Williams Harris, June 30, 2015:
There are lots of good skilled labor in our area, but they are not going to work for cheap wages and bad or no benefits.
Joey C., Systems Engineer Sr. at AGC Flat Glass North America, January 23, 2016:
Maybe the latest CEO should educate himself on the history of layoffs of skilled labor this company has made over the past decade. 30 or 40 jobs—that’s less than 5% of the amount of skilled labor this company has laid off over the past years. A lot of people the company knew that this would happen; you cannot run a business this way. Skilled labor does not want to work for Bristol Compressors. Just look at the corporate welfare and other negative layoff announcements; the statements made in this article are ridiculous. This article gives a clearer picture of the true Bristol Compressors.
Angie C., March 18, 2016:
They have had many skilled workers… As my brothers and uncles were. They CAN’T KEEP skilled workers because of their CONSTANT 2-WEEK layoffs! How do they expect people to work a month then take 2 weeks off? They have families and bills! Of course, salaried staff don’t suffer this routine… Only the labor in the factory! If they want SKILLED QUALITY EMPLOYEES, THEN TREAT THEM WELL. Pay them well. And work them consistently! The problem is in the company practices, not the workers!
The following table presents the 2017 Virginia Health Rankings for Bristol and surrounding counties, reflecting the broader socioeconomic challenges in the region:
| Locality | Health Outcomes | Health Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 130 | 117 |
| Buchanan | 128 | 132 |
| Dickenson | 125 | 131 |
| Lee | 117 | 128 |
| Russell | 114 | 116 |
| Scott | 100 | 93 |
| Smyth | 94 | 99 |
| Tazewell | 119 | 114 |
| Washington | 62 | 72 |
| Wise | 122 | 125 |
Note: Rankings are out of 133, with 1 being the best and 133 the worst.
Ref: BHC, March 29, 2017.
