My country is all about image

[larry kremis]

We know the entertainment industry is about image, we see it on the "entertainment news programs".
American industry is all about image also. 3 of my old trucking buddies called me today, they got the axe. No apparent rhyme nor reason to how they were picked, they were all told that it was about the numbers. 2 others got the axe that I know of, maybe more. All 5 were top earners and had more seniority than others who are still working (no union). 6 or 7 years ago our company started a bonus program where top earners received paid days off for the coming year and also received monetary bonus each month for doing their job the way it should be done.

I couldn't believe it when they started this incentive program. My incentive program would have been "do your job the way it should be done or you're gone". Anyway, now the company is biting the top earners in the ass. The monetary bonus we earned every month is paid in one lump sum at Christmas. There's only one stipulation to receiving your perks. You must be a "currently active employee". Yep, you got it.

Since the owners of the company have made their money and have lost interest, they hired a "top notch" management team. ROFLMAO

Money earned or saved for a company by loyal employees who take care of their equipment, take care of their cement customers and do their job the right way, does not show up on a P&L statement. However, money saved by axing high dollar drivers jumps off a P&L sheet. It makes management look good.

American industry is all about image!

I love my fellow citizens and every single member of our armed forces. However, more and more I'm becoming an embarrassed American

To hell with what's right. Let's just look good!

[Kittycat]

Isn't that the truth??

[darroll]

What happened to the first in, last out kind of a company set of fair rules?
Haven’t they ever heard of seniority?
I guess this is gone now and they keep the suck a$$es.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

These problems are never as simple as they seem at first glance. In this country we have adopted the attitude that if you are not getting promoted, or getting a pay raise every year, something is wrong with you. If you are very good at what you do and are willing to continue to work at that job forever. It seems to make management nervious. In the military, it was known as "Up or Out". No matter how good you were at your job, you had to be promoted out of that job or you were kicked out. Never mind that performing technical work and managing people requires different skill sets, if you were not promoted by a certain number of years, it was goodby. It was the "peter principal". Everyone gets promoted to their level of inefficiency.
Unfortunately Most people do not understand, for example; that being a really good diesel mechanic does not mean that you can run a diesel repair shop. This is where seniority breaks down. "You can't promote him over me". " I have way more seniority" It was thought that pay by "piecework" would solve the problem. A really good, experienced worker should be able to produce more product in a given amount of time. So, if we pay a set amount of money for each screw a machinist produces, the better, more experienced, machinist will make more money than his/her less experienced and/or less skilled coworkers.
Looks good on paper, but what happens is; when pay is tied completly to number of widgets produced, quality goes to hell. Then you have to hire more quality control people. There goes the profit from increased production. I could go on and on but I'm sure everyone is asleep by now.

[larry kremis]

You didn't put me to sleep Robbie. "Peter principal" and "piecework" are only a couple of many problems that need to be addressed, just like you said. Communism and Socialism looks good on paper too.

I certainly don't have any answers, just complaints, I'm uneducated. I know there needs to be a fine balance between industry and government. I know democracy and capitalism works if balanced right.

A hundred years ago, labor unions kept a fair balance. Then the unions became too strong, I think this happened in the 70's. Maybe the answer is to unionize again, hoping the unions learned from mistakes of the past. I really don't believe that we want our government running our industries. Our government doesn't seem to be managing our military very well when it comes to promotions and jobs within the military as you mentioned.

I'm betting on one thing though. Our new leaders of industry and commerce aren't being taught "people management skills" in college. At least, not like they should be taught.

[larry kremis]

That's certainly true where I worked darroll, kiss the dispatcher's ass and get the good loads.

[Stir Young]

I can't really blame what's going on now on the "young turks" who are now assuming command. It seems to me this "band-aid" economics started back in the mid to late 1970s, when people my age started moving into positions of power. There were all kinds of tax loopholes and incentives to take advantage of, most of which did nothing for long term stability. The mantra seemed to be, get what you can when you can, and when you get out, let the next guy worry about it.

We ended up with a go-go economy...it didn't really take much study to see that we were building a house of cards, but still we kept up with the same strategy.

Now, all this stuff is coming back to slap us in the face. Technology, it now seems, has shortened up the amount of people we need to do the work we have. Outsourcing has reduced our workforce needs as well. Where there is heavy and concentrated industry, there is pollution and the problems it causes.
We have decided we don't want our own lands polluted, and pretty much legislated industry out of our country.

The house of cards has now collapsed. Employers are doing what they can to survive, and one of those things is getting rid of the older, more expensive to maintain employees. Although we older workers would seem to have valuable skills (like people skills), what we have isn't what's looked for now. Where we could talk to people, computers do a lot of the communicating now. Where many of us had a cradle to grave mentality about our careers, the new breed seems to be strictly looking out for themselves. I think maybe we Boomers drew up the blueprints for that. Many seem to be happy with contract work, understanding that the days of health care, incentive bonuses, paid vacations and holidays, and Social Security are now over.

Like Larry, I also think it blows. Three days from today will mark the first anniversary of the day the owner came in my office with a "Closed" sign under his arm, a very stressed look on his face, and my final paycheck. The company not only closed the office, but went out of business that day.

Life moves on, in July of this year, I turned 62, and I opted to go ahead and sign up for Social Security. I got my first allocation in September, neatly transfered into my bank account via direct deposit (I wonder how many jobs have been lost due to direct deposit?). In the last year I've worked some odd jobs, worked as a dishwasher, and I've drawn unemployment. I'm getting by, and getting by a lot better than most people who have lost their jobs.

I will always be pissed, though, because I didn't get to go on my terms. It would have been nice to retire, not just be put out to pasture.

[larry kremis]

Thanks so much Gary, very well written and so very true. I believe it started in the 70's also. They forced me out on Sep. 3 this year because I was vocal. 2 brothers started this company in 1971, shortly after, one brother bought the other out. The sole owner had 3 sons, when I started in 1998, the 3 sons were running the show, all were close to my age. They took care of the drivers and their customers. They have since turned the company over to a management team, I don't blame them, they worked very hard and earned their lifestyle, they had an open door policy and were available to any driver or employee who had a problem. One of my buddies died of heart failure about 5 years ago. One of the sons and a couple of managers drove 350 miles one way to attend the funeral. We all worked our asses off for these guys, anyone who didn't pitch in heard it from the rest of us.

Those days are gone. I have something in my eye.

[blondie 11]

I figured my business out a long time ago. I have been with the company longer than any other employee. I work hard to keep a customer base that is MINE. These people will go anywhere with me, and their companies are steady. It is nothing personal--it is all business. I wrote something in the blog this week about this. I may not be that good, but, I am treated right, or the company will pay. They kind of figured it out this week.

[larry kremis]

I read your blog blondie. I'm glad to hear they "kind of figured it out". :)