Jul. 19--WAKARUSA, Ind. -- The loss of 1,400 jobs at Monaco Coach is the talk of Elkhart County. Local politicians gathered Friday at Wakarusa Town Hall to add their comments.

"I came here directly from the fair, and the number one topic of conversation out there is Monaco," Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, said. "The WorkOne forecast is not good, and we'll probably need federal funds sent this way."

WorkOne is the state's unemployment agency.

Walorski sent a letter to the governor Thursday requesting state aid due to the elimination of 1,400 jobs at Monaco. Those jobs will be lost by mid-September.

"While there are many factors contributing to these layoffs, the high price of fuel is certainly at the top of the list, thus bottle-necking production. I have personally spoken to CEOs of RV companies that have stated that dealers are not restocking their inventories for fear that they will not move the units. One CEO described the industry as 'frozen,'" she said in the letter.

"I will be offering legislation in January, asking to suspend the sales tax on the purchase of RVs in Indiana, hoping to bump up production and bringing movement back into our Hoosier RV industry. I am hopeful you will be supportive of that concept."

Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd District, pointed to nationwide energy woes as the first cause, as well as the first point, of action.

"This isn't just in our industry," he said. "Seventy-five percent of people don't understand why we aren't drilling, and it's going up by about 5 percent a week."

He went on to argue that the high amount of speculation causing price fluctuations in the current market is caused by the inaction of the federal government on the issues.

"We are doing nothing to find new energy and now we're seeing the consequences," he said. "The anger of the American people is building."

County Commissioner Frank Lucchese told attendees that Monaco managers have agreed to allow the use of their facilities for employee retraining. He added that the reason the other two commissioners were absent was because they were on a videophone conference call with the governor about the layoffs.

"We're concerned very much for immediate workers," Phil Penn, president of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, said. "We're going to get this resolved."

He did, however, indicate that related companies that supply parts to RV manufacturers will also feel the sting of closings and layoffs, and that there could eventually be a domino effect that is "much more serious."

In an ironic twist, Nappanee Chamber of Commerce President Larry Andrews had previously arranged with WorkOne Center of Elkhart to hold unemployment workshops at the Nappanee Public Library for displaced Newmar Corp. employees. Newmar cut 40 percent of its work force this month.

The workshops were held Thursday and Friday. According to library Director Linda Yoder, people were waiting at the door of the library at 8 a.m. both days.

Andrews arranged the workshops through his role on the board of the Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County.

"Several proactive measures are being pursued. From county officials to other elected officials. Everybody's jumping on board," EDEC president Dorinda Heiden said in a telephone call to The News. "That's why we have this organization, to assist in such matters."

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Story Source: Goshen News