 Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Back in 2009 the state of Georgia outsourced all of its IT and telecom work to IBM. I was 6 weeks short of being vested in the state retirement system. So for the last 2 years I have been managing servers for IBM. This past Monday as I was driving back from a from the middle of nowhere after fixing a server my boss gives me a call. Well turns out that IBM is moving any work that can be done remotely to Missouri Colorado and India. No we do not get the chance to move, we get a thanks for training the folks at these call centers. Over a third of the old state employees were let go.
They would like for me to work until the 28th (and please keep doing as good a job as you were). No we can’t let you work until the 30th, because then we would have to pay another week of severance pay and the profit sharing bonus for this year.
So if you know anyone looking for IT help between August, Ga. And Columbia, SC please let me know.
And as one of the ladies that got and had been doing the same job for 27 years said F…. IBM.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
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Man that is a dirty deal. If I was in your shoes I might consider working until the 22nd and get hurt on the job  Good luck in the future, hopefully as this door closes a better one will open for you.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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Posts: 18,825 |
Try searching http://careers.northropgrumman.comI don't know of anything specific but we seem to have a lot going on in the southeast. And some of it is remote work. They're moving most of the network support functionality for our office out of Helena, too. We're down to one network/desktop support person. Kinda sucks.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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What? Just trying to help.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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Giant corp.s have always sucked. Now they're even worse. Good luck to ya Whitt. And I'm with ya, f*** IB stinking M. 
Fidelis et Fortis
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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Yep. All corporations are evil. That's why I've been with Northrop Grumman for 14 years as of last Friday. We build stuff that kills people.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Oct 2011
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Member
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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New Tires
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New Tires
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Big Blue ain't what it once was. Like Mike said, but not the part of getting injured. Carry on and don't let the bastards get you down. 
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Quote:
They would like for me to work until the 28th (and please keep doing as good a job as you were). No we can’t let you work until the 30th, because then we would have to pay another week of severance pay and the profit sharing bonus for this year.
personally, I would tell then to suck my nuts. don't quit though, because then you can't have your unemployment benefits... such a crap way to do business, sorry you are losing your job
Always remember to be yourself. Unless you suck. Then pretend to be someone else.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Saddle Sore
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Saddle Sore
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Well I didn't...mean uh "cough cough" really get hurt, wink wink 
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Sorry to hear this Whitt But I'm sure a man of your talents will find something soon enough 
Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Thanks.
20 years working on Novell, Linux, and Windows servers. 10 years running an IT department at the second largest State hospital in Georgia. You wold think I would find something soon, but who knows these days.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Sorry to hear about this Whitt...this is a real crappy tactic some companies use to cut their "expenditures." I hope something turns up that you are looking for. Head out on a good, long ride...it helps clear my head
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Really sorry to hear this, Whitt.
Hope things start turnin' your way real soon.
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Quote:
Try searching http://careers.northropgrumman.com
I don't know of anything specific but we seem to have a lot going on in the southeast. And some of it is remote work.
They're moving most of the network support functionality for our office out of Helena, too. We're down to one network/desktop support person. Kinda sucks.
Had 2 positions out at Fort Gordon so I applied. Not 100% qualified for but with tech experience and working ECM when I was in the Navy I thought why not.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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Hopefully some of the legislation to actually tax outsourcing will come through, if it doesn't become the 300th filibuster of this Congress.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: May 2010
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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I can relate, in 1981, all employees with less than 10 years at US Steel went out the gate on a single Friday. You see, the following year, the pension law was to change and people were to be pension vested in 5 years instead of 10. I had 9 years, 11 months, and 16 days of continuous employment, on that particular Friday. I was not alone, as 5500 folks lost their jobs in Gary, In. that day. I haven't been married to a single company since, and I never will again. I do the basically same job now, except I get twice the money and when the project is over, I collect unemployment until the U. Hall calls me again to go somewhere else. Much betta.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 551
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Quote:
Hopefully some of the legislation to actually tax outsourcing will come through, if it doesn't become the 300th filibuster of this Congress.
Last year I worked over 400 request that the group in India either did wrong or did not know how to do. I also made over 200 site visits, wonder who is going to be doing them now.
Last edited by Whitt; 03/03/2012 11:33 PM.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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As it appears you're already aware, I suppose I don't need to say, "Don't hold your breath on THAT one", Chet. (...I mean, don't you "know" that if we tie the hands of Big Money, then some of it won't ever come "trickling down" to the rest of us?!...heck, HALF of Congress "knows" THAT, dude!!!) 
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
Quote:
Quote:
Try searching http://careers.northropgrumman.com
I don't know of anything specific but we seem to have a lot going on in the southeast. And some of it is remote work.
They're moving most of the network support functionality for our office out of Helena, too. We're down to one network/desktop support person. Kinda sucks.
Had 2 positions out at Fort Gordon so I applied. Not 100% qualified for but with tech experience and working ECM when I was in the Navy I thought why not.
Good luck! I wouldn't still be here if I didn't think it was a good company.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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New Tires
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New Tires
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Company! You mean CORPORATION!  And we all know corporations are evil, well except for the ones that provide us with every thing our great-grand parents only dreamed of, and yes even the ones that produce things that kill our enemies so our children can sleep at night. 
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,335
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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You might want to look into Boeing in the Charleston, SC area. They have been hiring like mad over the last 2 years. Last time I was in Charleston I got into a conversation with a guy who was staying at the same hotel I was, and he was in town house hunting. Boeing was transferring him from Seattle area to Charleston, and he did IT work for Boeing.
Tom
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Quote:
Company! You mean CORPORATION! And we all know corporations are evil, well except for the ones that provide us with every thing our great-grand parents only dreamed of, and yes even the ones that produce things that kill our enemies so our children can sleep at night.
how can corporations be evil? they are people, aren't they? 
Always remember to be yourself. Unless you suck. Then pretend to be someone else.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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That sucks man. I work on one of the largest IT shops, data and process wise, in the world. IBM has a huge presence here, anywhere from mainframes, to DB2 databases, to laptops, and they've been allowed to overcharge and underserve for decades. As far as staffing we have a ton of onsite and offshore resources from India. Most are trying trying to do a good job but overall it adds up to about a C- evaluation. Problem is we are not creating enough IT graduates in the US that actually want to work on the backbone systems that drive most established businesses. The GUI stuff is great but a lot of these kids don't seem to realize that behind the scenes it has to plug into a bank of servers or a big blue box. Anyway, good luck with your job search. Perhaps your talents could best be utilized in a consulting role somewhere.
"Despite all the amputation, you could dance to a rock 'n roll station..."
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
Quote:
Company! You mean CORPORATION! And we all know corporations are evil, well except for the ones that provide us with every thing our great-grand parents only dreamed of, and yes even the ones that produce things that kill our enemies so our children can sleep at night.
how can corporations be evil? they are people, aren't they?
Yeah Dave. Kinda like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sp-VFBbjpE
...HUH?!!!

Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
Quote:
Quote:
Company! You mean CORPORATION! And we all know corporations are evil, well except for the ones that provide us with every thing our great-grand parents only dreamed of, and yes even the ones that produce things that kill our enemies so our children can sleep at night.
how can corporations be evil? they are people, aren't they?
Oh god, don't go there. We have a little bit of a problem with that here in Montana. You may have seen it in the national news a bit. My buddy Steve is all over that crap.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Sorry about your job Whitt. I hope something comes through for you over at Ft. Gordon. Maybe they should move the IBM brass to India.
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
We have recently lost a big chunk of our Montana business to a company that "off-shores" much of its work to India. I'm so pissed, more as a tax paying Montanan than as a member of the company that lost said business, I could spit.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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OK, so what I get here is that if corps. are people, they aren't necessarily "evil". Sometimes the're just mean and inconsiderate. And the next layer down would be "those darn rude corporations." 
Fidelis et Fortis
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Company! You mean CORPORATION! And we all know corporations are evil, well except for the ones that provide us with every thing our great-grand parents only dreamed of, and yes even the ones that produce things that kill our enemies so our children can sleep at night.
Ummm, don't you know, those aren't corporations, those are people now! Those corporations, I mean, people have feeling ya know.... 
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
We have recently lost a big chunk of our Montana business to a company that "off-shores" much of its work to India. I'm so pissed, more as a tax paying Montanan than as a member of the company that lost said business, I could spit.
Well, hopefully, they will learn as I've heard some other companies are learning, that moving to China or India and all the "cost savings" isn't what it's cracked up to be. Apple is getting a taste of that, rightfully so, now that they have most of their inventory in China being tied up in the court systems since it appears that they bought the rights to "IPad" from Proview, but Proview says that was for all markets BUT China, and so has an injunction against Apple preventing them from importing or exporting anything to do with IPads (they're mfg'd there). And ya know, all that cheap labor stuff is just fine and dandy until you get a quality escape, and you have 3-4 months inventory in the pipeline on cargo ships between Shangzhou and Cleveland! And of course, then there's little things like ordering certain grades of an alloy only to get God-knows-what (gee, why does my carbon steel turn green like copper?!) alloy. And doing Just-in-Time from China, not so easy or practical! May not be enough to restore the manufacturing base of the US, but every tiny bit helps. Frankly, I'm tired of calling a call center with some guy says "Hi, this is Jimmy" when you know he is in a call center near New Delhi, India. Reminds me of the Peggy character in the Capital One ads!! 
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Can you do consulting? I would think with your experiance you could start your own thing? I have seen bill boards here in TX for anyone who knows Linux to apply on Monster. Hope something comes up soon for you! Boeing is building a plant in SC. you may want to check them out also. Oh and dont know if it will help but you can look here also http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en_US/Company/Careers/Careers.htmlWe are owned by Textron and have a huge IT needs look at Textrons other companies too.
Mal: "Y'all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun?{ref, Jayne} Man's lookin' to kill some folk. So really, it's his will y'all should worry about thwarting."
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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Quote:
I can relate, in 1981, all employees with less than 10 years at US Steel went out the gate on a single Friday. You see, the following year, the pension law was to change and people were to be pension vested in 5 years instead of 10. I had 9 years, 11 months, and 16 days of continuous employment, on that particular Friday. I was not alone, as 5500 folks lost their jobs in Gary, In. that day. I haven't been married to a single company since, and I never will again. I do the basically same job now, except I get twice the money and when the project is over, I collect unemployment until the U. Hall calls me again to go somewhere else. Much betta.
Most people don't realize the unions invented the middle class. Before unions people worked 6 days a week for 80 hours. Unions gave us the 40 hour week, vacations, health insurance, sick days, retirement, minimum wage.
Before unions, there was the rich and the poor.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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...and they are trying to return us to those bad old days.
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,028 Likes: 8
New Tires
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New Tires
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Quote:
Quote:
I can relate, in 1981, all employees with less than 10 years at US Steel went out the gate on a single Friday. You see, the following year, the pension law was to change and people were to be pension vested in 5 years instead of 10. I had 9 years, 11 months, and 16 days of continuous employment, on that particular Friday. I was not alone, as 5500 folks lost their jobs in Gary, In. that day. I haven't been married to a single company since, and I never will again. I do the basically same job now, except I get twice the money and when the project is over, I collect unemployment until the U. Hall calls me again to go somewhere else. Much betta.
Most people don't realize the unions invented the middle class. Before unions people worked 6 days a week for 80 hours. Unions gave us the 40 hour week, vacations, health insurance, sick days, retirement, minimum wage.
Before unions, there was the rich and the poor.
The middle class existed long before unions as we know them were ever imagined. But, I will admit unions helped promote and attain most of those benefits for the "working class". Health insurance covered hardly anyone till corporations started offering it to employees as a substitute for pay raises during gov wage-price controls, it was a end run around the law.
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
... people worked 6 days a week for 80 hours.
Some of us still do though working for myself I have the luxury of spreading that over 7 days, not just 6 
"You can't believe everything you read on the internet" : William Shakespeare
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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The same thing is happening here downunder. Bank staff It you name it all being outsourced to India and the staff here expected to train the replacements before getting the boot!!! The company that I work for part time has just outsourced the medical typing for x ray reports to India. 
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Adjunct
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They even recruit aussies to teach the indian call staff to speak with an australian accent. 
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 Re: Took a kick in the pants from IBM Monday.
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Joined: Jul 2007
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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The middle class existed long before unions as we know them were ever imagined. (
No way. Before the 1860s, most of the population was engaged in farming. With the advent of labor saving farm implements and reoccurring farm price crashes, the population was steadily driven to the rapidly growing industrial areas, specifically the North. (This was especially true of African American populations migrating to the North.) For a few decades, Industry barons grew fabulously wealthy while employing men, women and a lot of children in "sweatshops". While there was some limited opportunity for advancement, the majority of workers lived hand to mouth in poor conditions. Private home ownership was fairly rare, and when it happened, was usually after years and years of saving and scrimping, unless one got sick, then the gamble was lost. Not until organized Unions got a bigger piece of the pie for the workers did a true "middle class" emerge in any sufficient numbers. Although Henry Ford had some serious clashes with Unions in later days, early on he understood that there would be no one to buy his product if he didn't pay high enough wages for the common man to afford his product. His wages in the early years were three times more than the average pay of factory workers of the same time period.
Fidelis et Fortis
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