Why do non-union GE plants treat temporary workers like second-class citizens?
I recently met with the WAGE Committee in Auburn. Members there told me how GE is using too many temporary workers in the plant.
It's a story that I have heard all too often at GE. Somebody retires or quits, and instead of posting the job, GE fills it with a temp worker from an agency like Manpower, Inc. or Labor Ready.
GE (and many other employers), promise the temps that if they work hard and show their dedication to the job, they will be made permanent. In effect, it means workers are required to go through two probationary periods.
In Auburn, GE told one temp worker that if he worked a year, he would be made permanent. After eleven and a half months, management laid him off. Just imagine how he felt.
About a month later, still looking for work, he took another temp job at GE. Upon returning, the first thing he asked was if he worked two more weeks would he qualify for a permanent job? Guess what GE told him? "Sorry, you have to work another year." Shortly after that he quit.
When employers use lower wage temp workers, it may save money in the short run; but it eventually undermines productivity. And while there may be the occasional legitimate need for temp employees, GE is clearly abusing it.
Our nation fought a bloody civil war in order to give truth to the words, "Freedom and Equality." While temps aren't slaves, they are being treated like second-class citizens.
When companies owned slaves, it dragged down the living standards for all workers. Today, the shift by large corporations to hiring more temps with low pay rates and no benefits is once again affecting all of our living standards. And by further dividing people at work, it makes building unity on the job that much harder to achieve.
Over a hundred years ago, slavery left so called "free" workers feeling "lucky to be free." The widespread abuse of temps today has the same effect. It leaves those of us who still have a full-time job feeling "lucky to have a job."
Do you know someone who is trapped in a part-time, temporary or dead-end job? Call Rand Wilson at (781) 598-2760 ext 25 or email me at rwilson@local201iuecwa.org.
In text box
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 2.6 million people employed at temporary help agencies and another 3.8 million people employed in the broader category of "employment services." which includes "leased" workers and other non-standard arrangements. [Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Major Economic Indicators, Employment Situation, Table B-1.]
It's a story that I have heard all too often at GE. Somebody retires or quits, and instead of posting the job, GE fills it with a temp worker from an agency like Manpower, Inc. or Labor Ready.
GE (and many other employers), promise the temps that if they work hard and show their dedication to the job, they will be made permanent. In effect, it means workers are required to go through two probationary periods.
In Auburn, GE told one temp worker that if he worked a year, he would be made permanent. After eleven and a half months, management laid him off. Just imagine how he felt.
About a month later, still looking for work, he took another temp job at GE. Upon returning, the first thing he asked was if he worked two more weeks would he qualify for a permanent job? Guess what GE told him? "Sorry, you have to work another year." Shortly after that he quit.
When employers use lower wage temp workers, it may save money in the short run; but it eventually undermines productivity. And while there may be the occasional legitimate need for temp employees, GE is clearly abusing it.
Our nation fought a bloody civil war in order to give truth to the words, "Freedom and Equality." While temps aren't slaves, they are being treated like second-class citizens.
When companies owned slaves, it dragged down the living standards for all workers. Today, the shift by large corporations to hiring more temps with low pay rates and no benefits is once again affecting all of our living standards. And by further dividing people at work, it makes building unity on the job that much harder to achieve.
Over a hundred years ago, slavery left so called "free" workers feeling "lucky to be free." The widespread abuse of temps today has the same effect. It leaves those of us who still have a full-time job feeling "lucky to have a job."
Do you know someone who is trapped in a part-time, temporary or dead-end job? Call Rand Wilson at (781) 598-2760 ext 25 or email me at rwilson@local201iuecwa.org.
In text box
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 2.6 million people employed at temporary help agencies and another 3.8 million people employed in the broader category of "employment services." which includes "leased" workers and other non-standard arrangements. [Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Major Economic Indicators, Employment Situation, Table B-1.]
posted by Rand Wilson at 10:44 AM
2 Comments:
I recently referred a friend to GE. He served several years in the Marine Corps, where he was in charge of a large motor pool. He was a licensed maintenance tech. He left the Corps and went to Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI).
He has been building bikes for the past few years in Florida. He also knows a great deal about what we do at GE. He could have easily filled any position available. Instead Joe Spina chose people who from what I'm seeing, obviously don't have a clue as to what is going on. In the past week, I've seen a new hire detonate several fixtures at $200 a pop. If I did this as a temp, I would be on the outside looking in right now.
On the other hand, we have a few temps who could have easily done this job. However, due to the fact that new hires are going to a community college, (which teaches absolutely nothing about what goes on inside GE) Spina hires them. Our community college teaches zip zero zilch about the mechanics of GE. I know I went there. It is a joke.. and unlike our friend who spent a year at GE, I spent over 2 years playing their temp game, so I have more patience than most supervisors.
I too was promised a job by a certain supervisor after a year. A year went by, I got laid off. Then I went to work as a millwright. I have a background in heating cooling and mechanical contracting. I actually took mechanical engineering as a fun thing to do.
I got burnt out, went back to the temp thing, and was pretty much told the same story.. So it was no surprise to me when they hired a bunch more people who knew far less than myself before me. An oversight?? I highly doubt it.. Just another game to see how an obvious union supporter such as myself would respond.. At that time I said nothing. Here it is 7 years later, I guess its ok for me to speak now..
Manpower and all the other temp services should not exist, they are legal pimping agencies. They do nothing and collect money for basically doing nothing. Any company could set up a temporary account on their own, just ask any retiree who has returned again and again and again. Most of who are doing simple basic stuff for 2 times what hard butt busting temps are doing.
Respect is not a word, but an act of appreciation towards fellow human beings.. Show little respect, get little respect. I will always respect union values…Unfortunately, not many appreciate what unions have done for the USA.
Steve
Go GE
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