When President Reagan summarily replaced striking air traffic control workers almost three decades ago the job of people in employee communications and other employee relations posts got a little simpler, and stayed that way, as no president in the interim ever sided publicly with workers in any labor dispute.
Now we have this sit-in at this window plant in Chicago because the company is trying to get out of union rules specifying a 60-day layoff notice and president-elect Obama says, "When it comes to the situation here in Chicago with the workers who are asking for their benefits and payments they have earned, I think they are absolutely right."
And with that, things just got that much more complicated again for internal communicators, who now at the very list must add to their list of murder board questions for executives, "But even the U.S. president thinks it's management's responsibility to …."
That much more complicated for employee communication people—and that much more interesting.
I was reading about that in the Sunday paper, and had some questions about just how things work. As I understand it, the company is closing in part because it can’t make payments to Bank of America that covered, at least in part, the cost of employee health insurance. The company is behind in its payments and said it had no choice but to close the doors.
But didn’t Bank of America just get billions of dollars in order to help it stay solvent? If the bank just got this long-term loan/grant/bailout, shouldn’t that trickle down to the people they do business with? If the window company owes money that it can’t pay to BofA, and the bank just got made whole, then shouldn’t it have an obligation to those who owe them money to come up with some kind of debt restructuring in order to keep these customers/small businesses/etc. whole too? That’s the question foremost in my mind in reading about this. I didn’t get the impression that the company was trying to screw over its employees so much as that it was out of options.
And speaking of Chicago, heard on the radio this morning that finally YOUR governor is drawing the spotlight away from mine. What on earth is going on down there, David?
“If the window company owes money that it can’t pay to BofA, and the bank just got made whole, then shouldn’t it have an obligation to those who owe them money …?”
Yes, this is one of the slogans at the rallies, apparently, targeting BofA: “You got bailed out, we got sold out ….” I don’t think Obama has chosen culprits between Republic and BofA; but at least he’s got the victims right.
Let’s not talk about Governor Jamokevich, who appears to be so criminal he sours even Illinoisans’ dead taste buds.
“Illinoisans” Is that REALLY what you guys call yourselves? How do you even PROUNOUNCE that?!
Ill annoyin’s
I see. Well, there’s a pretty obvious joke there, but since you Illinoisans are already having kind of a tough day, I shall refrain. It’s close to Christmas, and Santa is watching, so I have to put my snarky on hold until the New Year!
Besides, you guys still have Obama, after all, so there is some good news.
YES, MAAM!!!
We still have Barack, and YES WE CAN!!!
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says he is “disgusted” with Illinois and that it is “the most corrupt state in the union.”
Now that Obama has done such a good job of cleaning up his home state in his six years of being a state senator and two years of U.S. Senator, he can finally turn his attention to cleaning up the country!!!
CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!!!!!
Listen Steve: I TOLD YOU – Those who don’t vote, don’t get to BITCH!!!
Besides, I don’t want you giving yourself an ulcer over this because then who will make hilarious videos of themselves going to war on…what was that you smashed at the end there anyway? I hope it wasn’t a REALLY good bottle of wine…now THAT would be the TRUE crime here!!
Steve: P.S. I realize you are passionate about this topic, but was it REALLY necessary to call me “ma’am”?! I mean, jeez, I thought we were FRIENDS!
A little light to go with the heat on this issue:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10chicago.html?hp
I just read this post again, and suddenly realized there’s a term in there I’ve never heard.
I’m sure this will make me sound dumb and uninformed, but considering what a goof I make of myself out there on Facebook, this can’t do much more damage, so:
“What’s a murder board”???
A “murder board” is a session where you put a series of likely questions to a trial witness … or a CEO about to go out in front of the troops. In preparation.
Hmmm. Well there you go. Never let anyone tell you David that your blog doesn’t inform.
I learned something new here today. Thanks!