What does this mean for GE lightbulbs, toasters, microwaves and appliances. Will they no longer exist or will the new company that gets created keep the GE name on their produts?

It is so sad that the General Electric era for our Community is coming to a close. I remember when I graduated from High School and then College that I had planned to work for 40 years at GE just like my mom and dad did. I got to work at the Decatur General electric only for 2 and one half years before the first downsizing in 1980. It is too bad that the Mayor we had after GE closed in Decatur did not take the lead in trying to attract “GOOD PAYING” jobs from a strong Company to replace the lost jobs at Decatur’s GE. This town has still not recovered from the loss of GE and hopefully the NEW MAYOR will have the vision that we need strong good paying jobs from a known Company of Industry to be in this town once again to make it prosperous again.

As an overpaying tax payer for what property that I had owned in Decatur….My family had to move away, as there were no good paying jobs there to support the family. G.E. used to be the place to work with good benefits, and I remember the Christmas parties too. All gone to Mexico. I hope that the economic director will get something for the town, and it needs it.

yeah jobs in Decatur are sorely lacking. What few companies here make luxury type items and everytime the economy takes a down turn they have a layoff. Heck a few years back Fleetwood closed a couple plants. If you dont like fast food or retail you better look in Fort Wayne for a job

In your posting, you say that it may be a good thing for the employees, more than likely it won’t. My dad has over 35 years of service and when the new company is spun off, he won’t be able to continue to fund his pension from GE. Yes, he’s still vested and will receive it when he retires, but he actually won’t be able to put more earnings in or time in (and what he collects is based on earnings and length of employment) and he is about 10 years from retirement. He also figures they will be looking at dramatic pay cuts when it is time to renegotiate the contract (I believe in 2010). So those things are bad, but what really upsets him is that he won’t be able to say he put in 40 years at GE, they will be spun off before then.

As a former Decatur GE employee (23plus yrs)it is with great sadness that I read about GE and it’s ultimatee greed. The things Joe says are right on,but the thing never spoken about is the truly shoddy treatment to those who were’t able to transfer to Ft Wayne. While it is true that we got severance pay and were able to freeze our pension, until age 60 is attained,the money we invested in savings and security was in the control of ge..with no reward or benefit to those of us affected. When the magical age of 60 does come,wow–what a windfall for all the years we gave THE COMPANY. Many people who worked at GE never recovered from the loss of their jobs. They foundered around hoping to find a permanent job or career that was comparable to what they had. Many didn’t have the skills new employers wanted and the worst enemy of all age and health worked against them. Remember, not EVERYONE who worked at Decatur GE had the chance to go to the big city..Thank God we had a good union who fought to get the benefits we did have. If GE had been left to their own devices none of us would have had anything.