THE DEMISE OF THE NOTTINGHAM WAY INDUSTRIAL GIANTDE LAVAL STEAM TURBINE COMPANY WAS A SAD, SAD EVENT IN THE ANNALS OF HAMILTON TOWNSHIP AND MERCER COUNTY HISTORY. MY MANY YEARS IN THE BEARING AND POWER TRANSMISSION INDUSTRY STARTED IN 1951 WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL. BACK THEN, TRENTON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS ALIVE WITH HEAVY INDUSTRY. TO NAME JUST A VERY FEW: AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE, AMERICAN BRIDGE, TERNSTEDT DIVISION OF GENERAL MOTORS, GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. BAYER ASPIRIN, L.A. YOUNG SPRING AND WIRE, KAYE TEX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, CHASE AIRCRAFT, WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC, C.V. HILL....I COULD GO ON. THEN A COMBINATION OF UNION BENEFITS, EXPENSIVE LABOR, AND OFF SHORE FOREIGN COMPETITION SLOWLY ERODED THE INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT AND PLANTS BEGAN TO MOVE AWAY. A REAL BLOW TO THE AREA WAS U.S. STEEL'S FAIRLESS WORKS. I REMEMBER IN THEIR CAREFREE YEARS IN THE EARLY '50'S WHEN MY NEIGHBOR GOT A 13 WEEK PAID VACATION. CAPITALISM AT ITS BEST!
2 comments:
when the germans bought delaval it went down hill and a lot lost their jobs because of the sale.i worked there for 34 years
the germans bought the company and it went down hill from there the company gave the union 3.6 million dollars at the end of the long strike to be devided amonst the workers but the union put the screws to quite a few workers and they did not get a dime ,I worked there for 34 years
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