The layoff total at IBM has reached 1,148 this afternoon as the numbers continue to come in from affected workers around the country, increasing more than fourfold over the figure reported a day ago.
The layoff numbers are being tallied by the Alliance@IBM, an organizing effort of the Communication Workers of America to unionize IBM's workers. An anonymous post on the organizing web site claims to be written by an affected worker at IBM's Research Triangle Park facility.
IBM has not confirmed the layoffs so union organizers are making estimates based on employee information. Affected workers receive information revealing how many employees in their work unit were affected and how many spared.
"It's a lot wider that I thought it was yesterday morning," said organizer Lee Conrad in upstate New York. "These are good-paying high-tech jobs," "They're specialist jobs, they're skilled jobs. And these jobs are going away."
The layoffs took place yesterday, Conrad said. But based on employee reports, more layoffs are expected in March and in April, he said.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
IBM Layoffs and Alliance
Tue, 02/28/2012 - 18:07 — TheLoneRangerWhat percentage of active IBM employees are members of Alliance? Less than 1% of 1%! That group has gotten nowhere in over 30 years with unionizing IBM. Probably about the number laid off in this report 1,148 or 1% of 1% of total US employees!
By NC state law IBM and any other company has to report to the NCESC if they lay off 50 or more employees? WARN Act dittos nationally for 50+. With no announcement the numbers locally must be under the 50!
Oh, here's a hint. Since IBM did it's first layoffs in 1992 it hasn't gone a year without doing a layoff somewhere and there probably won't be a year in the future where this isn't one. Layoffs are a normal part of the business cycle of expanding and contracting.
"Since IBM did it's first
Wed, 02/29/2012 - 01:42 — bobster"Since IBM did it's first layoffs in 1992 it hasn't gone a year without doing a layoff somewhere and there probably won't be a year in the future where this isn't one. "
Go look at the numbers on WRAL. In the past 7 years, they've reduced their workforce from 137,000 to approximately 93,000, an average of about 6300 jobs eliminated each year. If they continue at that rate, they'll be at zero in 2027.
"Layoffs are a normal part of the business cycle of expanding and contracting. "
IBM has mainly been shedding workers for the past 20 years. There's probably twice as many ex-IBMers around here as current IBMers.
Layoffs have been a common occurence for the past 30 years or so. But I would hardly call them normal. Each of the last 3 recessions has seen layoffs an order of magnitude larger than the previous recession. From October 2008 until March 2009, an astonishing 750,000 jobs were eliminated each month! Those losses are likely to be permanent. That isn't a normal part of any business cycle.
Since your attitude toward layoffs is so cavalier, perhaps you would benefit from some direct experience.
Enlighten Yourself
Wed, 02/29/2012 - 11:31 — TheLoneRangerEver consider I was a manager at IBM, read the writing on the wall and quit starting my own business? Only to sell that business and then start another one and sell it.
Oh, when it's your business you can't get laid off.
Maybe you should benefit from some direct experience!
As you said, it has happened over and over again non-stop over the past 30 years but you don't think that's common or the new normal! I say it is the new normal.
You sound like a really nice
Tue, 02/28/2012 - 20:19 — TheBigGuyYou sound like a really nice person.