WKOW: On Tuesday, Meriter spokesperson Mary Reinke said in a statement that about 4 percent of the hospital’s 3,500 positions would be eliminated. That’s 140 positions cut, but 50 employees affected, because many of those positions are currently vacant. Some of those 50 employees among various departments will be offered jobs elsewhere in the company.

Reinke says the layoffs are a pre-emptive move to offset cuts to Medicare reimbursements put in place by the federal Affordable Care Act.

While 140 positions will be cut only 50 employees will be directly affected because the hospital had already begun leave vacant positions open in expectation of the ObamaCare restrictions.

The decrease in Medicare reimbursement will affect all hospitals but the smaller, more rural hospitals, which have a higher Medicare population will feel a greater impact.

Reinke says the layoffs are a pre-emptive move to offset cuts to Medicare reimbursements put in place by the federal Affordable Care Act.

Meriter Spokesman: Changes are inevitable.
WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

Wednesday after the election a number of companies announced they would be laying off employees. Some businesses said they would close completely. Others are cutting back staff from full time to part time work.

Through the week the numbers have grown. Big businesses. Mom and Pop small stores. And everything in between. All have been impacted. But it’s not just one cause; by reelecting President Obama the Affordable Care Act will continue to influence business growth, a gridlock remains in congress and the very possible Department of Defense cuts hurt not only the direct military employment but also the Defense contractors, and Obama’s War on Coal will now be doubled down.

None of this was a surprise. Those paying even a slight amount of  attention could see these cuts were imminent. If Obama was reelected there would be a layoff tsunami of giant proportions.

Still, rather than accept this as unavoidable change necessary for the programs they voted liberals are now blaming vindictive Republicans. They are tweeting out that corporations are firing workers in revenge of the election. They are shouting from their social networks that store owners who are closing are un-American and spiteful.  That small businesses are laying off employees out of retribution. That, for no other reason than they did not want Obama to win.

It is sad that these naive left wing voices are so loud. It is obvious that they have never been more than just a worker in a shop, never had to balance a budget, never had to meet a payroll.  They believe that Republican business owners want to ‘hurt Obama’ by keeping unemployment artificially high. They truly believe this is being done solely as payback for the election.  They refuse to believe that Obama’s destructive policies are at fault.

Bless their hearts. They just don’t know any better.

If you get laid off, before you go, ask the people getting laid off with you if they voted for Obama. If they say yes, say nothing.

In case you haven’t heard, these companies announced layoffs and closures since Wednesday. Is it just the beginning?

Boeing Announces Big Layoffs in Defense Division

Lockheed Martin to lay off 123,000

Exide Technologies, in operation since the 1930s, closing operations in Pennsylvania. 150 out of work.

Caterpillar closing MN plant.

Layoffs loom for Jackson County, Ohio mine.

North Carolina’s Mills Manufacturing will lay off 68 workers by the end of the year.

UtahAMerican Energy lays off 102 miners

Want more? Check out the list at Twitchy.com and Freedomworks.org

Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC received a $5 million loan from the Ohio Department of Development, a $10 million loan from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, a $3.3 million job creation tax credit, and a $701,000 grant for the training of 50 current and 250 new employees. The 250 new jobs at the 262,000 square-foot plant along State Rt. 25 were promised in February, 2011 but have yet to be produced. The company goal of producing 600-700 jobs in the next two years and up to 4,000 more jobs in the next five or six years seems to be farther off than originally expected.

The layoffs have been confirmed by WTOL 11 TV and the executive manager of the Ohio Solar Hub, Sophia Fisher. The company expects the laid off workers to be rehired eventually but the company’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, Michael Cicak, would not give a timeline on any rehiring. Cicak stated that they are improving the efficiency of the assembly line and that they still have about 30 employees on the payroll.

The costs involved in changing the assembly line, profit margins, and quarterly earnings have not been released. Since the company is privately held there is no requirement to release this information.

No extenuating circumstances were noted in the labor report as to why the number came in so low, but the number of layoffs did slow by 67% in June. More than 159,000 workers were laid off in over 1,600 separate layoff actions.

What the report also showed is that the number of Americans on extended benefits is up drastically.

Beneficiaries that have used up the standard benefits and are now on emergency benefits is up another 62,400 bringing the total to a staggering 3.76 million Americans.

Analysts believe the unemployment rate will remain unchanged for a few more months citing the still high level of layoffs in the report.

Cisco employees aren’t the only ones shaking in their boots. Companies nationwide are also experiencing job cuts. From big international banks such as UBS to local school districts, employers are looking for ways to survive in an increasingly weakening economy.

Career strategist and author Julie Bauke can give your audience the advice they’ll need whether they’ve already received a pink slip or fear one may be coming. She can reveal quick tips on what employees should and shouldn’t do if they think they might on their company’s layoff list. Invite her to answer:

• How can you stop panic from steering you in the wrong direction?
• What is the importance of staying productive during this time?
• Why should you start planning as if you are on the list?
• Why is starting your job search immediately exactly the wrong thing to do?
• How can you look ahead to turn this into a positive experience?

CREDENTIALS: Julie Bauke is a leading career strategist and author of the book “Stop Peeing on Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes That Screw Up Your Job Search.” She is a regular contributor on WCIU-TV in Chicago and has been featured on CNN.com, MSN.com, The Huffington Post, MSNBC.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fox WXIX online, and many others.

CONTACT: Julie Bauke, (513) 314-3984 (OH); julie.bauke@congruitycareer.com;http://www.congruitycareer.com