in regards to condoms, not the layoffs, sad to see layoffs
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Feds Foreign Condom Buying Forces U.S. Layoffs
U.S. Doing Business With Asian, Australian Companies

POSTED: 8:06 am EST November 1, 2006

EUFAULA, Ala. -- Now even our birth control is coming from overseas.

Here's another reason to care where your condoms come from: dozens of workers in southeast Alabama will be laid off the middle of the month because imported condoms are cheaper.

The two Alatech Healthcare plants are under contract to produce condoms for a federal agency. A company official said the cutback was caused by the U.S. Agency for International Development buying more condoms from foreign firms.

The federal agency recently reduced its order of condoms from the company by 50 percent, and is now doing business with Asian and Australian-based companies.

The CEO of Alatech confirmed that approximately 150 workers will receive pink-slips, effective Nov. 15. Altech employs about 300 workers at plants in Eufaula, Ala., and Slocomb, Ala.

The two plants, which will remain open, were featured in Sunday's New York Times. The paper stated the USAID switched to foreign-based companies because of cheaper prices.

So when you unroll the ribs say "Made in China"

I guess riding the orient express is now the hip thing to do.