On Fri, 3 Jul 2009 17:08:07 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:



I may be talking out of my hat because I've never worked for a "big
business".

I have, and mostly on the "finance" side with a white collar.
Insurance mostly, but some others.
Many of my workmates went bye bye due to globalization.
That not only affected them, but those companies are now feeling the
effects, since those workers were also customers.
Customers need jobs. Your ****ing in home waters analogy was apt.
Short-term profits, long-term hurt.
That's where we are.
The blue collar union stuff was with U.S. Steel, IH, Merchant Marine,
and UPS. And some other non-union, good and bad.
All gone except UPS. They make it work.
Don't know if I mentioned my steel frame gazebo collapsed from the
snow load last winter. Bit the bullet and ordered a new one.
I saw online it was out for delivery yesterday from the Northbrook hub
- where I worked while in college - and was wondering if the package
car driver had, or would need a hand truck. The package is 75 lbs.
So the dogs start barking, and I go to help the guy get it in.
I opened the front door and he's already running up the steps with the
package tucked under one arm.
GO UPS TEAMSTERS!!

However, I have quite a bit of experience interfacing with many who do.
Most were technical or engineering based companies, so maybe there is a
fault in my opinion, but with very few exceptions, everyone I've dealt with
from lab techs, engineers, middle management and occasionally to top
management were all very satisfied and felt fully employed for their
different backgrounds, educational levels and experience. There was pride
in the company and there was a team atmosphere. The few companies that I
sensed disgruntled employees where the ones most closely linked to the
government via federal (military) contracts and in those with strong unions.

The worst (union wise) was McDonnell Douglas, Federal Systems Division in
St. Louis. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how that division got
anything done.

That seems a bit strange, huh? In my world, companies with big federal
contracts and who were unionized had the worst moral and the most bitching
and complaining.

Maybe, maybe not. Company culture and employee satisfaction is often
hard to ken unless you're on the inside. Though I was disgusted with
the management policies of the company I retired from, it didn't
affect my work, and few knew it.
Wouldn't be prudent.
And no way an outsider would know.
Unprofessional to bitch about your employer.
Then there are purely selfish interests.
I've got a chunk of retirement money I'll take as a lump sum in a
couple years. Won't knock the company by name until then.
They still got my money.
Besides, things change fast, and maybe some of those happy guys you
talked to are now out of work.
Anyway, the bottom line for a healthy economy is jobs.
It's going to be interesting to see if Obama get's it, and how he goes
about it.
Whatever happens, there will be plenty of squawking.
Nature of that beast that's called politics.
Maybe I should do 2 beers today. Yeah.

--Vic