OT: another not Y2K related event: 2800 layoffs not enough for defense firm:

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGITZ8CBZ3C.html

2800 job cuts not enough for defense firm. Not y2K related, however if you are one of those 2800 it is the end of the world for you. Many tiny holes can sink a hugh ship. Y2K related or not this certainly does not help the economy any. Ask any of those 2800 about their take on the "STATE OF THE UNION," and see what they have to say.

-- Notforlong (Fsur@aol.com), January 28, 2000

Answers

Try tying the threads together that deal with lay-offs in the private sector, government subcontracting to private sector and increased immigration proposals in the US. Then introduce the gutting of the US Military with respect to personnel and supplies/materiels. Is the sum greater than the component parts?

Comments or suggestions?

-- charlie in houston (cml @workmail.com), January 28, 2000.


2,800 positions eliminated is nothing. If 15% of the US population were laid off now that would be something. However, Census 2000 is desperately looking for people to do census, the job pays anywhere from $9.25 - $15.00 hour depending on where you live. Think of all the people and dogs you get to meet and the adventure of being a government official. If your a veteran you get first pick and you must pass a test - I guess that eliminates the Cocoa Puff crowd.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 28, 2000.

LMCO is dropping 2800 jobs by consolidating several manufacturing divisions under one management team. Nothing Y2K related as much as deciding to try and reduce duplicated effort. At some times, three divisions of Lockheed Martin were bidding against each other for the same contract.

If there's anything good about anybody getting laid off, this time it's a bunch of mid-level suits who have nothing better to do most days than call-up the marketwatch web sites on their office PCs and watch their mutual funds go up and down. This makes news because if a firm decides to let go over fifty full-time, permanent employees, it has to be publicly reported. And white-collar, management types are almost always full-time employees, as opposed to engineering and manufacturing departments.

Of course what you won't hear is if Lockeed Martin or any other company lets go of bunches of temporary workers. And since many firms try to keep as much as twenty-five percent of their workforce as temporaries, they can dump one fourth of their work force without making any public report.

But if there are serious Y2K impacts starting to be felt you can be assured that lots of temps will be sent out the gate long before the firms start cutting positions where they'd have to announce publicly what they were doing and why.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), January 28, 2000.


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