"As we begin the planning for transition of work, there is a meeting being held in Ottawa next week to discuss the necessary resources to ensure a smooth transition of work,” Jen Pyszka, Office Max’s general manager in Peru, Illinois wrote.
"As we plan to transition work to our Strategic Partners for Order Entry, Direct, and Reliable, there is a need for experienced legacy OfficeMax advocates to travel to Chennai, India or Manila or Cebu Philippines to support training and floor support throughout the transition.
Pyszka said she had been asked to get volunteers to commit to no less than “ so-week to three-week increments” from June through September.
After its merger, Office Max plans to keep stores open in the United States, but plans to close Office Depot store duplicates.
Employees are being told that the new company’s technology department is relocating to Texas, but the Office Max officials have confirmed those plans yet.
Billing and AP services will be sent overseas, a move that makes one Office Max employee that received the overseas training invite to be nervous."
Note that training overseas was done from June through September and that would coincide with my information that they will be closing in October. Perhaps someone will clarify this information and tell me this is wrong and the call center here will remain open.
54 comments:
Blame the State of Illinois for this. Peru, Ottawa are small pawns in this greed.
Peru and Ottawa may be small pawns but doesn't the state have a obligation to these two towns which have had a high unemployment rate for a long time and which appears to be taking a rapid rise?
OFF TOPIC: Still no video from the last council meeting where the mayor read his possible threat of a law suit. Did another tape get spoiled or ruined or eaten by the Connecting Point video equipment?
5:46 PM
My feeling is that any of those are possibilities. In the real world, no one would continue to pay someone for doing such a bad job. But this is Peru and this is what happens here.
I'm not sure if you people understand this but neither the city nor the state is making this decision. This is a business decision. The comments on here show just how clueless people are about economic development and how it works.
Are you going to blame city leaders every time a business leaves? If so then please be sure to give credit every time one stays or a new one comes. We have actually been pretty fortunate in this regard. We are a retail center and many communities would give anything to have half of what we have here in Peru. Businesses cycle and come and go, but we have been very fortunate for a very long time.
I was told several months ago by a friend that acquaintances of hers were telling her that they were losing their jobs at Office Max in Peru. Today I received a message from family in Ottawa and they said they know several people who work at Office Max in that city who are losing their jobs. Sounds like this is a done deal.
My friend lost her job about 6 months ago after 8 years of working there. Couldn't find a job for 3 months, and to add insult to injury, she is part-time, making 3 dollars less an hour. That's right folks, she was in the welfare line. Doesn't mean a person is lazy, it's reality. I don't think people who have decent jobs with decent pay realize how many people qualify for assistance. Cashiers at Wal-mart who work part-time status qualify. Don't ever belittle a person who works in a service industry due to educational level. Somebody has to have their job,
It sickening that these jobs are going overseas. Shame on Office Max!
I think this is false info people are still working in Peru
7:22 PM
Yes they are still working but if you read the post, it would be until mid October.
And this is not the cities fault or the mayors or the council.
Lois than whose fault is it that Peru has lost more jobs than it has gained since the 80's. If they would spend 1/2 the time thinking of what they could do to save existing jobs than they have trying to obtain 30 jobs to produce medical drugs people would have more faith in them. Peru has a Director of Community Development who is more interested in travelling to Chicago than he is to drive to the north end of Peru to save jobs. If this makes sense to you than it is not the fault of the mayor and council. Looked up the web site and see it will cost $249/night for a room. Also convention fees are quite high. Since he has to eat whether in Chicago or in Peru will he be paying for his own meals? Is he going alone?
They'll stay in a heartbeat if the workers will put in eight hour shifts at two dollars an hour. The company doesn't give a darn if the customers can't understand the person at the other end of the line.
8:56 PM
The reason I put the link and a little info on this blog is because I feel that he is wasting taxpayer dollars on a event that will most likely be a bust. If the Mall needs improvement, then let the owners of that facility spend their own money and attend the expo in Chicago, Minneapolis or whether they prefer to go.
Regarding Office Max, this is a huge corporation that is leaving more because of the state regulations and laws than what goes on in Peru or Ottawa. It was just a convenient location for awhile.
I am pretty well disgusted with much that is presently taking place in Peru from Department heads and the manner in which the Mayor is not managing this city and from the way he has set up 2 large committees so that he can be listening at all times and not because he is contributing to them. Somedays I just want to sit down and say "Did you know that......? Unless residents are able to go to committee meetings, you will be in the dark about most things and that is not even a remote possibility to expect many to attend these meetings.
If they held committee meetings in the evening, I would attend.
Peru does not care about jobs- only retail sales tax.
8:45...Anon. Please provide statistical proof that more jobs have been lost than acquired. And please provide evidence that Bob Vickery has billed the city for hundreds of dollars in hotel fees.
Anon 8:10 AM Possibly all who participate in the blog do not understand as to whom you are referring to when you comment about not caring about jobs - only retail sales tax. The average citizen of Peru would love to see all having a good, substantial job with the country having a 0% unemployment rate.
These same citizens know that to accomplish a outstanding revenue from retail sales tax that the available work force must have employment.
I am a retired citizen of Peru and I care about jobs and the future of social security for all of the generations who follow me. In conclusion I would like to ask if every time Peru increased its retail sales tax did it affect Office Max and now Office Depot?
If it did would a city incentive to reduce this tax be a help in maintaining what jobs we presently have in the area?
Anon 10:28 AM The proof that more jobs have been lost than acquired does not have to be expressed in numbers but rather only one word, WESTCLOX and than what has been lost from there on.
I stated that the hotel room will cost $249/night, not that Vickrey has as of yet billed the city. There are many other expenses which have not been mentioned such as entrance fees, transportation, meals and drinks. These expenses only bring up the question of is this presently a sound financial expense or could some simple brain storming within the friendly confines of the city at a lot less money be way more productive.
It has become widly known that the standard answer politically in the City of Peru is that this trip is in the city budget. A budget is only a financial guideline. I am much more interested in why is it included in the budget and what is Mr. Vickreys' yearly budget?
I was by city today and people talking about comcast closing local office...maybe Harl and lobbyist can save it...pretty soon no one will be here
10:43 Our generation can kiss social security away. You made sure of that. Quality jobs are important to all. The situation of relocation is not on the selves of local government, its the state and the corporate tax that Illinois applies. Its the millions of dollars that are available in tax breaks by not being in Illinois. Local towns have no input into that process.
The statement about social security is that its designed to fail. Lets take Joe who worked for 40 years and put in about $40,000 into social security. After Joe and his spouse lived off of social security for 30 years, he collected $400,000 in benefits. Joe is the good example, its those who put nothing into the system but collect on disability, etc. The new generation won't rely upon social security, we have been taught that government plans are ill conceived.
Anon 1:24, I heard this exact same argument back in the 60's, guess what, it's still with us.
It's really irritating waiting for the city council meeting videos to be posted on the city website. CONNECTING POINT SHOULD BE TERMINATED!
It is apparent that the Peru facility will be closing at some point in the near future. I also wish to inform the residents of Peru and beyond that Sears will be closing its Peru and Ottawa stores within a year as well. Sears is in dire financial condition and it's only a matter of time before they liquidate and close all Sears and K-Mart stores. The real question at hand is how Peru's lazy and disconnected elected officials and its self-serving economic developer will deal with the changing world of reatil sales in the on-line age of cyber-shopping. My observation is they have no clue how to capitalize on this phenomenon as they continue pursuing community development policies that became obsolete in the 1990's. Peru needs youth and energy on its city council if they expect to thrive in the changing economy. We need some youth or at least some people that think on their feet.
yes, 10:08 you have reviewed or watched business weekly and have found out that those two/one in the same companies have a great deal of rebranding on the horizon. Cyber-shopping is here to stay, that's not real news. Replacing retails sale centers with other retail looks to be happening in the area, not just Peru. Kmart with Dunhams, Eagles with Hyvee, and on and on. Retail depends at the income levels and more jobs will develop more retail, its that simple. It looks like Peru has been doing very well in the retail area, much better than most. They have done a good job with retail. Ottawa has also done well with the largest car sales area in Central Illinois. Retail will always have place with locations. The magic question is how do you capitalize on the cyber-shopping? If you have a solution on how to bring in tax dollars from cyber-shopping to your town let all of us know. You will be a valuable member of any city. Call me in Tonica, we want this new phenomenon in our town. Your elected MAYOR, King, Czar.
Who was it that said that this blog didn't mean anything? There have been over 220 comments in the last 9 days.
7:27 Your right, but the aldermen will tell you there is only one person who wrote all 220 of those comments. They do not want to believe that this blog is being read and commented on. But they better start listening, because petitions can be picked up on Tuesday for the election in April.
220 comments in the last 9 days. This is a significant number of comments. Also significant is the number of people these 220 comments have reached and informed. If anyone has stated that this blog does not mean anything they should be informed of its exposure nation and at times world wide.
This particular blog was not intended to be the only open, true, and complete informant of city government but because of existing conditions of local news media and lack of transparency and open public discussion it has had to take this position. Thankfully for the existence of the blog as it is the only medium in the City of Peru which allows the citizens to express their own ideas and exchange them without political censure. One can be assured that they can not only make their public comment on the blog but they can also conduct a question and answer session and a true exchange of ideas. This freedom is so easily entitled to one in the blog that it becomes a question of the body which has been founded over 200 years ago on this principle of why it wants to hide what the blog informs its citizens when this body was elected to do so.
In conclusion it must be emphasized that the blog is a example of huge interest because of the hidden agendas of those who have been elected to do and those whose main obligation is to inform its circulation in the paper and radio. A good start would be investigative reporting of who when and why.
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade and Lois will probably not let this post and that is her right as it is her blog. I am not saying anything negative and I am all for free speech on the blog but you need to apply some basic math here to the comments if you think 220 is a big deal.
If 25 people made only one comment a day for nine days that is 225 comments.
If 10 people made 3 comments a day for nine that would be 270 comments.
Certainly people read and don't comment and I am sure there are a number of those out there but you can also see patterns in what people post and there are comments back and forth between two people not to mention Lois makes comments herself sometimes and people from outside of Peru comment as well.
All of this is fine and it is not a criticism but some of you get a false sense of importance when blog comments are made. No one cares about a blog. I am sorry and I am saying that is a advocate for change but no one anywhere cares what anonymous people think including me.
This is a community of 10,000 people. 25 people making an average of one comment a day is going to change something? This is a mathematical fact. If you had just 100 people (1% of Peru's population including children) making 2 comments a day for 9 days you would have 1,800 comments!
My point is if you want change you have to step out and be heard in public not as an anonymous person. You have to speak up and the public will listen. Blogs have a place but it is not a place for political change and it is not a place where people will care what you think.
If you want the same results jjust keep posting anonymously as that has its place today. If you want to make change happen though then step out and be heard and someone might actually attention.
I stated in a previous blog that the 220 blogs you listed we're the same people multi blogging, it could be 3000 blogs, but it's the same people and not 3000 different people. You think you are bigger than you are, your not.
Now Lois you going to print this one or exclude this blog like the last one, you afraid of something, maybe the truth!
The last council meeting video(September 8, 10 whole days ago) is still not on the city website. Why are we paying Connecting Point if they can't even get a simple video to upload correctly?
It is good that the blog states both those who have a desire for it and those who do not. The problem with numbers and guessing is that when you combine the two you can make up any hypothetical situation. What you are forgetting is that the blog is the most truthful, knowlegable and open source of the subjects it has comments about.
Now lets get to the important factor. How many of these comments are read by how many people? Do you think the answer is the same number that sends in comments? We both know better? Influence, Influence, Influence!
Anon 2:34, truthful, your kidding I hope, some of the stuff on the blog is so far fetched it is laughable. Don't get me wrong, Lois puts out some very thoughtful questions hoping to get some intelligent feedback, what happens is the most absurd comments comeback, making the blog a joke.
Anon 7:19, truthful, are you part of the City of Peru administration?
People who are corrupt think they're crap doesn't smell.
2:34 what influence? 12:46 is exactly right. Anonymous people expressing anonymous opinions is not influence.
ANONYMOUS 9:10 Did you forget to identify yourself? Why correct others for the same things you do? You are not one of those who wear a double beaked cap and forget which way you are going? You have been titled the Ambassador of Anonymous by all anonymous people expressing anonymous opinions such as yourself.
Why is it that the News Tribune is always behind the Ottawa newspaper by a couple of days when reporting about Concerts for a Cause? Ottawa had the article in their paper about Streator school getting $3,300 on Tuesday.
Still no September 8 council meeting video on the city website! Makes me wonder what's going on!!!!!
Sept. 18, 1:55
It is so apparent what videos seem to be defective. It's always the ones where something questionable is said or done by someone on our council. This one, I believe, is the one where the mayor read a letter with regards to the FBI investigation. It was already plastered all over the news media so why no video? We are so transparent when it comes to these videos that seem to mysteriously disappear.
7:17, why don't you ask some people face to face who would know the truth about some of these blogs that you so call think are far fetched. I personally know someone who knows a lot of the trueness of blogs. In many instances one doesn't ask for the truth because they won't like to hear the truth. The truth destroys what a person themselves has made themself out to be to others. Who hasn't met a person who puts themself up on a pedestal? Who is stupid enough to believe what they say? Come on people, get your hand out of the cookie jar.
Part of the problem with the City of Peru leadership and what necessitates a blog like this is that they just don't like the questions. Oh, each and every Alderman and possibly even the Mayor and his minions will give you an answer to everything you ask, if you ask them privately, but they don't like when it is asked in a public forum or in view of the public at large. The questions themselves are often embarrassing to them - the fact that they need to be asked results in negative publicity. If you ask a public official what he is doing to crack down on waste, he first must either deny or affirm that waste exists. If you ask him what he is doing about corruption, he must confirm or deny the corruption. Peru does not want an honest and open discussion of public policy, because such a discussion would be embarrassing to the government and to local businessmen that rely on government spending.
Once again there is a "committee as a whole" meeting at 6:30 Monday night and, once again, they will immediately go into closed session. These meetings may have been designed to discuss committee matters but they certainly do not invite or encourage the general public to attend. Why list them as special meetings? Why not just go into closed session at the end of the regular council meeting as has been the practice for years and years? Are we trying to discourage citizen participation at each and every meeting?
The agenda for the committee as a whole meeting is on the website for next Monday. They're going into closed session at the beginning of the meeting. A waste of time of anybody wanting to attend the meeting.
2:39 ANON...Before you ask those pointed questions, you may want to be specific. A question like what are doing about waste is like asking how you feel about prunes in your ice cream. What are you doing about corruption is broad. Point to what you feel is the detailed question you want to ask and then ask in the meeting with the camera running. If you have specific facts, they cant give you a run around.
Anon 10:54 you believe what you want to believe. I talk to people also, what I read on the blog sometimes isn't close to the truth.
3:38 - I did not ask any questions. I simply pointed out why Peru officials don't want to be asked questions. Questions from the public are embarrassing.
So Anon 7:19 It's ok for you to be anonymous buy no one else. Remember you commented first anonymously. Why call this blog a joke when you are reading AND commenting. Lois does spend many hours researching and requesting FOI's, and I do agree with you that there are some comments that are questionable, but hey that is called freedom of speech and I am sure that is why Lois allows them. But you have to understand that this is the only place that the residents are able to express themselves without the fear of retribution from city officials, that could by why most comments are Anon.
Peru needs a mayor like Dalzell. You go girl!
They are trying to keep people from attending any meetings. Its like in Russia, they rule, you are nobody. They are afraid of any questions, because some of them are so dumb, they wouldn't know how to answer any questions asked of them.
I don't know why we even have aldermen, they won't do anything for you, so you don't have to bother to ask anything of them. The city of Peru, is going to the dogs. Or maybe its already there.
Dogs are fiendly, intelligent, loving and trustworthy animals and mans' best friend. Alderman?
Please rephase your statement as Peru is not going to the dogs and dogs should not be insulted as such. Now Aldermen?
Alderman, you can lead a horse to water,but, you can't make him drink. Why are you allowing yourself to drink? And not logically thinking and asking questions and voting as "yes men?"
Petitions come out tomorrow , lets see who steps up to the plate!!!!!
It does not matter who steps up to the plate. Boss Harl has the union money and only his candidates will win election. He has gained a firm control over this city and the upcoming council election will solidify it. Until he gets the nod from the Democrat party and the powers in Springfield, we will be stuck with him and his hand picked council.
Sad to say, but it is reality. The Boss's candidates will win because almost all of the voters are short sighted and easily influenced by yard signs. I said it before, and I'll say it again, if you get enough yard signs, you can elect a dog to serve on Peru's council.
There is no one who has gained control of the city and no one will as long as people voice their opinions, run for office and get out and vote in the next election.
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