IBM Workers Launch Petition To Stop Pay Cuts

[OhioChick]

Source: Information Week

Employee group seeks to prevent a 15% salary reduction for IT specialists and support workers.

By Paul McDougall
InformationWeek
January 28, 2008 12:22 PM


A group representing IBM (NYSE: IBM) employees has launched a petition drive that aims to get the computer maker to reverse plans to impose a 15% pay cut on more than 7,500 employees.

The petition, organized by Alliance At IBM and addressed to "IBM management," asks that "the salary of all employees affected by the announced pay cut ... be immediately restored."

The petition drive comes in the wake of reports that IBM plans to cut by 15% the salaries of IT specialists and support workers, starting in February.

According to an internal IBM document viewed by InformationWeek, the plan was drawn up in response to several lawsuits filed against the company alleging that it failed to pay overtime to groups of workers who were legally entitled to the extra pay.

"To avoid protracted litigation in an area of law widely seen as ambiguous, IBM chose to settle the case -- and to conduct a detailed review of the jobs in question," the document states.



Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205920417

[russian33]

1. i signed it

i'm just disgusted since last week...i got my new numbers today, feels like the rug got pulled out from under me

[OhioChick]

2. I Feel For You.

I hope all goes well.

[russian33]

3. of course with my luck...

..i am in the middle of buying an apartment, and applying for mortgage :)

[Djinn]

4. why no mention of

CWA Local 1701?

[mcscajun]

5. They won't get loads of signatures; people will be too afraid to risk

their jobs or their futures on this one. Corporations aren't exactly known for being tolerant of employees organizing for anything, formally or informally. Sign your name and be branded forever a troublemaker. No whistle-blower protections will apply. When they present their petition to management, the answer they get will be a huge load of corporate

Better to start immediately looking for work elsewhere. Only a mass exodus, a brain-drain, will hurt IBM.

You'd better believe they checked with their high-priced legal team before they made this change.

It Really Sucks.