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Solyndra Employees Never Saw It Coming

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    Ex-employees of solar panel company at center of White House-stimulus loan scandal speak out

  • Duration 5:29
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It's been three weeks since the devastating.

In abrupt news hit 11100 employees here it's a lender in Fremont California.

That their jobs were gone.

-- health benefits their vacation pay their stock options evaporated.

In that time.

The FBI has raided the offices here as well as the homes of some of the top executives.

And now two of those executives the president Brian Harrison.

The chief financial officer bill -- refuse to testify before a house committee in Washington.

We should know what we've been here we've attempted to seek comment from the management they're now willing to taught students.

So we sit down now outside of the offices of cylinder with some of the former employees to find out from them exactly what happened.

And how you guys are faring in the fallout.

Bobby Strickland Lindsay he's -- thanks for joining me book it program.

Let's talk about.

Do you wouldn't see this having -- mean.

In your data in the factory here in this software on this.

Was there any sense that you know.

Maybe there were his problems even after you had the president is and and gotten.

Obviously -- publicized.

Cash infusion from government funds.

I didn't see coming anyway I -- -- that they saw it coming you know no one talked about noise about it are reserved for only a short time.

And I was -- I was contract and hopefully you know him.

Due to go permanent you know couple weeks after.

You know everything it happened so I didn't see me at all.

You're you're losing him to be good came through -- in -- factory did they need the new factory did well that.

I think so the problem is that when we first reached one of the first milestones I was involved in was the breakeven point move in -- one.

And once we prove that we could -- bills without venture capital money.

It seem like all you have to do is replicate that scale.

You can do that.

You know just bring -- in a little bit.

-- a profit that we could possibly make on our and so it was definitely.

Necessary that question is how it was done I think that scaling up our assumption a lot of us was that we would just simply replicate what worked.

And stamp it out until style.

And and there would be a slam dunk.

But it was.

Did you guys I spoke -- it was as though with where is the hundred and ninth employee -- So you've been there nearly from the beginning his job was essentially.

This supervisor.

Inspecting panels as it was last stop for went out the door.

He said.

-- He saw a number of panels destroyed.

Or harmed or you know discarded.

And He just spoke about waist and said -- in the new factory and then you.

Sort of phase.

They were doing things -- -- who said He estimated about a 100000 dollars today it was very concerned about that and wondered why managers work.

Up in arms about that.

Did you -- it.

History.

Software well I was -- on the factory floor software for automation and that.

I did -- damaged material but it -- kind of common and -- fact one of the reasons where -- -- automating was to reduce human handling.

Which is usually a source of damage and so that was kind of -- point of automation.

I think it's normal in the beginning that you have more damage and as you as you get more automation that's probably.

What do you make of the fact that.

You know the four bosses won't testify Washington.

I think people who were those -- let go.

And everybody else wants to know after the money wisely that you can just -- way in you know hundreds of millions of dollars -- ball.

And people want to know why.

I like you know wireless put out of a job.

I'm pretty sure they'd like to know why is -- I'm sure everybody else like to know why they're out of job in.

What happened -- the money.

-- -- -- So you think they should talk think -- should release speak.

The counter Russert took me you're just -- -- -- all -- find out what happened I wanna know why I'm behind my bills now.

Sally may wants to know why they're not gonna get there -- paint their low for this month.

And maybe for next month I'd have to tell you something Ayatollah you know I was about to drop Arnold I was -- out.

It would help wouldn't.

Americans were -- -- watch this need to know about what happened.

-- Well I think it's it's a sad statement that it's really hard to do manufacturing in the US.

And I was happy to see somebody giving it a shot and they they assured us that they were planning expansion to remain here.

So that people here in the US and California could get jobs in manufacturing which we really.

Have lost and that is to be encouraged so I hope they don't stop doing it and it doesn't mean everything's gonna you know work out.

But I hope people don't stop -- connectors it's that it's a -- believe in this country in this state that's.

And the longer -- just really bad turn.

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