Andrew,
I'm really not bitter. I wish I could have made it to 65 but my plant is
losing 220 people within the next year. I pity the skeleton staff left that
will have to deal with the "survivor guilt" and the overload of work prior
to the inevitable final closing. I've developed a lot of close friendships
and will miss the people I've grown older with.
The "personnel director" has been a friend over the years also, he felt
extremely bad about the situation. He will ,unfortunately, have the
unpleasant task of informing many of our friends of their imminent
departure. He is well aware when all the chopping is done it will be his
turn at the guillotine.
I walked into the place a laborer, worked as a temp accounting clerk and
was hired as a construction accountant in Houston. They paid for my move to
Houston and paid me a more than fair salary for 2 1/2 years. When me ex-wife
threatened to divorce me if we didn't return to Kentucky, they found me a
lower rated position and let me go back(my expense this time).
I worked my way into an IT position 15 years ago and had a great time at
it. My boss is a cheapskate that never approved any meaningful training. If
I wanted to blame someone, he would be first in line, but it's my own fault
for not doing it on my own. The last 6 years have been a downhill slide as
all the IT functions were centralized then many ,gradually, outsourced to
outside contractors and India.
I don't feel as though I have wasted anything. I was able to raise three
children with health insurance and a decent standard of living. I was given
an opportunity to perform work that gave me a sense of accomplishment and
let me interact with people thoughout the country.
The economy in the U.S. is not doing particularly well, or for that matter
anywhere in the world at this point. Manufacturing is too costly to be done
here anymore as everyone is rushing to the developing world for cheap labor.
You can't compete with anyone if you don't match their cost structure. My
company is expanding in Turkey, Vietnam, China, and other parts east. Europe
and North America are being left to die on the vine.
If they had remained focussed on dying regions, my stock plan would be
worthless and we would have gone under long ago.
The entire company was recently sold, pending FTC approval and other
hurdles, at a premium over the stock price. I'll be gone before the deal is
finalized, but my 401K will be profitable when I can access it without
giving most of it to the taxman.
My severance package will be 2 weeks pay for every year of service. I still
have a pension which I'll have to rollover to an IRA. I get to collect
unemployment benefits.
I don't feel too bad for a un-degreed laborer who fell into a good thing!
Had I continued my non-union laboring ways I'd be out on the street with a
broken body and no savings.
I even have a bunch of OM gear to boot!
Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Fildes" <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 7:56 AM
Subject: [OM] Re: [OM][OT] Speaking of Cutoof
>
> Ah - at least it wasn't a 'Human Resources director' - those are much
> less sensitive!
> Amusing in a black way how those who demand loyalty, rarely display it.
> I think many members of this list have discovered a new direction in
> this situation.
> But the sense of betrayal and waste still hurts, does it not?
> Good luck - there's more rewarding things out there than working for
> an evil corporation.
>
> Andrew Fildes
> afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> On 05/09/2008, at 9:02 AM, Bob Docherty wrote:
>
>> I was called into the Personnel Directors' office today and told I
>> was being let go after 21 years with my company.
>
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