Remington responds to NY SAFE act

[BehindBlueI's]

To our Remington fans,

We believe the NY SAFE Act is unconstitutional and was passed in a questionable fashion.

Remington and its employees worked diligently with pro-gun legislators to prevent the Act's passage. We actively participated in the Albany rallies and drove the letter-writing campaign to stop this anti-gun legislation.

The recently awarded Department of Defense (Special Operations Command) contract, questioned by some as a "pay-off," has been in development for years -- it has nothing to do with NY State.

While we are unhappy with the misguided acts of our elected politicians, Remington will not run or abandon its loyal and hard working 1,300 employees without considerable thought and deliberation. Laws can be overturned and politicians voted out of office, but the decisions we make today will affect our people, their families and entire communities for generations.

Please bear with us as we determine the most appropriate way to satisfy our customers and protect our employees.

https://www.facebook.com/remingtonarmscompany

Good for Remington for not knee jerking and putting their workers in the difficult position of having to uproot their lives or be out of a job AND for realizing that laws can be changed.

 

[drillsgt]

To our Remington fans,

We believe the NY SAFE Act is unconstitutional and was passed in a questionable fashion.

Remington and its employees worked diligently with pro-gun legislators to prevent the Act's passage. We actively participated in the Albany rallies and drove the letter-writing campaign to stop this anti-gun legislation.

The recently awarded Department of Defense (Special Operations Command) contract, questioned by some as a "pay-off," has been in development for years -- it has nothing to do with NY State.

While we are unhappy with the misguided acts of our elected politicians, Remington will not run or abandon its loyal and hard working 1,300 employees without considerable thought and deliberation. Laws can be overturned and politicians voted out of office, but the decisions we make today will affect our people, their families and entire communities for generations.

Please bear with us as we determine the most appropriate way to satisfy our customers and protect our employees.

https://www.facebook.com/remingtonarmscompany

Good for Remington for not knee jerking and putting their workers in the difficult position of having to uproot their lives or be out of a job AND for realizing that laws can be changed.

One thing true from that press release is politicians can be voted out of office but by that time the damage is done. If they think that the law will ever be changed they are dreaming. We voted politicians out in '94 but did anyone even bring up repealing the AWB, I don't think so. They need to just be honest and just say it would be a logistical nightmare to try and move a factory like that and not because of some sort of allegiance to the employees or the community.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

but did anyone even bring up repealing the AWB, I don't think so.

The AWB repeal was introduced in the House in 1995 and passed the House in March of 1996, 239 to 173.

 

[netsecurity]

I'm sorry, why can't they pay to move the families along with the company?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'm sorry, why can't they pay to move the families along with the company?

Do you want to sell your house, buy a new one, uproot your kids from their school, and have your spouse quit their job and look for a new one even if your company pays for the move?

How many of those 1300 when faced with that decision will decide its not worth it? How many skilled and experienced employees would you lose, even if you paid for the moving expenses?

Its real easy to run someone else's business.

 

[drillsgt]

The AWB repeal was introduced in the House in 1995 and passed the House in March of 1996, 239 to 173.

True, but it didn't go anywhere did it? I should have worded my statement better.

 

[HoughMade]

I'm sorry, why can't they pay to move the families along with the company?

Do you have any idea how expensive moving a company that size would be? Now, add 1300 employees- many of whom will not want to move. Hey on second thought, screw them for not having the foresight to be born in another state. Screw them for wanting their kids to know their grandparents. Screw them for wanting to stay in their home town.

Lesson learned- when a law is passed we don't like, run away. Don't stay and fight.

 

[cosermann]

If I were an employee of Rem in NY, I would WANT to leave with the company. Sign me up. Good riddance NY.

 

[canav844]

Do you want to sell your house, buy a new one, uproot your kids from their school, and have your spouse quit their job and look for a new one even if your company pays for the move?

How many of those 1300 when faced with that decision will decide its not worth it? How many skilled and experienced employees would you lose, even if you paid for the moving expenses?

Its real easy to run someone else's business.

Freedom isn't cheap. I wouldn't want my children being indoctrinated by NY schools and politics. And I'd bet that there are 1,300 people in Indiana that would love a chance to work for them (heck we've even named a town after them).

Businesses relocate to areas more favorable to their industry everyday. Indiana has taken thousands of jobs from neighboring states because of tax laws. It's part of being in a capitalist world where you do what's best for the company and not just guarantee jobs in which people feel they are entitled to. Of course it's also something better handled with giving employees warning internally, so they can make decisions and start the process of finding other employment locally or making arrangements to move and not just press releases.

But honestly, NY had some of the worst gun laws in the country before the SAFE act, repealing that (extremely unlikely given their political climate) isn't going to to fix the issues there. Even without the SAFE act it's still a state where a customer needs to appear before a judge to explain why he needs an itemized permission slip, to even own a product made by Remington, and if he says one word about being his right, he won't get the permission slip and can't go buy one, let alone put a standard capacity magazine in it, or stop for groceries on the way home from the range, or stop at walmart on the way to the range to get some more ammo, or cross county lines without more permission slips, or have another permission slip from a judge to carry a handgun for self defense while in possession of that remington product that likely has a few thousand dollars worth of glass mounted to it.

And money that goes to Remington, much of it goes to their employees, much of which then gets spent in New York, where the taxes on the purchases and the people then fund the government that is hostile to the company and the people.

 

[brotherbill3]

If everyone pro-gun moves out of NY - what is accomplished? Surrender and concession of yet another state. - slowly they will whittle away, as they have with the rights across the country.

Now if Remington had made a big "to do" about moving (a la Mag Pul - who is following through) and blah blah blah ... then they'd need to wipe the egg off their face and deserve a to the back of the head for foolishness. I dont' think they did though.

 

[drillsgt]

Freedom isn't cheap. I wouldn't want my children being indoctrinated by NY schools and politics. And I'd bet that there are 1,300 people in Indiana that would love a chance to work for them (heck we've even named a town after them).

Businesses relocate to areas more favorable to their industry everyday. Indiana has taken thousands of jobs from neighboring states because of tax laws. It's part of being in a capitalist world where you do what's best for the company and not just guarantee jobs in which people feel they are entitled to. Of course it's also something better handled with giving employees warning internally, so they can make decisions and start the process of finding other employment locally or making arrangements to move and not just press releases.

But honestly, NY had some of the worst gun laws in the country before the SAFE act, repealing that (extremely unlikely given their political climate) isn't going to to fix the issues there. Even without the SAFE act it's still a state where a customer needs to appear before a judge to explain why he needs an itemized permission slip, to even own a product made by Remington, and if he says one word about being his right, he won't get the permission slip and can't go buy one, let alone put a standard capacity magazine in it, or stop for groceries on the way home from the range, or stop at walmart on the way to the range to get some more ammo, or cross county lines without more permission slips, or have another permission slip from a judge to carry a handgun for self defense while in possession of that remington product that likely has a few thousand dollars worth of glass mounted to it.

And money that goes to Remington, much of it goes to their employees, much of which then gets spent in New York, where the taxes on the purchases and the people then fund the government that is hostile to the company and the people.

It's definitely a tough issue, by these companies staying the politicians get their cake and get to eat it too.

 

[KLB]

If everyone pro-gun moves out of NY - what is accomplished? Surrender and concession of yet another state. - slowly they will whittle away, as they have with the rights across the country.

Now if Remington had made a big "to do" about moving (a la Mag Pul - who is following through) and blah blah blah ... then they'd need to wipe the egg off their face and deserve a to the back of the head for foolishness. I dont' think they did though.

Are you volunteering to move there and fight the fight?

 

[level0]

Remington is full of it, IMHO. Nice words and all but all talk. There are dozens of states that would welcome them with monster tax breaks, land, and who knows what other incentives. Good help can be found, NY does not have the corner on quality gunsmiths and machinists. Also, taking a stand against the morons in New York would likely bolster Remington sales - I imagine by a sizable margin.

By being blowhards and staying put, Remington is accepting the state of things. There is zero pressure on New York to make any changes - why should they? Remington knows the deal and is staying put, so it must not be too bad.

 

[HoughMade]

Remington is full of it, IMHO. Nice words and all but all talk....

I feel the same way about anyone who refuses to quit a job where carry is not allowed on the job.

 

[Willie]

I'm not going to sell my Remingtons, but I wont buy any more..

 

[HotD]

People have the ability to voice their displeasure and vote with their feet. Corporations are legal entities, and have a similar ability to voice their displeasure with government.

Magpul and HiViz has taken proactive action in Colorado. Remington should follow their example.

 

[netsecurity]

Do you have any idea how expensive moving a company that size would be? Now, add 1300 employees- many of whom will not want to move. Hey on second thought, screw them for not having the foresight to be born in another state. Screw them for wanting their kids to know their grandparents. Screw them for wanting to stay in their home town.

Lesson learned- when a law is passed we don't like, run away. Don't stay and fight.

It partially depends on the cost of living in NY. If their pay rate was the same in, say Indiana, then their wives probably wouldn't need to work here, and they could buy a better home, plane tickets to see grandma twice a year, and still be better off. And the company could pay for their new plant with tax breaks and the lower cost of new employees. It is doable when you have the will, but Remington frankly seems to be winding down.

 

[TTravis]

Do you want to sell your house, buy a new one, uproot your kids from their school, and have your spouse quit their job and look for a new one even if your company pays for the move?

How many of those 1300 when faced with that decision will decide its not worth it? How many skilled and experienced employees would you lose, even if you paid for the moving expenses?

Its real easy to run someone else's business.

How many would jump at the chance to escape NY?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

How many would jump at the chance to escape NY?

Other than Snake?

 

[Bunnykid68]

Real easy to run someone elses business that has 1300 employes from a keyboard. Do we know what one of their employes makes? It's not like they are located in NYC or Manhattan. They are in the northern part of the state, cost of living may be no more than Indiana