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Archive of Vistitors Comments We like to hear from our web site visitors. These are archived comments. We created this to help allieviate the long load time of the original comments page. Please visit our active & current comment sections:
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| Archived Comments We've Received Comment 08/28/08: Yahoo insider trading shows that Sam and Robert have cashed out about $40M in the last two weeks. It is good to be king..... http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=ibm -gadfly- Comment 08/28/08: IS THIS TRUE ??? The more people I talk with will not join the union because they are afraid that their managers are notified if they join....is this true ?? if not that needs to go on a union paper and put in break rooms -vtibmer- Alliance reply: The signup forms are union confidential. IBM managers are not allowed to see them and we certainly don't share them with the company. That notice is on updated flyers and on our web site. Spread the word! Comment 08/28/08: Boeing gives up on pension plan modifications - union victory! See what can be done! http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmpension/message/66766 -Neal Watkins- Comment 08/28/08: To -gadfly- Thats why they changed the logo for means service from the triangle to the lips from the Rolling Stones albums. Cuz IBM means LIP service. Various theme songs go along with it. HR's is "I cant get no satisfaction". Sammys is "Sympathy for the Devil." Payrolls is " You cant always get what you want." -Exodus2007- Comment 08/27/08: Found this regarding OT in NYS: Q: What are the regulations regarding overtime? A: Covered
employees who work overtime must be paid at a rate that is one and one-half
times their regular, "straight-time" hourly rate of pay. For
non-residential employees, this overtime rate applies to all time over
40 hours in a payroll week. Comment 08/27/08: EFK'd - I don't think NYS law says OT is anything over 8 in a week. I think that's in CA. I used to work as a contractor on AWS and when our agency changed hands they changed the rules on us (surprise) and got away with paying us OT for anything over 80 in 2 weeks. So we went from 36hr pay alternating with 40hr + 8hr OT pay to getting paid once every two weeks for 80hr plus 4hr OT, still working the same AWS idiocy with evenings, weekends and holidays shot to hell as bad as ever but with less pay. Same kind of crap IBM terms a "pay remix". They all do it and spin it desperately to make you see it as a godsend, somehow. They must think we can't do math. -CanDoMath- Comment 08/26/08: To -IBM_stinks- : Best of luck to you on your deployment. -Mistressofthei5- Comment 08/26/08: I will say one good thing about IBM. I am deploying with my Reserve unit for 1 year. Unlike many other employers, IBM still pays me a pay differential while deployed. So I'll be making about $1,000 extra each month while on duty. Plus I have a position held for me while I'm gone (in the midst of layoffs). So, yes, IBM stinks. But I will give credit where credit is due. Several of my fellow soldiers don't have this benefit. However, I'll probably come back from deployment only to quit IBM and find a better job elsewhere :-) -IBM_stinks- Comment 08/26/08: If you had any lingering doubt about how this company is being run....allow me to give you this example. A 31 year veteran was placed on a 90 day plan early this year for a violation of the Business Conduct Guidelines. The branch business manager sent out a note to the entire branch to defer their expenses to the next reporting period at the end of 2007 so the branch could make the fourth quarter numbers. This is a glaring violation of the BCG as well as a Federal crime. The 31 year veteran was retired in June and the branch business manager got an "IBM Means Service" award. -gadfly- Comment 08/25/08: My manager told me today that negative newpaper press articles such as pay cuts in the Mid Hudson area shouldn't be placed on a wall for others to see and should be taken down! Any comments regarding your legal right on free speech and company policy ? Also, for the record are union authorization forms keep private so IBM management is not aware of who the the person is that submitted the request form? -Not targeted- Alliance reply: Union forms are confidential. IBM will not see them. Regarding the newspaper articles: You do not have any legal right inside a comapny to put things on the wall; but if other things are allowed on the wall, the newspaper articles should be allowed too. We would suggest putting a copy of the Bill of Rights up, and see what your manager says. There have been attempts by companies to force employees to take things down. It is an ongoing battle. Comment 08/25/08: How can IBM take 4 hours from the AWS scheduled 48 hour week and put it into the 36 hour week to make 40 hours? I thought NY State law was overtime after 40 hours a week! Instead of 8 hours a month overtime shouldn't we be getting paid 36 hours straight time on one week and 8 hours overtime on the 48 hour week. Totaling 16 overtime hours overtime a month instead of the 8 we will be paid and have been paid? -EFK'ED- Comment 08/20/08: Sent in my Authorization form, spread the word to your fellow employee's. Layoffs are coming again! Don't just sit and do nothing, At least sign the form and send it in. Top brass is ruining this once great company. It's up to us to get things built back up. Employees built this company and steered the ship for many years. We gave up the helm to incompetent Captains over the past years. If were going to get canned lets make it difficult! -EFK'ED- Alliance reply: Thanks for sending the form. Mass mailings of forms, flyers, No Pay Cut bumper stickers and other info are going out to workers at EF and BTV. If you did not get a mailing send us an email at allianceibmunion@gmail.com Comment 08/19/08: To Disgused beyond beleif and LowlySA, I would challenge this to IBM legal and IBM HR if I were you. The IBM w3 site clearly states"Compensatory time off is not available as an alternative to daily or weekly overtime payments." And if your manager tries the AWS line check out the w3 about the criteria, there is a 20% premium pay for you being on this and if it exceeds 4 weeks it need upline and executive approval. -going_going_gone- Comment 08/19/08: Dear TIP, The fact that the FAB workers did not hit the Big RED off buttons and shut down the fab when they got the cuts means a lot. It shows management that the employees will do nothing to help themselves or others so management can do as they please. Our fellow workers did nothing when the IT people got a pay cut, why should they support us. We remain divided and toothless. -In Fishkill- Comment 08/18/08: Note: a discussion has started/resumed on http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmpension/message/66693 This is about the difficulty of choosing an IBM/Medicare plan. Maybe not of great interest to most on this board but it does get traffic from lots of folks. -Neal Watkins- ===============: Please see: File name = medical.txt I decided to compile all my saved messages into a single file. Many of them are from last year (2007) and are intended to show the thought process that goes into choosing your IBM/Medicare health plans. Of course, the plans keep changing but I believe the analysis process for us all will remain the same. I used one file for convenience. You can download it and pick and choose the messages that "apply" to you. Thanks again to all that contributed especially Irv for his insight. Whenever possible, I will update this file with thread numbers as more posts come in. That way the file does not keep growing. I would have liked to do this from the start but I lost the numbers... Of course, no warranty is expressed or implied....;-) It's a difficult choice as these notes show, made more so by the choice that locks you in for future events. Comment 08/17/08: I was walking down the aisle in Southbury the other day with an RS/6000 display console. Two IBM management-type "stuffed shirts" walked past me. One of them said to the other: "what's that?" the other said not so sarcastically "a boat anchor!". That's the problem with this IBM. We got naive, ignorant folks that have no real skills. They are killing this IBM. These two guys must be making six figure salaries and myself has a 15% pay cut "remix" and I'm making about half of that. Where is the justice? I'll tell you. I'm in the Alliance. Damn proud of it too! We need a union to save this IBM. Without a union this IBM is sad history! All of you that feel IBM doesn't need a union will be history soon. These stuff shirted types will make sure of it. -Southbury_guy- Comment 08/16/08: Somehow folks have the impression that a union is like a corporation. Deep pockets and unlimited staff to pay for and organize rallys and events. Folks. We the IBM workers are the staff when it comes to organizing rallys and events. The union folks can assist some but as they do not yet represent us they do not have acces to our co workers or our workplaces to do the organizing. The best we can hope for is guest speakers and brochures at a rally we organize. The deep pockets are filled with our dues. The more dues paying members the more support we can get from the union. If we expect the union to do all the heavy lifting we will never get organized. Understand this is not like two companies competeing to employ you. This is a group of people trying to assist you in organizing your current employer to get you the things you want from an employer right where you work now. When a union is voted in you will still work for IBM. But you will have a contract defining your responsibilities and your benefits so you are dealt with fairly and equitably and so you know what you need to do to remain employed . Its that simple. -Exodus 2007- Comment 08/15/08: I hope your rally is planned very soon because your window of opportunity has already passed in my eyes. I work with these people every day and everyone is back to the same routine. It is almost like people are desensitized to the whole operation. the rally should have been the very next day. -TIP- Alliance reply: Still waiting for you to contact us to volunteer to recruit your co-workers for the rally. Comment 08/14/08: Well, I guess that I had spoke too soon. Today the standby time got pulled out from under me. I will now be forced to FULLY realize my 15% pay cut. And my manager didn't even have the guts to tell me in person. He sent me an e-mail just before he left for vacation. -Lowly SA- Comment 08/14/08: IBM is a hellhole. Sign your authorization card, and let's make this place a great place to work again. We can do it. -tai mai shue- Alliance reply: Thanks for commenting on the authorization form on our front page. For now, typing in your information, and then printing, signing, and mailing the form to us; is the quickest way to increase our numbers toward a vote. Remember: You must SIGN and date the form before you mail it. You are absolutely right! We CAN DO it!! Comment 08/14/08: "This Time, wage slaves can't revolt.": http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/14/news/inflation.wages.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008081414 The last line reads:"The American worker does not have a whole lot of bargaining power right now," says Simons. "We're looking at the impoverishment of the American wage earner." -Neal Watkins- Comment 08/14/08: Conceptually, there must be some small bargaining units within IBM. Smaller than a division; smaller than a site; something down to maybe department level. Without saying where these are, perhaps someone can explain the rules for defining a bargaining unit. -Xanthippe- Alliance reply: The smaller the bargaining unit, the weaker your position in a company the size of IBM. Also, it is very likely that the small bargaining unit vote, for instance in Global Services, would have to include ALL of the division based on what we have seen in other campaigns. Precedents have been set and not in the workers favor. Comment 08/14/08: Here is an idea. The day after we all got screwed out of our AWS pay would have been a PRIME day to hold a union rally. I saw NOBODY. Now the employees are back to the same old routine. Pissed for a week and back to work. IBM knows this. Why is there no rally? -TIP- Alliance reply: A rally is being planned. With your enthusiasm; we expect you to help us with the planning and turnout. Contact us. There was nothing to stop you from gathering your co-workers together and holding one the next day if you wanted. We don't believe employees are back to their old routine this time, and the work of getting people signed up needs to continue. And you need to help with this. Comment 08/14/08: China is no longer cheap...You must read this article, especially the comments. Pay back is a b.... Well, you get the picture. http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/11/smallbusiness/china_no_longer_cheap.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2008081111 -just1waiting- Comment 08/13/08: How many more members do we need in order to have this special bargaining agreement for manufacturing and maintenance workers that just got the shaft from the AWS pay? -time2vote- Alliance reply: We can't give out that number, yet. The important thing is that we need a very strong majority of manufacturing and maintenance workers in Microelectronics to sign up with the Alliance so we can have a union vote first. Then when we win, we negotiate with IBM by law. If you haven't signed up you need to do so ASAP and get your co-workers to sign up (On your break, lunch or after shift only) It can be done online (from home) or we can mail hardcopies. Comment 08/13/08: "Alliance reply: Yes. Manufacturing workers and Maintainance workers in the Microelectronics division can have a seperate bargaining unit." Then why don't they have their own bargaining unit? All I ever read here is excuses why there isn't any union. -Bill W.- Alliance reply: Because there hasn't been a union vote yet and because not enough have signed up. It is that simple. No excuse just the facts. Comment 08/13/08: Can us Manufacturing people and those effected by the recent pay reduction organize without everyone else? Let all the managers and Engineers get out there and do the work that makes the company real green dollars. So what, send everything to China, India or some other far off land. When that's threatened maybe the 'support people' will also join in seeing as their jobs will follow the cash right to China and India. Looking for a new job! -EFK'ED- Alliance reply: Yes. Manufacturing workers and maintainance workers in the Microelectronics division can have a seperate bargaining unit. Comment 08/13/08: 545 PEOPLE By Charlie Reese Politicians
are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign
against them. Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees. We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess! Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you, though you appear to have several choices. 1. You can agree to vote against everyone that is currently in office, knowing that the process will take several years. 2. You can decide to run for office yourself and agree to do the job properly. 3. Lastly,
you can sit back and do nothing, or re-elect the current bunch. I know this really is not Union related other than we allow a handfull of " Managers" to make our lives a living hell and we do nothing about it just like we do nothing about the 545. Have we in America bacome so apathetic we do not even try to protect ourselves?? Is our willingness to accept IBM's corporate slavery just an extension of our willingness to accept Government slavery? I for one resent being taxed so my tax money can be sent to another country as aid. If I want to make a charitable contribution to feed people in another country it should be my choice, not taxed from my pocket to send overseas. We can lower oil prices very easily. Charge the appropriate amount for a bushel of wheat or corn or rice to match a barrel of oil. Betcha other nations will get tired of not eating long before we get tired of walking. The world thinks of us as suckers. We give away our food, our money, now our jobs and we line up to protest wearing fur. -Exodus2007- Comment 08/13/08: I've been freed from IBM. Pretty darn happy now I can move on. I stood up for beleiving that you can't take any more pay cuts and go with the flow while being starved of raises and a future to look foward to. I think they need to erect a statue in there of me. ;) We need more die hards like me to overthrow the communists. -fresh paint- Comment 08/12/08: Interesting article on CNN this morning about IBM and the mobility@work initiative. I am in the midst of navigating IBM's new corporate cell phone program and the crux of the issue is that IBM does NOT intend to provide me with additional functionality beyond telephony. I guess this article falls in the category of things IBM can sell, but does NOT intend to use. Here's the link.... http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/08/ibm-makes-mobile-push/ -gadfly- Comment 08/11/08: ALL of your personal data....Name, Social Security #, Birth date, Address is now residing in Manila with the new IBM payroll help desk. This is in a country with known terrorist groups working. These groups have been known to steal American identities to gain access to the United States. You ARE ALL IN SERIOUS RISK. Meanwhile ...none of the officers data was moved over there. You all should be escalating this to HR NOW! -ID Theft Coming!- Comment 08/11/08: To -Exodus2007- You know what gets taken away next? Your JOB! When are people going to wake up. Join the union. Get word out to your co-workers, build the ranks. Don't let IBM treat you (and me) like this anymore. You ask how much lower they will sink? Look at what they are doing. No one stops them, so they keep on taking. The only way it will stop is if we organize and stand up for ourselves. Until that time, we will continue to be squeezed until the last ounce is dry. Then they will toss us out in favor of workers in some foreign land. -miss understanding- Comment 08/10/08: Sam's dealing in China: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=our_ceos_their_foreign_agents -Sharecropper- Comment 08/10/08: Like -another exibmer- and so many others, I was let go a year ago after 8 years also. I was chosen because I wasn't the managers pet. I also have a new job, and my manager always thanks me for doing a good job. I've gotten more time off around holidays, bonuses at christmas, company gifts at thanksgiving, etc. Once you are out of IBM you realize that life doesn't have to be like that. You don't have to worry about your job, constantly be threatened by an idiot manager. It's better on the outside. -justanother_exibm'r- Comment 08/09/08: WOW. Can you believe the audacity of IBM thinking they can get away with cutting shift pay like that. Just because they have cut OTMIA ( the old overtime meal inconvenience allowance of $3.25 they used to pay if you worked 2 hours past your stop time.) Rotational premiums. Medical for free. Double time for Sundays. 15 percent base pay cuts for those band 8 folks . Done away with IBM Clubs. Done away with Family dinners. Done away with quarter century luncheons at 5 year intervals. And I am sure many other things I have failed to mention and still a union has not been voted in how dare they think they will get away with this also. I wonder what gets taken away next? -Exodus2007- Comment 08/07/08: You've actually met your manager and coworkers in your new company? wow! I have worked with a bunch of voices for the past 12 years. Fortunately, occassionally, a voice willl state his or her name, and eventually I can learn their accent, tone of voice, inflection, so he or she isn't completely anonymous. -wow-another exibmer- Comment 08/07/08: To Happy blue and ex-ibmer - I also worked for IBM for 8 years before being laid off. I luckily found a job at about 10% less than what I was making at IBM, but in a lower cost of living area. I now live in a medium sized town in the southwest and wouldn't even consider working for IBM again at twice the pay. I've had it with that type of management. My managers here have done something that IBM didn't do in the entire 8 years, they actually came by my office and thanked me for doing a good job. I even got a pay raise on my first evaluation. They really seem glad to have me here, unlike IBM where you are just another animal in the slaughter house and expendable. -another exibmer- Comment 08/07/08: Burlington VT plant is a friggin hell hole. We no longer make anything for IBM computers anymore. Only chips for toy games and phones. Really terrible. There is no fun in my job anymore. Everything lean six sigma. Lean this and lean that. We've been cut to the bone and there is no meat to be lean anymore. I hate my job. I hate everything about IBM. I hate what fat cat IBM executives have done to me. Sammy Palmacrapo can go to hell. -Joe B- Comment 08/06/08: Poor busy bee workers who work so hard for IBM (read the comments!!!) ->POK Journal story link -Disappointed with IBM- Comment 08/06/08: We were told yesterday that IBM is concerned that WE have been doing a poor job managing our Work Life Balance, IBM is concerned about this and if we do not immediately take steps to correct it, IBM will by instituting AWS and making Saturdays and Sundays regular work days along with 2nd and 3rd shift. No mention was made that this is a veiled effort to curtail OT work, the manager told us he was barred from mentioning those three words, that everyone knew this was refering too. So now we are to push back to customers, accept that if we have to apply security patches to servers on Saturday and Sundays that we will be working the entire day as a regular day or take a similar number of hours off on another day. What a joke this company has become, taking millions in tax incentives from our states, selling off jobs to any country that wants them. Bottom line if the job you are doing is being done remotely, then it can be done from anywhere in the world. And it will be gone soon. -Soon To Be Gone IBMer- Comment 08/06/08: AWS pay CUT at IBM semiconductor plants. http://www.manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=165384 -pissed- Comment 08/06/08: Think it can't happen again, then read this: IBM to cut pay for some workers http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/08/06/ibm_to_cut_pay_for_some_workers?mode=PF -MyThoughts- Comment 08/06/08: Shift premium to be eliminated for Burlington manufacturing employees: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/NEWS01/80805029 -a- Comment 08/06/08: I have been hearing rumors that something is brewing in the microelectronics division again. Today one of my friends there told me that he had lost his AWS pay. Has anyone else been told about losing AWS or any other pay related stipend? The posting from Disgusted beyond belief on 8/4 has me a little concerned. I am a field service rep and am on standby once a week and also 5 days straight during my once every four week rotation. I'm sure I'd walk out the door if they took that away from me. -Fed Up- Alliance reply: Why not walk in the door wearing an Alliance@IBM T-shirt? Join us and get others to join. Fight back! Comment 08/06/08: Disgusted beyond belief, our manager gave us pretty much the same news as well today. The big exception was that our standby time was not eliminated. Since my entire (original) team was outsourced, I am the only one left on my account, and I'm on hotpager at all times, so maybe that is why they are letting me keep the standby time. But this is going to make it impossible to make plans for anything. But, as long as I get to choose which days I have off, I think I'll be choosing the days with the most meetings and conference calls. So if it seems that I have to cancel my call with you every week, you'll know why! (Don't know how long it will be before I have to get approval for which days I take off) We are now expected to work 0 overtime, unless paged out for a SEV1 issue, or to work on a specific project with a deadline that is drawing very near. -LowlySA- Comment 08/06/08: Happy Blue, I was employed by IBM for 12 years. I started in 1996 and from 1996 - 2001 I got ALL 2 RATINGS on my PBC I worked in IN my first 7 on a commercial account with managers who had 25 plus years of service with IBM and knew how to respect their employees. I moved to VT in 2001 and my 1st 4 years were fine. Then I ran into 2 first time women mgrs. who were totally worthless. All they cared about was climbing the corp. ladder. I got my 1st 3 PBC rating in 2006 from my 1st women mgr. and I got a 2 rating in 2007. I switched jobs 6/07 and by Nov. by 2nd women mgr. said I wasn't doing good and I would be getting a 3 and had to find a job at the end of 07 or I would get offered a perf. package. I showed her the PBC web page which clearly states you have to have 2 3 ratings to get let go and her HR person( who by the way is a CONTRACTOR) NOT EVEN AN IBM'er told her she could do it. I worked with the HR Tech. Lead in Burlington and she wanted me to file an appeal because she totally disagreed with my mgr. and the other HR person. At that point I didn't want to lose my measly 13 weeks sev. so I found another job paying 40% less. I called my old mgr. in IN who now has about 40 years of service and he convinced me to contact HR in Armonk the day I left before 5. I worked with a women there for about 3 months and I sent her over 10 pages of documentation on my mgr. and even told her I talked with the person who said they were getting hired and they still sided with her. I taked to a lawyer and he said I had a case but then again you know the IBM rule - you go to a lawyer you lose your severance. I am ok with it all now. I feel very bad every time I read another article in the newspaper or see something on the news about how IBM is totally screwing the employees in Burlington. My advice to anyone there who has there 30 years and can retire is to hit the door running and don't look back. You can always get a part time job if you are bored. My mgmt. at the hospital is absolutely wonderful and I wouldn't take a job back if they offered me more money. -ex-ibmer- Comment 08/05/08: SSR's, AKA C.E.s have been on call 24 x7 their entire careers. It sounds like they are setting up the scenario of no shift personnel scheduled and everything will be handled with callouts. But no overtime and your SDO will depend on if the managers pet took a callout because he or she will get the choice of what day, usually a friday for a three day weekend and the rest get whatever day they can squeeze in. Standby, callouts, overtime, rights of refusal are all things defined in a union contract. One of my accounts was Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point and their contract called for overtime to be offered by seniority. Meaning senior, more expensive men had first shot at the overtime. It helped keep proper staffing on shifts as the company could not force all the overtime onto the cheaper younger workers and run them into the ground. I used to scoff at some of the union rules like that but as IBM became employee vicious it suddenly seemed a pretty damn good idea. It would amaze you the depth of things like this a union can define in a contract for YOUR protection and benefit. A union contract can specify say 50 dollars per month for every year of service, Doesn't sound like much but 30 years would give you 18000 per year pension. not a fortune but nice to have. Things like this we have allowed to slip past us somehow waiting for the CEO in shining armor to come to our rescue and restore our past benefits. Folks it just is not going to happen. We have to be our own hero's and stand up for ourselves. No one who supports unionizing is looking to bankrupt the company. We are just looking to be treated fairly in salary, benefits, retirements and work hours. At what point in America did indentured servitude come back into style? When IBM bullies you and tells you're lucky you have a job, they are basically saying they OWN you. Vote for freedom today. Join the CWA. -Exodus2007- Comment 08/05/08: Our dept was just told today along with all other AWS workers that the AWS pay will be eliminated Jan 2009. They bumped base slightly to seem less painful. What a freaking joke. -Ticked OFF- Comment 08/05/08: Group Files Suit to Halt State's Grants to Businesses. I saw the link to this story on the Yahoo site for IBM employees. http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/407026.html http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmemployeeissues/message/10318 It will be interesting to see how the recently inked IBM/NY deal at the link below will be affected. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121615857518656061.html?mod=googlenews_wsj -a- Comment 08/05/08: I was watching CNBC today and they had some Airlines people on talking about the changes being made for a airline passengers. They now charge for food, beverages, pillows, blankets, extra bags...just about everything. One of the Airline's PR guys said that this is to be expected; after all, Greyhound charges for food, beverages, and other amenities as well as Amtrak and the rest of the Railroad industry. His point was that the airlines "gave" these things away free, in the past, to attract customers to fly. Now the air lines don't need to do that, because of the high demand for air travel. It sounded to me like just another argument against "entitlements". This is the argument that big business has been making for some time. And they have been taking away "entitlements" from their employees since the 1990's or before. So I guess that means we should all stop flying, stop buying gas, stop living like the spoiled Americans that we are...right? We shouldn't expect good wages, or any pensions, medical coverage, or vacation, sick leave, or anything that we USED to get to attract us to working for companies like IBM...right? I mean, we have a lot of gall, don't we? Well..if everyone really DID stop being the 'over consuming' consumer then business would begin to fail rapidly. Millions of jobs would be lost. The economy would tank at record speed....And lo and behold, business would again start marketing and trying to attract customers all over again... Maybe I've oversimplified this; but it sure seems like this is the part of the cycle that we're in right now. -Just thinkin- Comment 08/05/08: Yes, Management today told employee's at the East Fishkill and its Albany NY project that the AWS work pay salary will be eliminated. Meaning up to a 18% reduction in salary. Working 10 hour days and not getting paid a premium for it .. Management has told their people to keep this information internal before decision is formalized . -Another pay cut- Comment 08/04/08: My dept. was told today that standby pay has been eliminated and that overtime must average 5 hours/employee per week WITHIN THE DEPT. That does NOT mean, however, that all employees will get 5 hours of overtime. If one dept. member has to work 10 hours of overtime, then that's 5 hours less that are available to others. All overtime must be pre-approved. If you have to work overtime on Saturday or Sunday, then that becomes your "workday" and you take another day off during the week. For example....you submit a request for 4 hours of overtime to apply some security patches. Someone has a sev 1 that requires them to work an extra 4 hours, so your 4 hours of overtime is eliminated. Managers have to juggle this day to day, making decisions about who gets overtime and how much. My manager explained to us that if they don't meet their requirements, an RCA is opened and they have to answer to senior management about why. BFD. Like I give damn that he has to answer to senior management. This applies even if you're on call. If you 're on call and get paged on Saturday or Sunday then it 's expected that you will now work 8 hours that day(s) to officially make it a work day, and you'll take days off during the week. Which means, of course, that when you're on call, you can't plan anything since you have no idea what days off you'll have. I'm on call EVERY OTHER WEEK!!! So week to week I'll have no idea what days off I might have. Want to go to that barbecue Saturday? Nah, forget it....you got paged at 6am, so now your ass is working until 2pm. They weaseled around the standby pay because the law says you have to pay standby pay if employees are required to respond to a call within one hour. IBM says that there are "no financial penalties" to IBM if we don't respond within an hour, so therefore, we aren't officially REQUIRED to respond within that hour. The contract I work on states that response time is 15 minutes for all severities. Calling the help desk and opening the ticket constitutes "response within 15 minutes", so that's how they get around that, the bastards. However, we're still expected to meet the SLA's (4 hours resolution for sev 1, for instance). I didn't know I had it in me to be this angry. I'm interested to know if/when others get this news. -Disgusted beyond belief- Comment 08/04/08: to ex-ibmer- burlington is on its way out....just read the writings on the wall forcing the TOYOTA WAY, 5s & LEAN down our throats ! we are sinking slowly be glad your out management here is a joke -vtibmer- Comment 08/04/08: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121761989739205497.html -Anonymous- Comment 08/04/08: Think about HR with this analogy. You want to buy a house, the listing realtor (although nice and friendly) tells you that they are working for the seller. HR works for the seller. -a resource- Comment 08/03/08: Thanks! This is some great info that is getting out now. I appreciate the note you posted from Anonymous regarding the Free Choice Act. I had not realized there were such anti-union folks trying to permeate the board. It's good to hear their side too, since it allows us to make better informed choices! -miss understanding- Alliance reply: We get a few of these kinds of comments, from time to time; but we don't post them all because they are not members and don't ever plan to be. In most cases the comments are either flagrant union busting or just anti-union employees that will never join a union. That's their choice, and we respect that; however, it is apparent by their comments that they don't respect us or our right to form and/or join a union. Every once in a while though, these kinds of comments need to be put here for the same reason that you already mentioned. Comment 08/03/08: It amazes me that anyone in this day and age would believe that IBM's Human Resources Department could do anything BUT back IBM's position. This is no longer a company where respect for the individual is part of its motto; where an IBM club exists and is funded to plan fun family events to make employees and their families happy to be part of the big blue family. There is no protection within IBM anymore. Any wink and nod agreement with a manager is not worth the paper it was not written on. How can you do financial planning not knowing what your raise will be, or your performance bonus, or if your pay will be cut with a reclassification. How can you go into a long term debt like a mortgage not knowing if you will get a new boss who dislikes you in a few years who will trump up a case to surplus you and you have no where to turn for help defending yourself. A union contract will not only define raises, pensions,benefits but also how layoffs will be administered, how seniority will be defined, How training will be allocated, how performance measurements will be administered. How can this leveling of the playing field be detrimental to employees? In many unions training becomes the union's problem. Unions run schools for members in most trades. The companies define the skills they want and need. The union trains its members to fill those needs. Sounds like a win win scenario to me as cost of training is one of the things IBM whines about. As the few folks left, who are hanging on just to get to their frozen pensions leave; the rest better look long and hard at what the future holds for your own retirements and lifestyles. A union really is the only sane answer. You cannot spend potential earnings. You cannot save potential earnings. You cannot budget with inflation running rampant and no cost of living raises. Its survival time. Join the Union. -Exodus2007- Alliance reply: Thank you, Exodus2007, for saying what we have been saying from the beginning. The only additional point that we continue to make is that joining the union is the first step. Organizing co-workers and taking the time to talk with them about what they can expect from a union contract versus what IBM tries to scare them into thinking, is the next step. Organizing is the best weapon against the vitriolic venom that is released, like a deluge, on IBM employees every time the subject comes up. It's called union busting; and it will rear its ugly face to IBM employees, sooner or later. Organizing helps to inoculate employees against the company's tactics...and IBM has more than a bag full... You can be sure of that. Thank you for continuing to help Alliance@IBM get the word out; and continuing to organize outside of the company. Your help is greatly appreciated. Comment 08/03/08: Why don't you provide details about that "Employee Free Choice Act" that the union crooks and the Democrats are proposing. Nothing like eliminating the secret ballot during unionization drives. What will be next? Eliminating the secret ballot in our election process so the Democrats and the union flunkies can make sure you don't cast your vote the wrong way? Unions are outdated and hurt workers. All that unions do in this day and age is shill for the Democrats. I'm not buying the manure that you guys are selling. -Anonymous- Alliance reply: Your post is pretty harsh. Even so, you are misinformed about some facts. First, the Employee Free Choice Act legislation reveals that the bill does NOT eliminate secret ballot elections. The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers the chance to choose their union formation process; using either elections or majority sign-up. Second, Union Elections are NOT equal to Federal elections. Here's an example:
You have been misinformed and are simply trying to misinform visitors to this board. We chose to print your one post, because the members need to see what kind of misinformation, venom, and hatred is out there being used to scare people away from speaking up and standing up; if they want to form and/or join a union. Unions don't hurt workers, corporations like IBM do that, quite efficiently. The evidence of that, is here on our comments sections, very clearly, for all to see. Comment 08/01/08: re/Happy Blue quote "Also HR should be on the employee side; but I have usually found the employee did not have any or sufficent documentation." - HR and the manager attacking the employee don't want the employee to have sufficient documentation. All they do a good portion of their day is assemble libel against the targeted employee. The employee meanwhile has to do their job all day keeping customers happy. If the employee wants to fight back they have to prepare it in the evenings on their own time; they simply don't have the multiple headcount resources that IBM is using against them. No matter how much documentation an employee has, HR and the attacking manager will claim it's not sufficient and that they have more. -just the fax- Comment 08/01/08: ex-ibmer: I won't BS you here, but I would need some more info on what happened. How long had you been employed by IBM and how were your last PBC ratings. Usually a manager will rank their employees and look at the bottom 5%. Those employee's will be considered for a PBC 3 with the bottom 3% targeted for MIS. Also I see there was a posting of the famous PBC 2 managed out of the business presentation. This is a throw back to the Jack Walsh management style of always turning over the bottom performers and backfilling with new of higher performing people. So I am thinking that you were a target and this manager had a person she knew that she thought was a better asset to the department. Based on that the tactic was to let you dig your own grave so that she could get rid of you without an HR issue. Also HR should be on the employee side; but I have usually found the employee did not have any or sufficent documentation. Usually a manager starts documentation on an employee starting after the PBC. Most have a track record on how you performed and whether you were a team player. So thats a broad view of what you asked but as I said without specific's it's hard to tell why you were pushed out. Good luck with your new job. -Happy Blue- Alliance reply: It may be fair to say that HR is 'rarely' on the employee's side when it comes to anything involving job loss. HR's job is to control human resources in favor of the company's interest... not the employee. That's why a union contract precisely DOES favor the employee thereby leveling and balancing workplace issues such as job cuts, etc. Comment 08/01/08: This article pertains to WAL-Marts dim view of the Employee Free Choice Act. If this bill were to pass, would it affect IBM? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news -miss understanding- Alliance reply: If the EFCA passes, it will help to encourage growth in union membership and make it easier to join a union by alleviating the fear of reprisal and harassment that companies now practice to bust unions (see these videos) and scare their employees. All companies practicing fear tactics and illegal harassment will be affected by the passage of the EFCA. The EFCA is not, however, a silver bullet. Employees wanting to form a union; still need to organize and stand strong. The NLRB needs to be balanced and not weighted in favor of business.. this is controlled by the "sitting" President of the US. The US courts need judges that are not indirectly rewarded for ruling, on NLRB appeals, in favor of business. The EFCA contributes to a level playing field; but it is not a total leveler in and of itself. YOU still need to organize. Comment 08/01/08: Just to clear the air here, I believe ALL managers in IBM US know of the Alliance web site but usually don't look into it. From my understanding most of the 1st &2nd levels don't feel a need to . I do believe it is looked at buy some of the Sr. levels staff grunts but only to see what is being said. There does not seem to be a concern based on the low responce of the employee's to join. So my net is it is not being taken serious . The show at the stock holders meeting was not even recognized by the management team and the corp. exec's. Most of the fliers dissapear from the cafe tables and people who try to promote either the union or web site are watched. Both HR and the IBM labor folks always look into this just to keep a pulse on different topics. Also based on casual discussions I have had or heard there are a very small % of employees that even consider or mention a union. I never had a need to look at this site while employed but took a quick look after I left. Just a point of view here but based on the negative comments expressed by people here the management team considers the comments coming from poor or marginal performers. Don't shoot me for the comments. I am just giving you the thought process of the management team. I can only offer the point of view from the management position. You should also remember that due to the dual ladder opportunity in IBM any employee has the capability to become a manager. That still has been a positive force in hiring the college group. I'll share my knowledge; but based on my plans for down time I will not be on the site much. I have been out for a month and still get calls from my past employees. The difficult part is not getting a few hundred emails a day. -Happy Blue- Alliance reply: "IBM labor folks" a euphemism for paid union busters (see these videos). Comment 07/31/08: Happy Blue, I have a question for you. I was let go in January because my manager wanted to hire her friend from another dept. I worked with HR in Armonk to try to fight it. If HR is suppose to support their employees why do they always side with mgmt? I called her friend my last day with IBM and he even admitted to me she told him there was going to be an opening in our dept. even when there were no postings. Then she told me after only 6 months on the job I didn't fit in. She wasn't even willing to work with me on a performance plan? Typically mgmt. B.S. at IBM. Things worked out for me. Even though I took at 40% cut in pay I have no stress and don't have to deal with the worthless managers at Burlington anymore! -ex-ibmer- Comment 07/30/08: We the people have been sold the stupid pill via many sources. For example, we were told it was an advantage for our children to travel to other countries. So, we sent them off to show shoes, ...gadgets, to the world. The smiling Americans.. It was all a ploy to help corporations enter foreign markets. It was printed right in one of my text books for International Business. The Gov put the requirement on colleges and we packed their bags (made sure the tooth retainer was included) and sent them off. Wake up people, and join this union. Funny thing; the news has very little coverage on WTO. Since 1990 the only thing that has increased in those developing countries has been population. Meanwhile we have been sold the "idea" of sharing the wealth. -skiprock- Comment 07/30/08: j. ditoro agrees to a free press interview it did not make me feel any better about keeping my job much longer we lost two more in wafer test on tuesday...dead slow here..probably have to move to ny someday to keep a job -vtibmer- Comment 07/30/08: uberunion, Lou Dobbs covered this topic tonight. His take was more ominous. The meetings are secretive and what was VERY nearly traded was more access to global markets at the expense of more US jobs. They were negotiating US immigration deals. Who freakin' gave the WTO that authority? -NewsKeepsGettingWorse- Comment 07/29/08: Check this story out: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080729/wto_trade_talks.html Guess things ain't working out so well for the "Globalists" eh? This would be a good time to accelerate the organizing efforts within IBM. At least consider; that if the the old 'pendulum swings', that it would be an advantage to have a union contract negotiated, when the chickens come home to roost....possible? -uberunion- Comment 07/27/08: Happy Blue: Yes, please join us. Join the Alliance with us. $5 or $10 a month is that too much to ask? -anonymous- Comment 07/24/08: I agree with anonymous - Don't pick on Happy Blue. It's always great to see another convert. Perhaps he can help when it comes to clarifying what IBM is really up to and what mgmt is thinking. I'd like to welcome Happy Blue. -miss understanding- Alliance reply: We agree that it is good to see someone join our comments section. That doesn't mean they will be joining Alliance@IBM. We hope they do. However, we receive posts from many anti-union points of view, as well. Sometimes those views are not printable, for many reasons; one of which is libel. We welcome any non-management IBM employee, IBM retiree, contractor or former IBM employee to comment here and to join our discussions as well as become a dues paying member. We will not reveal who our members names are; nor reveal their email addresses or any other personal information without their expressed written consent. We welcome "Happy Blue"'s contribution. Comment 07/23/08: why pick on -Happy Blue- now? This site is open to ex-managers, just not current IBM managers. Ex-managers who have no "hring or firing" duties can join the Alliance and we should welcome them. -anonymous- Comment 07/23/08: HAPPYBLUE- "Just found this site after leaving IBM in June. I had 39 years and the last 15 in management. " You JUST found this site after 39 years with IBM? You must have just started using a computer, too. Typical IBM manager. -anon- Comment 07/23/08: Thanks for links on landed resources, but these really are not saying much. Understood Global Resources and India are involved. Not clear is if they are visa holders like L1 and H1B or also permanent residents, etc. -anonymous- Comment 07/23/08: I was a lucky winner, and was asked to participate in the current Pulse Survey. Needless to say, in light of the pension freeze, FHA boondoggle, 15 percent pay cut, zero raise (as opposed to the ridiculous perks our executives receive), and the constant Resource Actions we endure, I had no choice but to flat line my response at Very Dissatisfied. -IBM Slave- Comment 07/23/08: "Landed Resources" go here ... http://www.slideshare.net/ChrisE/world-and-business-technology-outlook-in-2015/ and then go to slide #15 -Google for answers- Comment 07/22/08: -Mistressofthei5- If you bought them as part of the employee stock purchase plan Computershare (formerly called EquiServe) is the transfer agent for IBM stock. Contact them: http://www.equiserve.com/ -sby_willie- Comment 07/22/08: Anon RE: Landed Resources. You have likely found your answer by now. If not: http://www.ebizvitals.com/cms/content/indian-%2526%2523039%3Blanded-resources%2526%2523039%3B-phenomenon Never good news.-BlueBlows- Comment 07/22/08: Mistressofthei5 - You can manage your ESPP shares at the Computershare web site. https://www-us.computershare.com/Employee/Login/CompanyIntroduction.aspx?lang=en&issuerid=SCUSIBM&cc=US You can sell them and have the check mailed to you. I would recommend that you DO NOT use the "Batch" option (I forget exactly what they call it). It basically means they'll wait to sell your shares until they can bundle them with shares from other employees. This will often mean that YOU don't get the best price. -joseywales- Comment 07/22/08: To: Mistressofthei5 - Let me teach you how to dispose the IBM stocks you don't want to own - donate them to a charity or simply throw them into trash can. -Charity- Comment 07/22/08: Mistressofthei5, you need to go here to sell your stocks from ESPP. https://www-us.computershare.com/Employee/Login/CompanyIntroduction.aspx -anon- Comment 07/22/08: LANDED resource by definition is IBM Global Services India, AMS Software Export (IGSI) that are physically located in the United States. So not only are our jobs being shipped off, but now we are being replaced by India staff in the US. -anon- Comment 07/22/08: HAPPYBLUE..You sound like a Manager that has done awful things to his employees.You are HAPPY that you can afford to retire after probably giving the shaft to your Employees.This sight is for workers not Management or Ex-Management..Go find a place that will accept You... -Anonibm- Comment 07/22/08: Does this mean that out of the ~350,000 employees at IBM world wide, the Alliance would need 210,000 members? With 400 members, this would mean 209,600 members shy??? -re-anon- Alliance reply: Not world wide, no. The United States only. IBM has had unions and works councils in Europe and Japan for many years. They continue to negotiate and win bargaining decisions for their union members. Alliance@IBM wants, at least, the same bargaining capability as they have. The Employee Free Choice Act, if passed, would help reduce the fear that many workers have about joining a union. Sign the petition! Comment 07/22/08: I'm sorry for this tangent of a question, but can someone tell me how I can dump the few shares of IBM stock I own? Several years ago, I joined their employee stock purchase plan and accumulated just a few shares (maybe 18.5) before I bailed out. I'd rather throw my money elsewhere. I still have these stocks and I cannot own them anymore. I get physically ill whenever my teensy-little dividend check comes in. I'd rather just dump them and not be part of this problem. I can't reconcile in myself the fact that I am an "owner" of a tiny little piece of this Godforsaken company that I so detest. Can someone provide this stock novice with some guidance? Thanks! I apologize for interrupting this website, but I don't know who else to ask. -Mistressofthei5- Comment 07/21/08: Help me out here. What does IBM mean by "landed resources"? I'm guessing that means foreigners under the h-1b or L1 visas only that work here, or is it also or only green card permanent workers? I saw an IBM document that says the target percent to achieve for domestic workers is 10-20% (the remaining being GR global resources), and that if 20%, then it is 15% landed resources and 5% domestic. Can you tell me specifically what it does mean and not a guess? -Anonymous- Comment 07/21/08: How many members does the Alliance have? When can action (voting) take place? I've been contemplating on joining and have been a subscriber for some time now. When can we hope for action. I've got almost 10 years total with IBM, 3 as a contractor and I'm so sad how this company, that I wanted to retire from, is just letting me and everyone I work with down with what seems like no hope for a future at all. -anon- Alliance reply: We have about 6,000 total members and subscribers. Of that total, about 400 are dues paying members. The number fluctuates with each passing job cut that IBM initiates, and each IBM employee that quits and leaves. Action or voting will take place when we have the numbers of signed cards that designate Alliance@IBM CWA as their collective bargaining representative. We will then contact the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) and file for an election. In order to get approval from the NLRB, we need a MINIMUM of 30% of the employees to sign cards. It's the law. Generally, CWA and most other unions do not request an election until they have 60% signed cards. The only way to get those numbers is for YOU to organize your co-workers, and get them to organize other IBM employees. The Action of the subscribers and members is what must take place. The union is made up of employees like you. Help grow the membership and organize. If you do nothing, nothing will change that 'future' you mentioned. Join The Alliance as a member! Comment 07/20/08: Just found this site after leaving IBM in June. I had 39 years and the last 15 in management. I have had a great career and felt it was time to move on. Hopefully I can contribute to some of the questions and concerns raised on this site. Being on a PBC 1 my management was surprised that I would leave. I just felt it was time after I put together the last ranking. I guess I was just tired or burned out with the process, but now I don't have to worry about that and look forward to a good retirement. Thanks -Happy Blue- Comment 07/20/08: This article describes exactly what IBM did - delibrately spread rumors misleading employees about the state of the business in May and June to justify poor 2008 raises. Either IBM management has no understanding of the state of the business or it was a delibrate attempt to mislead employees prior to announcing extraordinary earnings. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/weekinreview/20glater.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=whispering+with+intent&st=nyt&oref=slogin It would be interesting to know if employees cashed out options or changed their Employee Stock Purchase Plan selection based upon their managers telling them that IBM's outlook for 2008 was dismal. It just seems incredible to me that IBM could tell 2 different sets of stockholders (employees and the street) such different information one month apart. I would think the SEC should investigate why IBM delibrately mislead their employee stockholders. Other views? -Anonymous- Comment 07/19/08: what will the deal with ibm & new york mean for ibm here in vt ??? rumors already started -ibmer burlington- Comment 07/18/08: Gadfly - You got 2%? Consider yourself in the top 10% of all employees. Most received 1% or nothing at all. -miss understanding- Comment 07/18/08: I guess everyone saw SJP's communication. Here it is on CNN: http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/17/technology/IBM_earns.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008071717 I certainly am feeling a lot better about my 2% raise! Can anybody tell me why we have not unionized this company? I am so disgusted I could spit.... -gadfly- Comment 07/18/08: This email was received today from IBM HR. Maybe you can show low salaried college students what a bright future they have at IBM - resource actions and no jobs for those of us left at the job posting websites. When they get a little older, if hired by IBM, they will have all our fun of fearing job loss to those younger and cheaper. So take the following challenge: Are you a fan of YouTube? Want to show your creative side and make an impact on the next generation of GBS consultants? Take the 2008 Video Challenge for GBS. Our University Recruiting team is challenging you (GBS Consultants) to use your creativity to show college students nationwide what it’s like to be a consultant at IBM. Explain in a two to five minute video the benefits of an IBM consulting career and why college candidates should join GBS. Selected videos will be showcased in college recruiting this fall to help attract the best and brightest on campus. Winners will also be awarded great prizes: 1st prize winner receives a $3000 cash reward 2nd prize winner receives a $2000 cash reward 3rd prize winner receives a $1000 cash reward Just post your video on YouTube, using private group name, "IBM Recruiting Challenge Group" from now until August 31, 2008. Winners will be announced on September 15, 2008. Get the complete details on the GBS U.S. Video Challenge 2008 and enter your video! For more information, please contact Shae Moore. -anonymous- Comment 07/15/08: NYS can afford $140,000,000 for IBM so: http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=703541 Gov. Paterson: can you give me a grant as a NY state taxpayer so I can stay and work in NY? I'm not asking nearly as much as IBM: just something resembling a raise or cost of living increase that I didn't get from IBM this year. -anonymous- Comment 07/15/08: MR IBM what is the page? -anotherIBMserial#- Comment 07/14/08: CHECK OUT MY PAGE, PROMOTE IT BROTHER -MR IBM- Alliance reply: Please contact us here: Contact Us We need to know more information, before we print your link. Comment 07/08/08: Have those of you in IGS noticed the new industry buzzword and IBM"programe de jour"? It's ITIL! (Info Technology Infastructure Library) Interestingly enough, IGS management is using the same lame excuses to gain employee buy in that they used for ISO 9000. You know, "ITIL conformance is required on 85% of new contracts, competitor's are leveraging it" blah blah blah! ITIL SCHMITIL!! No raise, no ITIL! And whatever happened to ISO?? When was the last time you had a dept meeting where THAT was a topic of discussion?? Same thing will happen with ITL because the managment lemmings will buy some other phony program from some other think tank. What a joke. -Da Catboid- Comment 07/08/08: Re: sell IBM, Look at the prices they sold their stocks for? $128, $127, $125? I would be nervous if they sold at $90 - $110, but not at the prices listed. Insider trading? Probably. But either way, you have to sell IBM at anything over $120. Any $1 over $120 is just an added bonus. It may go back down around $110 within the next 2 months, but that's the market and can be predicted by anyone. I don't blame anyone who is selling IBM right now, because it is one of the few stocks that is still doing half-way decent. All the other stocks in my 401 took a dive over the past year except for IBM. I'll probably sell mine too tomorrow when we get up to $124. -Ben- Comment 07/07/08: Gadfly: Excellent post!! A very long time ago,(during IBM's heyday of downsizing in the early 1990's) I was watching CNBC, and I saw some talking head who said "When are America's CEO's going to get the fact that they cant save their way to a profit? A company can only grow by selling more of its goods and services." I have 50 bucks that says that talking head wasn't a Harvard MBA. Couldn't have been. All that statement was, was good old common sense. Seems to me there's a shortage of that in the IBM executive ranks these days -Da Catboid- Comment 07/06/08: i never hear how close ibm is, to going union. i have also been told, ibm burlington has very few paid union members. -ibmvt- Alliance reply: While it is true there are not many dues paying Members we do have a few hundred supporters who have joined. Be aware that we need a strong majority of manufacturing and facilities employees to join the Alliance as either a member or supporter before we can petition the Labor Board for an election. Just because there is a strong sentiment for "going Union" doesn't make it happen. There is a procees that must be followed. Have you joined yet? Comment 07/06/08: I'm no inisider but in my honest opinion I would sell IBM stock now. My reason? Look at the Yahoo IBM inisider site. The IBM execs and officers are cashing out like mad now. Obviously they know to take their money or invest their money elsewhere and that is not in IBM! No real stock buying going on it appears just cashing out of options fueled obviously by billion and billions in absurd stock buybacks. -sell IBM- Comment 07/06/08: -ID theft coming- Yeah, you are right on! Me not surprised they did it. We aren't employees or even people in IBM eyes anymore: just resources. Oh but the executives? They are still employees and RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL still applies to them only. So they don't care one IOTA about your identity since in their eyes you have none! IBM would have common crooks and thieves do Payroll now if IBM can save more cash by paying them. Heck, they don't give out any raises anymore which saves them more cash and they could use the money saved to pay the crooks nicely :) -Identity-By-Manila- Comment 07/05/08: the day beamers get the balls to stand up for what is right.... this is what got you the "rights" you now ....enjoy... Hi Kitty .... -Ich Bin Mueder- http://members.tripod.com/~RedRobin2/index-29.html http://www.du.edu/anthro/ludlow/cfphoto.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rockefellers/sfeature/sf_8.html
Comment 07/04/08: Here's a great link that gives a few of the "unintended" consequences of frequent layoffs and downsizing....Wonder if the brain trust in Armonk has discovered any of this yet. And if not, why are they getting the big pay check? http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-208899.html -gadfly- Comment 07/04/08: Hey IBMer's...did you know that all your personal data...(Name, Social security #, Birthdate, address) is now residing in Manila. Call the Payroll help desk and see for yourself. By the way; none of the top execs had their data moved. -ID theft coming- Comment 07/03/08: German teddy bear firm brings production back from China http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2008-07-02-steiff-china-production_N.htm -China mfg unbearable- Comment 07/03/08: WOW - what a surprise! State workers didn't want to xfer to IBM and lose their benefits. How selfish! -Neal Watkins- Comment 07/03/08: AUSTIN -- Challenges such as the difficulty in obtaining seasoned state workers and high turnover among IBM employees are slowing an $863 million state of Texas-IBM project, the state auditor said in a report released Wednesday. http://www.star-telegram.com/448/story/739339.html -marbles- Comment 07/03/08: re: "Corporate Knights". There are several "red flags": 1. The newpaper company is moving to a new "web site" - I wonder who provides it? 2. The newspaper is very much founded and run by Eastern Europeans and has an offshore, internationalist and green agendas. The education issue front cover appears to have Che Guevarra with a graduation mortarboard on! I am checking on the advertising flow from IBM and partners. I did notice, however that one of the key indicators was: "Labour Relations — A company receives a score in this category if a significant portion of their employees have a collective bargaining agreement or if no worker strife (not including work stoppages) has been documented in media reports over the past year. Rationale: Companies that have cordial labour relations tend to perform better." Maybe the Alliance ought to be writing to the newspaper editorial board? -a- Comment 07/02/08: Would you believe that, with criteria that include pensions (okay, pension funding) and CEO pay, that IBM was named by "Corporate Knights" as the top corporate citizen in Canada for 2008? http://tinyurl.com/3znnn8 -Finite- Comment 07/01/08: The move from work at home back to the office issue is possibly because IBM has all this vacant office space they are still paying for so they want to utilize as best they can while they still have it. If it entices USA resources (we used to be called employees) to quit then that saves IBM more bucks and helps their profits and the executive stock options to become more lucrative. Try asking IBM what their plan is. I'm sure they'll be straight with you! LOL -IBM workabee- Comment 06/30/08: Do you believe these Bozo's? Unbelievable. "Operating a business ethically and environmentally is not only a requirement today, but also an opportunity -- companies that demonstrate they adhere to the highest societal expectations of conduct have a significant advantage in attracting consumers, investors and talent," said George Pohle, IBM vice president and global leader for business strategy consulting. http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080630/0411787.html -John- Comment 06/30/08: To Boo....I have heard the same thing regarding co-location. I work in IGS, and all of Jackie's group was destined to be co-located to Boulder during the 1st phase of LEAN. Mgmt changed their minds after they ran the stats and found too many of the employees who were (at that time) critical to the needs of the business would not relocate, but rather find different employment. As it was, we lost a boatload of good skilled people after LEAN. In a way it was a good thing because after all the good folks left, we were under headcount, and mgmt no longer needed to lay folks off. This year may be a different story.. We are losing accounts due to LEAN. Customers are NOT happy. -miss understanding- Comment 06/29/08: Work at Home Boy: I haven't heard that specifically, but this might be what you're referring to... A GDF (Global Delivery Framework) operation was set up in Fishkill for systems administrators for a bunch of accounts...IBM Internal, as well as some commercial accounts. Sys admins from Poughkeepsie, Southbury, Watson and Fishkill have been "co-located" to Fishkill. It's essentially a LEAN operation, where system administrators are herded into a help desk environment instead of handling their own accounts from start to finish. All work has to be ticketed and put into a queue, then dispatched to a pool of sys admins, etc. ...you get the picture. It's infuriating and degrading. As an added bonus, employees are required to be in the office from 8:30-5:15 Monday through Friday. No working from home. So, on the heels of our 15% pay cut and gas at $4.25/gallon, IBM decides that everyone has to drive to the office every day. Fishkill is 20 miles south of Poughkeepsie, so an employee who lived north of Poughkeepsie is now commuting an extra 40 miles/day, five days a week. There is no mileage allowance....your office has been moved to Fishkill. Period. They played hardball here. Any employee who lived within 50 miles of Fishkill was given two choices: either you go to Fishkill, or you have 30 days to find something else within IBM. If you don't find anything within 30 days, you resign. No severance, no nothing. The ONLY exception was for employees who lived more than 50 miles from Fishkill. They were given an opportunity to opt out, with a guarantee that IBM would find them another position. I don't know what the reasoning would be behind requiring everyone to come to the office...I thought it was cheaper for IBM when employees work from home. But it may just be another ploy to entice people to quit. Sooner or later, they'll make our lives miserable enough that we'll quit and save them the trouble of laying us off. -Sinking Ship- Comment 06/28/08: -Work at home boy- I heard via the rumor mill that IBM execs had considered making the LEAN co-locations which are now short term (3-4 week) gatherings of personnel at one location into permanent co-locations. Your job, regardless of your current location, would permanently move to the co-location site whether it was Atlanta or Poughkepsie or Boulder or elsewhere. The proposal provided no relocation funding, no benefits to ease the necessary real estate issues, and no airfare to travel to/from the new location. so the employee wouldn't have to move. I heard the reason it was dropped was that IBM would lose too many high performing employees who would refuse to move and could find local employment outside of IBM. Don't know how much of this is true, but that's the rumor. -Boo- Comment 06/28/08: To AnonyMuss- IBM does it because they can. It's their business and they can screw everyone and anyone they like. Especially since the employees take everything that is handed to them and they don't rebel and join the union. It's a totally abusive relationsh |
