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FacebookTurner: DHL would consider public donation of Wilmington property
> Related: Stunned workers ponder future
> Will this help ease the pain?
Monday, June 30, 2008
WILMINGTON — The cargo delivery company DHL has said it would consider donating its entire Wilmington freight hub operation to the community if the company concludes a business deal with United Parcel Service that could wipe out thousands of Wilmington jobs, U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and a state official said Monday, June 30.
Turner, R-Centerville, spoke after meeting privately with employees of ABX Air, the DHL-employed cargo airline that could be replaced by DHL's proposed contract to have UPS handle all of DHL's U.S. air cargo transport. DHL said it expects to negotiate the deal within three months.
"I think DHL is making a terrible mistake," Turner said of the proposal.
Kevin Carver, an Ohio Department of Development regional official based in Dayton, confirmed that DHL has said in conversations with top state officials that it would consider publicly donating the 2,200-acre Wilmington property if the UPS deal goes through, in order to help Ohio find new use for the operation. The property includes two runways, control tower and dozens of buildings, including more than one million square feet of cargo sorting space. DHL's two contractor airlines at Wilmington, ABX Air and ASTAR Air Cargo, fly DHL overnight delivery packages to cities across the United States each night.
Monica Wehr, a DHL spokeswoman at Wilmington, said she could not comment about the possibility of a property donation. Other DHL public relations personnel in Plantation, Fla., did not return telephone requests for comment on Monday.
State officials have asked DHL to reconsider and to work out new agreements with ABX Air and ASTAR to keep the jobs in Wilmington, rather than lose them to UPS facilities elsewhere. Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, head of a regional task force trying to save the DHL jobs, has said that a DHL deal with UPS could cost 6,000 jobs at ABX Air, 1,200 at DHL and 1,000 at ASTAR at the Wilmington hub, the largest employer in Clinton County and neighboring counties.
Senior management of Deutsche Post, the German postal agency that owns DHL, have told Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher as recently as last week that DHL is committed to the deal with UPS. DHL said it wants to cut U.S. operational losses that reached $900 million last year and have been projected to hit $1 billion this year.
State and federal officials have said they are also looking at whether a DHL-UPS deal would violate U.S. antitrust laws by reducing competition in the U.S. express delivery market, where DHL trails market leaders UPS and Federal Express (FedEx). DHL has said it believes no government approval is needed because an agreement with UPS would be a customer-vendor deal, much like DHL's current deals with ABX Air and ASTAR.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, led a roundtable discussion with public officials, Wilmington employees and residents Monday at Wilmington College. Brown said Ohio's congressional delegation would be willing to "play hardball" if necessary to protect the Wilmington jobs and is looking at any contracts DHL may have to serve the U.S. government.
Kathy Green, 60, an ABX Air telecommunications supervisor who has worked for the company since 1991, said DHL's intention to hire UPS stunned ABX employees. Green, who was among the employees who met with Turner, said she could not afford the $900 monthly mortgage on her Hillsboro-area home if DHL eliminates her job.
"We want them to succeed," Green said of DHL. "We want them to let us help them succeed."
Earlier Monday, community activists and leaders of Wilmington employee unions went to DHL's Wilmington administration building and presented petitions containing about 9,300 signatures asking DHL to preserve the Wilmington jobs. Some of the activists chanted that DHL stood for "destroying homes and lives."
ABX officials plan to brief investors on Tuesday, July 1, about the status of the company's imperiled business relationship with DHL.
Comments
By JS
June 20, 2009 4:47 PM | Link to this
Dhl help employees, what…. you know the woman said good things happen to good people, and I believe her. But then again, what goes around comes around, and bad things happen to bad people who throw their long term employees to the wind because they didn’t like the way they looked.
By ryan
January 7, 2009 4:55 PM | Link to this
it don’t matter now! as of 1/07/2009, 9,500 people who used to work for dhl, are standing in unemployment and food bank lines,f*in sks,so does the nafta
By Ellen
July 22, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
I agree with Kathy, we will be next to be gone. I really don’t think DHL will last past either Labor day weekend or Nov. 1st. Need I remind anyone what happened in 2003 over Labor day?
By Rob
July 15, 2008 7:40 PM | Link to this
I think what everyone is forgetting is that DHL is only the little guy here in the US, globally they dwarf UPS and FedEX, or even the combination of the two. The company is profitable everywhere but in the US, where they lose something like a billion dollars a year. Yeah its sad that so many people will be left without jobs but in the end no company can not keep losing that much cash and expect to stay afloat.
By Wow
July 5, 2008 1:26 AM | Link to this
Other people who have left messages have it right. No amount of protesting or otherwise will stop this. The politicians have no legs to stand on, they are just putting on a show for their own sakes/jobs. ABX Air and Astar should blame themselves for not diversifying. DHL should be blamed for not being successful in the USA, and we should be blamed for letting the government and big business flush our jobs away to other countries all for the bottom line: The Almight Dollar and corporate greed…
By Wow
July 5, 2008 1:18 AM | Link to this
Wow, I rarely leave comments or blogs, but I love listening to some of the ignorance on this board by some really friggin uneducated people. Who cares about Arizona? Everyone should. Fact of the matter is take a look at the news lately. This country is losing jobs incredibly fast, with no end in site. Then we get Joe Redneck in southern Ohio going “Hoooey…who care about everyone else!” Nice way to represent humanity…or being American as far as that goes.
By JIMMY
July 2, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
I think that John guy from Local 299 DETROIT is a distant relative of JAMES R HOFFA. What a bunch of clowns.
By DHL
July 2, 2008 10:28 PM | Link to this
I think that john guy from local 299 DETROIT is a long distant relative of JAMES R HOFFA. Listen to these clowns!
By Sherry
July 2, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
To Ross, Tom and other DHL Employees…. Here’s the reality. If DHl merges with UPS it won’t be long until UPS takes all of DHL’s customers away from them and they leave the US. If DHL stays in Wilmington at least we all have a better chance at having a job. Surprisingly, UPS is much dirtier than DHL and they will do whatever it takes to get rid of any and ALL competition. Look at what they have done in the past…EMERY—closed…Yellow Freight—closed. Now they want to shut down ABX then DHL.
By Larry
July 2, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this
DHL blows dead bears!
By Larry
July 2, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
DHL blows dead bears!
By WI Worker
July 2, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this
My heart goes out to all of the workers and families affected by this “business deal”, not that it will help you much.
Here in southern WI and northern IL we too have experienced large corporations shutting their doors leaving many unemployeed.
By john
July 2, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
I could care less!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I work for dhl in detroit mi were backed by the strongest union in the united states the TEAMSTERS they cant get reed of our jobs if they wanted to. Unless they want to buy us out lets not forget get who started our great union JAMES R HOFFA (LOCAL 299)IN DETROIT
By sdc
July 2, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this
I have worked for Airborne/DHL for more than 20 years and if you people couldn’t see the writing on the wall you are crazy. The first mistake DHL/DPWN made was to trust the fact that Joe Hete and ABX could actually sort freight. For more years than I can count ILN has always had sorting issues and has never taken any resopsibilty for the problems. Hete chose not to take the buy out from ASTAR. He then sealled the deal for Wilmington. If you want to point a finger;DPWN firgured it out & fixed it.
By ABX Employee
July 1, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this
I am the wife of an ABX Air employee. This whole deal is hurting everyone involved. I am sorry that it is going to affect the town of WIlmington. But guess what. It is going to put my family out of our home, out of our town. I am sorry if I hurt someones feelings here, but everyone involved is going to lose here. I am so sick of hearing about the town.
By hey shane
July 1, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this
Shane needs to take his uneducated comments off of the board! DHL was not ready for the volume of business when they started advertising because the express unit in sort was not done. THAT was a DHL, NOT ABX decision. Add to the fact that Hete wasn’t know for playing well with DHL and company and as a result we are all being screwed while Hete is taken care of with his golden parachute!
By ross
July 1, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
i’m not the one losing my job… HA!
By Kathy
July 1, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this
DHL is foreign entity so can’t own Amer. Airline by Fed law. Fault of AStar/ABX? Even if right,those responsible for ‘bad’ contract & DHLs ADMITTED mismanagement will NOT suffer. The workers who have worked hard 4 ABX which was like family-many for over 30 years-will pay for mistakes made in SEA/Bonn. Severence pkg? DHL has agreed to NOTHING & per contract must provide the $. ABX legally cannot present a pkg it doesnt have. We r Selling the US to non Americans in small bites. IT MUST STOP!!!!
By shane
July 1, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
What people dont realize is that DHL is a buisness, and a very sucessfull one at that. ABX and AStar offer an inferior product. UPS can deliver their domestic freight reliably. They are in buisness to make money, so rather than blaming UPS and DHL for screwing the state of Ohio. I think the blame should be put on ABX and AStar. They have old and less efficent airframes. I have been in aviation for 15 years and that is the way our industry goes. Complaining only wastes time.
By employer
July 1, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
This will not be the only company to leave Ohio. Just wait until the government MAKES every employer, give every employee 7 days of paid sick leave, no questions asked. I am a small business owner and am now looking at moving out of state because Ohio makes its impossible to make a profit. The government has decided that we can’t smoke, can’t gamble, can’t see stripper. All those jobs gone. Now they will run business out with the crazy taxes and mandated sick leave pay in addition to FMLA
By papertrucker
July 1, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
the rust belt has just moved west.People this is what free enterprize is all about.D H L does not owe you a job.Some of you mite just have to move to where the jobs are and from where I am standing Ohio just isn’t it any more sorry about your luck.In times like these where gas is $4.00 +a gallion milk is $5.00+a gallon natural gas is so expensivethat this winter people are going to die because they can not afford to heat there homes.The choices we have in november leave a lot to be desired.
By Travis Aker
July 1, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
Ross who gives a f**k about you motherf**kers in Arizona, we are sick and tired of losing our jobs here in Ohio, the bleeding needs to stop now before its too late. You don’t understand between GM and DHL leaving thats about 10000 jobs lost, so f**k off motherf**ker.
By Jack
July 1, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
The quicker politicians figure out that DHL IS leaving and has no interest staying, the better for employees. Stop trying to make it political Strickland, Fischer, and Turner. They are gone, focus on the town, focus on the employees.
For all the great press that Strickland gets, how many companies have left Ohio? Stop kissing up to the Clinton…the Obamas…and do some actual work for the people who elected you.
By no surprise
July 1, 2008 10:22 AM | Link to this
No surprise that DHL is moving on. When trying to get pre-printed labels for shipping purposes from the top 3- UPS, FedEX, and DHL. I got polite helpful service from UPS, FedEX. DHL rep was rude, talked to me like I was an imposition. I like choices, I had 3,but made two UPS,FEDEX.
By Herren
July 1, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Ich mochte sagen gehen sie du Deutchland und haben ein gut tag! Mit meine Euros Ich Kann essen und trinken. Ich kaufen nicht die DHL. Auf Weidersehen DHL! Tsum Teufel!
By Larocca
July 1, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
What on earth are you thinking?? Give the property to them?? Give them time, they’ll be looking for an interested party to purchase. Why delay their departure??
By North
July 1, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Another payoff to local politicans! This is similar to what the Department of Energy did with Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg. The DOE turned over the site to Miamisburg officials, provided some local highway landscape,etc. and the politicans went away. However, it didn’t do a bit of good for the 2500 people at Mound who eventually lost their jobs.
By carolyn
July 1, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
UPS has done it to another big company in Ohio. Trying to momoplize there terriory. They left an empty building in Vanadia,Ohio and not they are trying to put Wilminton off the map. Where does it stop. I worked at Emery and it was a big loss and a lot of jobs and still hard to find them around the area after 2 years and its getting worst and here UPs goes again. Somebody needs to say enough. If they want to do this keep the people that know the JOBS>
By Christine
July 1, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
I live in Ohio & have family whom have worked for Airborne/DHL for 20 years. We live just 15 miles from DHL. Wilimington is just like the rest of Ohio. The jobs are leaving. My husbands plant of 27 years closed with 750 employees. Two more plants have closed with at least 3000 employees. Until our goverment stops the jobs leaving the country, we will have more of this.
By LaRocca
July 1, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
Give them the property?? What on earth are you thinking?? Give them time they’ll eventually be looking for an interested party to buy. Why delay their departure?
By we want real help
July 1, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this
How can the employees even begin to prepare for the future? The severence package for 1,800 employees is so bad ABX wouldn’t even tell us what DHL offered. My husband is looking at getting his CDL but we can’t afford to pay for it. The best case scenario is to give assistance to the employees now who want to prepare and keep working somewhere so they don’t live off of the system permanently.
By what to do?
July 1, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this
I agree with Bob. The protest yesterday was pointless because they will NOT change their minds. The media and politicians need to focus on what can be done to help those who will lose their jobs. (NOT MIGHT) DHL has no intention of being here in the states. UPS is just a bridge to getting out of here.
By Chuck
July 1, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
Embarressing at best, the way people respond to each other….just raw and hurt feelings I guess.
DHL has a track record of doing pretty stupid things. They should have bought ABX, let them continue to run the US biz, infuse some cash flow, and then they could have given the Purple and Brown guys a run…still would be #3 in the race, but it beats being 10th in a 3-way race! Now they’re mking a second hub move in four years….($$$$$$$) I won’t ship with them ever.
By Kathy
July 1, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this
Political efforts ARE in process 4 helping ee’s losing jobs. Re-training, etc., all is in the works. What is happening in Ohio won’t make DHL quit. They already have. It was always their plan. Emery, Airborne, DHL, UPS. DHL ee in AZ-your job is already toast. They ARE closing across USA-NOW! They have sold domestic business to UPS. All they want is base in US 4 bigger Int’l mkt footprint. Don’t feel so smug or blame us when u r next cause it will b soon. Real soon.
By Birke
July 1, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
Sure donate the property so you don’t have to pay property tax on it or maintain it stick it to the people also !
By Janice
July 1, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this
If this is what they have to do to keep in business in the US, nuff said. It is a shame that it was handled the way it was though. I worked with a German owned company for some years, they are stubborn people! They will not change their minds about leaving.
By Jeff
July 1, 2008 7:24 AM | Link to this
If I wanted to buy a hooker I would go to Arizona…other than that I probably wouldn’t waste my time.
By Lisa Phillips
July 1, 2008 7:22 AM | Link to this
For real… You guys really need to get a hobby. I can’t believe that you are in Arizona posting at another state. You guys should go mow the sand or something. Sometimes the best thing to do is close your mouth and keep the dum dum inside. I hope DHL closes all US operations. Then you hicks in Az will be like Waahh Waahh I want my bottle and a diaper. They must not have schools in Arizona.
By maria
July 1, 2008 7:17 AM | Link to this
It just shows you what those morons out in Arizona are doing. They aren’t working, instead they are posting on another city’s newspaper blog. I actually totally agree with Cletus. Get bent you idiots. Like anyone from Ohio really cares what your dumb butt thinks. Stupid.
By misty
July 1, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this
i’m in az and i hope dhl folds. the cusomter service dept gets nothing but complaints and claims payouts are soaring off the charts. with the claims payouts and the fact that sales is giving dhl services away which is why dhl dont make any profit. ups should try to buy the hole dhl operation worldwide and put dhl out of its misery.
By cletus
July 1, 2008 7:14 AM | Link to this
Who cares if DHL ceases all US operations. If they are going to leave Ohio then who cares what they do? Like any of us really care about you clowns out there in Arizona. Get bent you flakes. Go mow your dead grass or something. This is Ohio, not some petty little peon state like Arizona. When we want your opinion we will give it to you chumps!
By ross
July 1, 2008 7:08 AM | Link to this
I’m a DHL employee in Arizona. Have you considered what stopping the DHL-UPS merger will actually do? It will cause DHL to completely cease operations in the US - which will be job loss in the tens of thousands, not just the Ohio residence. Stop being selfish and consider the rest of the DHL workforce!
By tom
July 1, 2008 7:05 AM | Link to this
As I sympathize with the Wilmington employees and their families, if the goverment does NOT stop intervening with the DHL-UPS deal, DHL will simply cease ALL U.S. operations, which will cause many more thousands in job loss than simply Ohio residence. THINK ABOUT THAT!
By Tony
July 1, 2008 6:36 AM | Link to this
This just another example where foriegn investments in US Companies or dependance on foriegn natural resources results in economic disaster in the long run. Is “Global Economy” good or bad? Only time will tell, however we should be more vigilant in terms of how foriegn investments impact the economic viability of local communities. It maybe to late to save DHL and the local jobs and if the property is donated to the City or even the State it will be years before it is totally reused.
By bob
July 1, 2008 5:11 AM | Link to this
how about putting the political efforts into helping the employees who are losing their jobs. retraining assistance or finding another job, and finding uses for the airpark. they will NOT stop DHL from quitting, so move on to something they can do.