In the news: Nissan is offering buyout packages to employees at its plants in Smyrna and Decherd, Tennessee. The company cites rising fuel prices and poor sales of its full-size trucks and SUVs, and is eliminating an entire shift of its truck assembly facility.
The employees will be offered lump sums, plus medical and car purchase benefits.
Said a senior vice-president, "We feel this program is a good opportunity for employees wanting to transition to another phase in life. This will provide many with the financial means to take a step they otherwise might not have been able to take."
Translation: Nobody likes working on an assembly line, but when you've got mouths at home to feed and there's only one major employer in town, well, This Is Your Life.
