IBM Employees Forced to Transfer to Manpower

January 19, 2001

IBM has been enticing workers to temporary jobs in manufacturing in Endicott, New York with multiple ads in the local newspaper:

Join the Team! Work for IBM!

Temporary jobs in IBM have always been one-year positions. Workers who take these jobs hold out the hope that they'll become regular IBM employees after the year, with IBM's benefits.

Having mislead many employees with their ads, IBM temps were recently forced to transfer to Manpower Inc., or lose their jobs. If an employee refuses, they lose their job, and they are not entitled to state unemployment benefits.

Local employees are calling this tactic "Bait and Switch".

Manpower jobs at IBM typically pay $7.50 an hour. Employees must pay at least $75 per week to obtain family medical insurance through Manpower, Inc.

Alliance@IBM Membership is open to all temporary employees, thanks to a recent NLRB ruling that allows temps to obtain union representation.

Many of these employees cannot afford a computer -- but they are signing forms that are handed out around the plant.