Kansas Citians Are Angry: The Kansas City Star Outsources to India

[OhioChick]

Source: AC Associated Content

published May 19, 2008

Plenty of Kansas Citians are up in arms over a recent announcement that The Kansas City Star is outsourcing all of the jobs of those who are in the advertising services department - in fact, their entire digital advertising team, according to one blog - to India. The jobs are being outsourced to Infosys Technologies in Bangalore, India. The employees were notified by memo, and the following day The Kansas City Star included a brief in the paper in the business section. The news reported that nine employees were laid off, however in fact there were several more in total. One of the released employees is a very old friend of mine who had been with the company for a number of years.

Now, as if this weren't enough of a blow, the kicker is this: the employees will retain their employment until after their replacements - who are being flown in, and put up here in Kansas City - have been trained by the displaced employees. And furthermore, according to a blog comment from the best friend of one of those laid off, The Kansas City Star is not giving letters of recommendation to those being let go! Talk about serious insult to injury.

The news has certainly spread, and naturally several local bloggers, such as Tony's Kansas City, and The Pitch, have caught wind of the news and have blogged and expressed opinions in the matter. However, there have also been attention from national bloggers, too, such as Gawker.com, who pointed out that McClatchy, owner of The Kansas City Star has taken the same action with other holdings, such as Miami Herald, the Sacramento Bee, and the Raleigh News & Observer.

The bloggers raised good questions. Tony's Kansas City asked, "So, how will a Kansas City advertisers really capture the attention, hearts and minds of the local market?" And in the comments section of that article, one concerned reader brought up the lost earnings tax revenue to the city of Kansas City. Another mentioned the tax cut The Kansas City Star would receive for outsourcing the jobs.


Read more: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/770641/kansas_citians_are_angry_the_kansas.html

---

Blantantly Crude.....Your Indian Replacement Flies in....YOU Train Them for YOUR Job and You Leave the Company With No Letter of Recommendation.

Bastards. :mad:

And to think that "some" here argue the fact that this practice DOESN'T happen. Wake the hell up.

[MadMaddie]

1. Is anyone surprised? It was happening to others now it is happening

to our newspapers.....and soon our grocery stores.....everthing...the Republicans are succeeding in destroying the middle class. First it was the blue collar jobs and now the white collar jobs.

McCain will allow this bullshit to continue.

[NBachers]

51. Grocery Stores

Yep- soon you'll be pushing your own groceries over the scanner. A monitor screen in front of you will have the face of someone in Bangalore who introduces themselves as Allison. They will thank you for your business.
Welcome to Blade Runner World

[Joe Bacon]

54. I'm still looking forward to the day Tom Friedman is outsourced!

I want to hear that whore whine when his propaganda job goes to India!

[katty]

82. yeah, all of the presstitutes! they can only whine here & get paid

[Bozita]

2. Only one word can describe this ...

... UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!

The cruelty is mind numbing.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Who are the traitors to the U.S.?

Whose economic theory is this outsourcing. Republican red. Whether it's 9, 900, 9,000 - enough. We can't take this corporate theft any longer.

[thunder rising]

4. Don't suppose people would just boycott the paper? They still need readers.

Make it a 'shame' to subscribe to the paper.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. It's really a pretty good paper

And the only choice here in this area.

But this really does suck.

[AdHocSolver]

17. It's a "good" paper? That's as logical as the excuse "but Mussolini made the trains run on time". nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. I am able to separate the content of the paper from their hiring practices

Are you? :)

[AdHocSolver]

33. A paper that abuses its employees prints no content that I couldn't get just as well on line.

Another possibility is to subscribe to an out of town paper. This paper evidently gets its "news" from wire services anyway.

As the quality of our local "bird cage liner" went down, we cancelled the weekday editions and only get the Sunday edition for the ads and the weekly TV listings.

I avoid shopping at Wal-Mart because I dislike the way they treat their employees. I try to shop at local businesses whenever possible even though I may pay a little more (not even always true).

If more people acted this way, we wouldn't be getting screwed so badly by the multinational corporations, the biggest threat to middle class America.

[OhioChick]

34. Well Said and Agreed, AdHocSolver!

:applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. I don't subscribe; I read it online

[raouldukelives]

5. No letter of recommendation?

Why stay and train anyone? More like shred all my files, dump all the contacts and jet.

[AdHocSolver]

18. I would NOT recommend causing any damage. However, leaving without training anyone is OK.

They probably refuse to give recommendations to prevent anyone who is fired from having grounds for a discrimination lawsuit. However, destroying files would make it difficult to find a new job. So, I don't recommend it.

However, not sticking around to train their replacements is certainly understandable to anyone. The downside is, they would lose their last paycheck. However, it would be worth it to maintain one's dignity.

[eilen]

21. Where are they going to find a new job?

It's the only paper in town. Most likely, they'll end up having to apply for a "retraining" grant. How many Kansas City business people are going to be thrilled to buy ads from replacement outsourced labor?

I don't get a paper anymore. First of all, the errors on the front page piss me off (hire a proof reader dummies!), second, the stories are written by AP. There are a few columnists but I catch their columns on their blogs.

[AdHocSolver]

38. Find a job that uses advertising experience, either an ad agency or a local car dealer.

Another possibility is a real estate agency. The special value would be inside knowledge of how the paper does things, if that company uses paper ads. Local magazines would be a possibility.

Years ago, I worked for an organization that had some specialized equipment to maintain. They hired this engineer, but they treated him rather poorly. Then the organization spent about $250,000 to install a replacement system and then fired him (with glee). The new system had problems from day one. So the organization signed an expensive maintenance contract.

I was overjoyed to find that the new maintenance guy was the same guy they had just fired. He not only was better treated by his new company, but they paid him a lot more money.

[Tempest]

55. The only option you provided that is viable is the car dealer

Advertising and real estate jobs are being slashed left and right because of the poor economy.

Companies are making drastic cuts to their advertising budgets.

And anyone who follows the housing industry knows what's happening to relators. In my area, more than half have left the business. The rest are flirting with bankruptcy.

[Bake]

61. But it would be a damn shame if some hard drives got accidentally reformatted

Bastards. BASTARDS!!

I can't freakin' believe they're getting a TAX CREDIT FOR THIS?????

Bake

[roody]

6. All subscribers should cancel.

If its like the local paper here, the news is censored and biased. It is not news either.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Then it's not like your local paper

It's a pretty good paper.

[ChromeFoundry]

26. Here is an idea...

the displaced workers should start up their own Online Newspaper that is environmentally friendlier to the millions of trees this newspaper consumes... Have the locals cancel their subscriptions and send a strong message to the parent company that this conduct will not be tolerated.

Unfortunately, your attitude is why there is very little manufacturing being done on this soil and why there are so many young women and children maimed each year in foreign sweatshops, all in the name of cheap Walmart product. My opinion is that this in not acceptable treatment and the company should be punished by the consumer. If you disagree, then don't ever expect to collect a Social Security check in your (what should be) retirement years... Don't expect the government to insure that your drinking water is somewhat safe to drink... Don't expect your local fire department to extinguish your house in flames, or perform CPR on your failing body... Those jobs were funded by the tax dollars of the displaced workers that you feel were "okay" to go because it was not your job that was lost. Sleep well , knowing that you are safe tonight because the Police are being paid to perform their job by these very people that will soon lose their jobs. Maybe you will realize that this DOES affects you, when the same happens to someone you depend on... and hopefully someone will stand up for YOU, before you even realize it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. As I said in another post

I am able to separate the content from their hiring practices.

I also don't subscribe so my dollar isn't supporting this paper.

[ChromeFoundry]

31. "separate the content from their hiring practices" ???

is that like being able to separate the casualties from the war?

I don't quite understand why the content of a newspaper would allow you to be dismissive to the hiring practices of the company. I have to say, with all do respect, that is a very narrow minded way of thinking. Hitler fed the hungry masses...so... ummm... sorry, can't seem to get my mind to think that narrowly.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Yes it's a tough concept

:eyes:

[ChromeFoundry]

37. Guess you never studied "cause and effect"

Aristotle ain't got nothing on you.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. The hiring practices in the advertising services department have an effect on the content?

Maybe in your universe.

I live here. I have read this paper every day for nearly 50 years now. So I think I am a far better judge of its content.

But thanks for playing. :hi:

[ChromeFoundry]

43. Yes, they do.

Advertising is how a newspaper makes money... not on subscriptions. Subscriptions feed the marketability of a publications advertising space. This has a direct effect on the papers ability to hire/pay for decent copywriters. Sorry if this concept is far to complex for you to understand in your state of senility. Start saving those 50 years of newspapers, they make for nice bedding under a nearby bridge, soon to be you or your neighbors home.

Yeah, thanks for playing. See ya.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LanternWaste]

63. I imagine separating content from hiring practice

I imagine separating content from hiring practices is much more akin to separating the art from the artist (a necessary practice if one wants to experience the full spectrum of the arts) than it is separating casualties from war.

So rather than being narrow minded, it seems to me to be more broad-minded than the alternative...

[Bake]

62. You can get the "content" elsewhere.

The dipshits that made this decision are counting on people like you to separate the content from their abysmal hiring practices. Don't let them get away with it.

Bake

[bluesmail]

7. This is the hidden hand of NAFTA

working to force small/independent/businesses/medias to outsource. Otherwise, they're bankrupt. Kaput. No second chance. End. Finis.

[DS1]

10. This same approach has been going on in the software industry for years

The same software industry the big corporations say they can't staff with Americans because there are no qualified Americans.

[OhioChick]

11. Yes it Sure Has...

One Big-Ass Lie.

[crimsonblue]

12. The KC Star hasn't been a legitimate newspaper for years...

this is simply but the latest nail in the coffin. It won't be the last. The KC Star has intentions on outsourcing nearly its entire journalist force, in lieu of AP wire feeds. The only sections spared are likely to be agri-related and the Sports Section (because of the Chiefs, Royals, KU, and KSU). Now, this is not an official thing and is not set in stone; I've gathered this information from a reporter friend at the Star. It's a good thing I never read their POS newspaper to begin with (with the sole exception being Jason Whitlock articles)

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. Wow I couldn't disagree more

Jason Whitlock is a right wing tool who thinks African Americans should take responsibility and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. He continually bashes African American culture and I don't know any African Americans in this town who have a drop of respect for him.

The Star is a far better paper than most. It isn't as good as it could be but it is a McClatchey paper, which used to be Knight Ridder and Knight Ridder did the best job of exposing the lies leading up to the war on Iraq. The Star is very much a legitimate newspaper and really is the best paper in the region.

[kmkleff]

35. Reuters?

I think you might mean Knight-Ridder

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. Thanks for the correction

You are right.

[crimsonblue]

45. agree to disagree?

I probably have a bias for Jason Whitlock, as he is a family friend, and I should have mentioned that. mea culpa. I don't really think that any of the newspapers in the region are particularly good (for the reason that almost all are right wing dominated), and that's probably the reason I don't get my news from them. Once upon a time, I thought that the Lawrence Journal World was a progressive paper, but that was before I realized that they blatantly supported city commissioners who would faithfully do their bidding (The entire commission, save Boog and maybe Amyx need to get the fuck out-- Sue Hack and Bob Chestnut have displayed innumerous conflicts of interest and have disregarded the progressivism deeply rooted in Lawrence). I've seen the quality across the board degrade substantially and I haven't read the Star in over a year. I suppose I should probably examine it a bit closer..

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. I don't think there are any great newspapers anymore

but some better than others. I'd put The Star in the better group. But yes, it is leaning right wing more and more all the time. I am friends with a couple reporters and an editor and they all say the pressure is on to be more "balanced" and that means more right wing columnists like Michelle Malkin.

As for Jason, he is a very good writer. But I couldn't disagree more with his racial views. I don't even read him anymore. And sure you can tell him I said that he comes off a tad to the left of Alan Keyes :)

[crimsonblue]

48. that's the general feeling I have gotten, also.

I can only hope that the dramatic rightward shift is due to the past 8 years and all the fearmongering it has wrought. In 2002, if you were not war-ho, then you would lose subscribers. I do not know when journalism stopped being about reporting the news, and became about the bottom line, but it has only served to hurt the entire country.
I'm a bit disappointed in Jason's tendency to intertwine social positions and sports stories, but what I have gathered from talking with him is that he is a product of his childhood. He is a guy who has gotten to where he is through his own hard work, and I think he believes anyone could, and should do the same. The last thing I want to do is disparage him, but I think he has an all too common belief that the "gansta culture" only hurts the black community and he has little patience nor empathy for people in the inner city community. He has told me that one of his greatest influences growing up was Bill Cosby, and I sometimes see shades of Mr. Cosby in Jason, albeit it with a more modern twist. To me, Jason is kind of like the alternative high school friend with sometimes radical views or sayings, who means well but cannot reconcile his notions of reality and his vision of the future. I hope that makes some sense... (I should say that these are solely my observations of him)

[proud2BlibKansan]

49. I have spent nearly 30 years working with low income, largely minority kids

and Jason couldn't be more wrong. It takes lots more than hard work for most of them to succeed. The deck is stacked against them from birth, IMO, and they need adults like Jason to be role models and help lead the way for them, grease the wheels (like the white culture has done for generations). I am not too crazy about the gangsta culture either but merely criticizing it without offering alternatives is not the least bit productive and in reality, works backwards.

I also find it really sad when a white middle aged woman like me has done more for these kids than a successful African American man like Jason has done. (And if I am wrong, I would happily apologize.)

[leftyladyfrommo]

65. I think the KC Star is an OK paper.

I read it everyday. And I also usually read the New York Times.

I think the Star really tries to be balanced.

[UpInArms]

13. since those who are to train will be fired anyway - just walk away now

a couple of paychecks will not save your life - just don't teach the creeps how to do your job - it is not your job to train them - let the Star die an ignominious death.

I should know - I build and sell advertising for print newspaper.

let them die and encourage all of your co-workers to do the same.

[OhioChick]

14. I completely agree with you...

I've been fortunate thus far however, if I were told to train my Indian replacement.....I'd tell my employer to go to hell.

[davidinalameda]

15. I'd train my replacement

train them way wrong especially if I wasn't getting a recommendation

I'd do some serious sabotage

[Skittles]

50. in my experience, they fuck up whether you train 'em right or not n/t

[OhioChick]

53. From Experience,

Much of the time, you're right. I thought I'd see you somewhere on this thread, Skittles! :hi:

[AngryOldDem]

81. And that could fuck you up big time.

But I really don't know how those who literally have to train the people who will be replacing them can't not but engage in a little underhandedness.

[davidinalameda]

87. little?

nope

a lot!

make the bosses retrain them

[Pharlo]

44. Well, I don't know how it works in Kansas City,

but around here, if you're terminated, you can collect unemployment.

If you quit, you can't.

That is probably the ONLY reason these employees haven't done what you suggest. Righteous indignation and acting on your principles won't help feed your family.

[depakid]

16. That would be enough for me to cancel my subscription

[cornermouse]

19. Good luck.

My experience with trying to deal with companies who have outsourced is that they use it as a way to avoid responsibility for any errors or mistakes. Contacting those in the U.S. who can actually do anything about a problem or a mistake is literally impossible and talking to someone in India to attempt to get correction or redress is hopeless.

On the other hand, it saves money when I get so angry I refuse to buy that item any more.

[Zorra]

22. Yuh, well, KC and the suburbs need to cancel their subscriptions,

and those who don't subscribe should stop buying the Star. Kill their circulation and let them go out of business.

End of story.

[poppysgal]

23. this practice

is happening to so many companies now that it is mind boggling. What is so pathetic is that the poor employees will more than likely stay and draw what pay checks they can while they can. I think it stinks.:puke:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. Wachovia Bank Corp and others offshoring clerical work to India

I don't mean tech jobs, I mean clerical where the person works with
accounts in the corporate office.

[numen]

69. A.G. Edwards is now *with* Wachovia

I was at A.G. Edwards as a contractor before they got bought by Wachovia. I was in a boiler room with 90 other contractors. Only two of us were Americans. Now, after Wachovia came in, whole projects are being sent to India, with only a skeleton staff still in the US. These jobs are programming jobs and systems analyst jobs, jobs that would be paying Americans fifty to eighty grand a year. If Americans were allowed to do the jobs. But the Americans who did thiose jobs a few years ago are now driving trucks, or nurses, or running cash registers instead of writing C++ or Java.

If they are now outsourcing clerical jobs, it means all the programming jobs are already gone...

[and-justice-for-all]

25. Need to have a "Cancel your subcription campaign."

If CNHI owns this KC paper, a local cancellation campaign may have little to no effect at all. CNHI owns ALL the local papers in the Midwest, they even own our local paper.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. It's owned by McClatchey

[CBHagman]

77. Contact info for McClatchy.

Just so we all can SHARE with them how we feel about this. :grr:


http://www.mcclatchy.com/100/story/380.html

Contact Us
The McClatchy Company
2100 Q Street
Sacramento, CA 95816-6899
Main Phone: [phone]

Financial/Investor Inquiries
Elaine Lintecum, Treasurer
916-321-1846
[e-mail]

General Inquiries
Peter Tira, Communications Director
916-321-1941
[e-mail]


Note to self: Look up compensation for top executives.

On edit: Article about CEO Gary Pruitt's compensation:

http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/829597.html

Also check out this Slate article on Pruitt and the newspaper business:

http://www.slate.com/id/2185617

McClatchy's website for the Kansas City Star:

http://www.mcclatchy.com/146/story/356.html

[poppysgal]

30. When you say all

of the local papers in the midwest are you referring to St. Louis as well? :bounce:

[kmkleff]

36. St Louis

The Post-Dispatch is owned by Lee enterprises of Davenport, Iowa. A long way down from Pulitzer IMHO

[AngryOldDem]

67. Actually, that could have a major impact.

Daily print media is going the way of the dinosaur as it is. Subscriptions are dropping, content is to the point that even bird shit would be a major improvement. The paper in my city is literally giving copies away, and yet it admits it's in trouble.

[ChromeFoundry]

39. Here is a listing of other newspaper subscriptions to boycott....

All owned by The McClatchy Company:


Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, Alaska) – acquired 1979
The Beaufort Gazette (Beaufort, South Carolina) – acquired 1990
Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Illinois) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Centre Daily Times (State College, Pennsylvania) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Georgia) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California)
The Herald (Bradenton) (Bradenton, Florida) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Herald (Rock Hill) (Rock Hill, South Carolina) – acquired 1990
The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Island Packet (Hilton Head, South Carolina) – acquired 1990
The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Kentucky) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, California) – acquired 2004
The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California)
The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) – acquired 1995
El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Olathe News (Olathe, Kansas) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Olympian (Olympia, Washington) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) – founded 1857, original paper
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The State (Columbia, South Carolina) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Sun Herald (Biloxi, Mississippi) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Sun News (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Tacoma News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) – acquired 1986
The Telegraph (Macon) (Macon, Georgia) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
The San Luis Obispo Tribune (San Luis Obispo, California) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase
Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Washington) – acquired 1979
Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase

[NBachers]

52. Here's a good idea -

Don't Vote Republican

[redqueen]

58. Centrist / DLC Dems are on board with this. (nt)

[ramapo]

56. I'm surprised.

Surprised that people are actually angry. This crap has been going on for years with little protest except from those most directly affected...and sometimes not even tby them.

We have met the enemy and surprise, the enemy is apathy and greed.

[redqueen]

57. Who the hell thinks this kind of stuff doesn't happen?! WTF?!

How far up do you have to stick your head to miss this crap?

[AngryOldDem]

68. There has been some defense of outsourcing on these boards for a long while.

Or, should I say, "information transfer." Sounds oh, so much better.

:sarcasm:

[redqueen]

72. Sounds like catapulted propaganda to me.

[KillCapitalism]

59. So what happens when...

we outsource so many jobs to the point where we have 75+% unemployment?

Do we all just sit around and twiddle our thumbs all day?

[Indenturedebtor]

60. They don't care.

They're so short sighted that none of them care. It may have reached the critical tipping point where to survive many companies have to do this. They didn't feed enough money back into the bottom of the economy so no one can afford their crap anymore.

Trickle down economics reaches it's logical conclusion.

But no one should continue to read this paper. When I find out that a company outsources I don't patronize them anymore. It's the only power we have as our government has merged with these corporations.

[KamaAina]

76. Player Piano

the Kurt Vonnegut classic addresses just this very situation.

At the time, it was fiction. Way out there fiction. :eyes:

[leftyladyfrommo]

64. Maybe India can do a better job. I tried to put an ad in the KC Star

and failed miserably. No one would even call me back. And then they complain about losing advertising dollars.

[numen]

66. About Time!

We computer programmers have been screwed exactly this way for a decade. Starting eight years ago, my income have only been 25% what it was before. And no one in the main$tream media would listen, because as long as their jobs were safe, why should they pay attention to us?

Well, now that it has hit them (just like we told them years ago that it would) maybe they will finally start to listen to us, and maybe even do something.

And what happened to us, and to them, will soon happen to you. It will continue to happen until the world is flat. The average wage in the world is two dollars a day, and we will continue to be replaced until our wages match. Unless you vote out all the prostitutes in public office who pass laws allowing it to happen (or even encouraging it through tax breaks).

Your job's next. Will you start to do something now, or will you wait until you lose your house?

[KansDem]

70. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Sorry to read of your situation, but I'm afraid it will get worse before it gets better. :(

[OhioChick]

71. Welcome

To DU! :hi:

[shrike]

78. Steelworkers, anybody who worked in manufacturing had the same lament

long ago, and nobody paid attention, including a lot of white-collar types (like programmers?). When they did give the problem some thought, their usual response was to scold the layoff-ees for their lack of foresight and tell them to "go back to school."

I am sorry for what's happened to you and yours. I'm sure a lot of us out there never believed it could happen to our profession.

BTW, the outsourcing in KC only affects the advertising staff. It'll hit the newsroom though, only a matter of time.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

73. OFFSHORE THE CEO'S JOB TO INDIA

That will provide huge money savings without losing
the quality that having feet on the ground in the US provides.

[OhioChick]

74. Damn Good Idea. n/t

[IronLionZion]

80. Hell YES!!! I wish more DUers would place blame on the CEOs

and not on Indian people who want the same things we all want. Someone up top decided that this move might make their stock go up half a point this fiscal quarter. Assholes. Young 20-something stock analysts and consultants are the ones who advise these CEOs, usually with powerpoint slides. Somebody is making a killing and I assure you it's not the Indian workers or the American workers.

[OhioChick]

85. Already Happening....

US major Cisco Systems to shift 20% of top brass to India

New Delhi, Jan 07: Moving ahead from its image as an outsourcing destination of the IT industry, India is now becoming home to top brass of global giants in this space, with US networking giant Cisco Systems planning to shift at least 20 per cent of its top executives to the country.

The company, which has already announced plans to invest over one billion dollars in the country, sees India as a 'big opportunity' to implement its globalization strategy.

Cisco Systems' Chief Globalisation Officer Win Elfrink, who is shifting his base to India later this month, told from San Jose, California: "In the next 2-3 years, every function in the company will have at least 20 per cent of its top executives in India."

The majority of the company's primary business functions including sales, finance, hr, marketing, engineering and customer support will all be represented in India, through its globalization center, as well as in the US, Elfrink said.

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=346357&ssid=54&sid=BUS

[kestrel91316]

75. I am glad my particular line of work can never be outsourced.

Though pets are increasingly being neglected due to the falling standard of livng among Americans. Cats, especially, are seeing the vet a LOT less the last couple of years (the statistics are in, and my bottom line concurs).

Sadly, people seem to be getting their medical information from random non-veterinary websites and the clerk at Petco rather than wanting to pay for my professional opinion...........

[gulfcoastliberal]

79. Hillary Clinton thinks outsourcing to India is a GOOD THING! "No way to legislate against reality"

She and the rest of her traitorous "friends of India caucus" can shove their "free-trade" loving, "outsourcing helps GDP" alternate reality theories up their collective asses! Fuck them! FUCK!

Why any working-class person would support Ms. "Punjab" Clinton is beyond my comprehension.

Hillary clears outsourcing air

Hillary Clinton made it apparent where she stood on outsourcing during her India visit, in an attempt perhaps to clear the Indian misgivings received during the Kerry campaign. "There is no way to legislate against reality. Outsourcing will continue," she told an audience of Indian big-wigs. She pointed out that there were 3 billion people who feel left behind and are trying to attack the modern world in the hope of turning the clock back on globalization. "It is not far-fetched to imagine ... if the Indian miracle would be the one of choice of those who feel left behind," said Hillary.

Hillary has been at the forefront in defending free trade and outsourcing. During the height of the anti-outsourcing backlash in the US last year, she faced considerable flak for defending Indian software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for opening a center in Buffalo, New York. "We are not against all outsourcing; we are not in favor of putting up fences," Hillary said firmly, despite inevitably invoking the ire of the anti-free trade brigade.

Hillary further clarified her position during her recent visit as well as solutions that could be beneficial to both countries. She urged Indian industries to invest more in the US to allay negative outpourings over outsourcing of American jobs to India. "I have to be frank. People in my country are losing their jobs and the US policymakers need to address this issue," she said. She ruled out that the anti-India feeling was a reflexive reaction, and explained that the feeling was more because of the imbalance in trade between the two countries, which in turn caused anguish among Americans about the nature of the economic relationship.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GC01Df03.html

Go fuck yourself, Hillary. You are one vicious slimy, two-faced, traitorous, lying backstabber.

[AngryOldDem]

83. Then at the Ohio debate, she thoroughly downplayed the effects that NAFTA has had here.

NAFTA has just about killed this state. As has outsourcing. NAFTA has drained the manufacturing sector, while outsourcing has decimated the IT industry.

[OhioChick]

84. We Really Got Shafted Here,

Didn't We? :mad:

[rdenney]

88. Outsource the Presidency to India !! Why the hell not ??

[OhioChick]

89. Probably do a better job

than is currently being done.....at a fraction of the cost!

[OhioChick]

86. Why Are McClatchy Newspapers Outsourcing Ad Production To India?

Why Are McClatchy Newspapers Outsourcing Ad Production To India?


The media chains are are at it again, and this time it’s affecting people in my hometown.

From Associated Content:


Plenty of Kansas Citians are up in arms over a recent announcement that The Kansas City Star is outsourcing all of the jobs of those who are in the advertising services department - in fact, their entire digital advertising team, according to one blog - to India. The jobs are being outsourced to Infosys Technologies in Bangalore, India. The employees were notified by memo, and the following day The Kansas City Star included a brief in the paper in the business section. The news reported that nine employees were laid off, however in fact there were several more in total. One of the released employees is a very old friend of mine who had been with the company for a number of years.

Now, as if this weren’t enough of a blow, the kicker is this: the employees will retain their employment until after their replacements - who are being flown in, and put up here in Kansas City - have been trained by the displaced employees. And furthermore, according to a blog comment from the best friend of one of those laid off, The Kansas City Star is not giving letters of recommendation to those being let go! Talk about serious insult to injury.

Now folks, I’m all for a global economy, but as the title suggests this is happening elsewhere in the McClatchy network, and if they’re simply making the jobs cheaper then that means somebody higher up isn’t able to monetize their online advertising effectively.

What does that mean? The ad production staff isn’t why they’re not making enough money…it’s their news strategy and the amount of clicks they’re getting. So you really have to love that a big wig or two can make a call to lay off dozens of employees instead of losing their jobs because they’re not able to get people to read McClatchy’s stories. Granted, I could be wrong about that, but that’s how this outsourcing game is usually played.

One last note…these are very good jobs being lost. Digital ad production and “digital” jobs in general are careers we want to keep in the states. In other words, this isn’t like moving a customer service call center to Bangalore, although I’m sure one could argue that those are good jobs for certain Americans too.

And so it goes…

http://donklephant.com/2008/05/20/why-are-mcclatchy-newspapers-outsourcing-ad-production-to-india/