Heck, I'd throw maxipads and diapers in the oil spill if it would help. How about those Bounty paper towels - the quicker pickerupper!

No real "undertone" - just sharing the thoughts of my friend that works at M. M. as we discussed your posted messages. I will have to say that your response to us was really genuine and nice - so WE both thought that you probably did have a problem with that person. Have a good day and weekend.

Hey, everyone is entiltled to their opinion, that's why I post here. And if you and your friend get a laugh together, well that's even better! Although I really don't understand what you're getting at, I know there's some sort of undertone in your message, just not sure what it's supposed to be. But hey, it's not like anyone needs to take getting treated like trash at a job for 6.50, heck, even for 8.50! And to clarify, it's not about "the" workplace, it's THAT workplace.I went to extra lengths to explain and validate my points, but if some of you can't see how their business practice is wrong, even after some confirmation by other posters, then there's not much else to say. Have a good day!

A comment for FREERADICAL - I really do not know a lot about Monterey Mills - just a little bit. I'm sure since you worked at the place you would know more, but I do know that after reading many of your posts about the workplace - I would say it sounds like you need an attitude adjustment and not them. I asked a friend of mine if what you stated is accurate and she just laughed - sorry, but no empathy coming from me or her.

I hope they can help with the "spill"(or "leak" or any other word you can think of to minimize the sound of the impact it's having), it just pains me to know that means hurting the little guys while the man in the video fills his pockets.
As for the temp agency, I think with minimal effort or research anyone could figure that out, I'm not going to black-label the company that isn't mentioned in the article. It's easy to figure out, many people have worked as a temp there I'm sure, and the agency is a popular one in the Janesville yellow pages.
I degress, I have said my peace about Monterey, as for the oil cleanup effort, any little bit helps, it does seem to work well at sucking up oil in controlled conditions in a pool filled with calm(salt?)water, and contaminated with oil poured down from the top from buckets,inside a warehouse with so it's got to be a potential breakthrough.
Joking aside, I really would like to see it work, because the oil disaster is disgusting.

..."giving to united way" and doing nothing else doesn't count in my book, either.

What makes it even worse is......all the operatives at so many places seem to care about is THEIR big house, THEIR new cars, THEIR vacations, THEIR family members on and on ad nauseum....if they actually cared about the nation and our common good it wouldn't be quite so bad "slaving" for them.

So, what temp agency were they "working with"?.....interesting.......just FYI-most trucking companies work on the same blueprint with their "employees"lol only they usually don't use temp agencies, they just do it to you "in house".

Yes, I do, freeradical. I also know a lot of people who got fired when the temp agency took over. Not good business practice. But again, kudos for helping out with the oil spill, now lets see if the employees benefit from this as well, temp or not. We shall see.

Shopiere, from what I've read, there is every reason to wish ill on this company. Why are you biased so much for it? Just because it's a textile mill in Janesville?
And scooter, it was about5 years ago for me as well, so you must know EXACTLY the kind of BS I'm talking about =)

I understand wanting to "separate the men from the boys" as you put it, like a true sexist. But my point is, how about the honest from the liars? Everything they told us to get us in the door there and work at that crap heap was a stretch of the truth. And did you read how they would screw everyone out of extra overtime pay for two weeks? paying overtime at 6.50, then cut you a check later for the 2$ an hour difference...but not for the overtie difference you lose for making OT on 6.50 instead of 8.50. If companies were seperated by men and boys, this company would get it's little but kicked on the playground by all the big kids. And hopefully someone would steal their lunch money,too.
Any company who lies to get people in the door, then takes full dvantage of them after that fact deserves zero kudos. Kudos for what? A ridiculous turnover rate? "surviving all these years in a very hostile environment"? They CREATE a hostile enviroment, anyone who has had the displeasure of dealing with monterey on any sort of employee level, like scooter, knows they deserve no kudos from the workforce. The problem is, do you think textile mills in the USA can compete with textile mills across seas? Not unless they enforce similar wages, hours, and work enviroments! 70% turnover you say fly on the wall? I bet that's being generous.

I didn't need a job so bad that I need an employer who lies and bends the truth, then outright takes advantage of you the day you walk in. They treat their workers like that because they have a temp agency do the hiring, and for every person who quits(making 6.50 instead of 8.50,surprise!) ther's someone to take their place. Shopiere, I see your logic, but I don't think you read anything I wrote. Did you? Did you not get anything I presented?

Entry level positions are hard at "The Mill" from what I hear. The dollars withheld until they see if the emloyee can hack it is understandable.

This enables the company to seperate the men from the boys, to see if a person is able to last more than half a day. Although I shouldn't say men from the boys, because I know women who have been able to do the work and have been there for over 30 years. Of course they progressed above entry level positions because they could work for more than half a day without walking off the job and quitting.

This company deserves kudos just for surviving all these years in a very hostile environment. The textile industry in the USofA has been under assault for decades from foreign imports, there aren't many textile mills left in this country.

One would hope that Monterey can get some business from all of this. There is no reason to wish ill will on this company and the people who make their living there.

Freeradical, I understand completely because the same thing happened to me about 5 years ago. Hired by temps, put to work on a very, very hot iron with a brief explanation, my partner never showed either (maybe they were invisible). Very unsafe working conditions and I did the same as you, walked out at lunch time. I could not understand what to do and no one would help me. That plant sucks but if they can help with the oil "leak" more power to them.

First let me point out-it is NOT a "spill"-it is a LEAK! There is no finite amount of oil in the gulf from this disaster. I live in Sarasota FL, and the oil has not reached us yet but we are all concerned about it here in the gulf states. Any method of cleanup is worth a try as far as I am concerned; unfortunately BP seems to be turning a deaf ear to small time companies who offer solutions...

Also, my point is that they completely mislead us all from the beginning, tacked on more mandatory hours without notice...did you even read what I wrote? ^^

BigBun, what you're speculating is cause and effect, and Monterey's way of running things was around long before I showed up.

your co worker didnt show and you left at lunch then you wonder why the company withholds $2/hr till you prove that you are somewhat reliable. Maybe your supervisor was already helping in an area where someone left at lunch or didn't show at all.

Nice to see the president of the company seems to have a clear conscience, considering Monterey mills is as close to sweatshop labor I've ever seen, having experienced it first hand.It's the only job I've ever walked off of. Maybe it was the A--hole supervisor, or the fact that no one seemed happy to be there. It could have been the fact that they told me I'd make 8.50 an hour, only to learn the night i started that in fact I was only to make 6.50 an hour for the first two weeks, THEN if I had no absences or late shows they would cut me a check for the 2$ an hour they were "holding" from me. Actually, maybe it was the fact that when I showed up to work, the guy I was splitting an area loading machines with didn't show, and rather than call someone to help, or god forbid the supervisor pitch in here and there, left me to do the work of two, with little explanation. Or maybe it was because at lunch,after 4 and a half hours-where I wasn't given a break- I was told that rather than working a 10hour 3rd shift that day, what the heck, it's going to be 12hours instead,required,with no prior heads up. On top of that, for two weeks I'd make time and a half past forty at 6.50,rather than 8.50 an hour(since they were"holding that extra 2$ an hour)and wouldn't be reimbursed for the time and a half lost making 6.50 instead of 8.50 an hour, so essentially they were going to screw me out of as much money per man hour they could for the first two weeks. Way to start a emploer/employee relationship,don't you think? And this was the first day, in the first 1/2 of my shift. I walked out at lunch and never looked back.Obviously I have nothing nice to say about Monterey, and If they got a bid from the government for their products, I'd say it's more bitter than sweet for any poor souls employed there.You can say a job is a job, especially in these times, but holy crap, it's the worst work enviroment I've EVER worked in by FAR. I don't know who was more to blame, the temp agency or Monterey itself, but they seemed to be in cahoots-and never blinked an eye while feeding me and the other soon to be employees a line of bull for a the week prior to the job about the hours we would work,the pay, and working conditions while WE made the meetings, signed our papers, peed in a cup and asked questions, diligently working just to get working. Jackals.
/end rant.

Very cool. They may be too late though. They SAID " it will be under control by MONDAY"

We keep hearing this and it has been months.
Question is WHAT Monday!!

I hope to see a 'hometown' company down here on the Gulf Coast. It'll be a benefit of huge proportions for all involved.

Stupid headline, and yes the answer is no.

Interesting headline in question form and my answer would be a big NO.

so how do we get the gulf waters into the pools?

Good for Monterey Mills for trying. I hope they are allowed to help with the clean up.

"Can Monterey Mills contain the spill?"
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HELLO............Contain the spill????
A little late to contain the spill as it has been spewing for 84 + days.
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More accurate title would be........
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Can Monterey Mills help with spill cleanup?

It is encouraging to hear that they met with BP's “High Interest Technology Team." They are so much better than the “Moderate Interest Technology Team” and, of course, the “Low Interest Technology Team.”

Three cheers to Monterey Mills for making an attempt to help the Gulf Spill mess clean-up.

Good..I hope BP utilizes the fabric...before more beaches & lives are ruined.
WAY TO GO MONTEREY MILLS!!!!

DaleB - Did you READ the article? They did test the fabric in the ocean swells and I'm sure that included weight measurements and method of extracting the oil soaked fabric from the water.
You don't make a presentation to BP without a complete testing of your product. I hope they get a contract soon! Way to go Monterey Mills now bring back your outlet store!

that'd be nice, but 21,000 youtube views aren't all that much. Even in swells I think that fabric would do a nice job...maybe not perfect, but it's something.

Hornet, They could burn it.....

So, what would they do with the wet, oil saturated fabric?

Dale- I know people involved in the cleanup. Not at the Mills, but at the actual beaches. Trust me, ANYTHING that is non-chemical will be welcomed. The scale of this is so massive that ANYTHING will be welcome. If this product works half as good as what Monterey Mills says, soon Janesville will be re-employed again.

DaleB. Have a little faith that a company from Janesville can do a good deed for the country. Try to look on the bright side and not be so negative. I for one am excited and proud. I have friends that work at Monterey and they are all excited! I wish them luck and hope it works.

I know you wanna give a big hurray for a local Co. but really the ocean is not a pool, ripples vs 3 to 12 foot swells! Did these guys figure how large a piece of fake fur would be needed? Did they figure how much it would weight after it was soaked with oil and how it would be picked up? Also the oil in their pool is processed/refined and thin, the stuff in the ocean is much thicker. Oh well(no pun) good luck!

Hurray for Monterey Mills! Hope BP goes with your solution. Something has to be done, NOW. It has been way too long. What is BP waiting for? A miracle? I don't know, but hope Monterey Mills gets the job.