Friday, November 04, 2005

Why does GE treat temps like second-class citizens, and why should we care?

by the Auburn WAGE Committee
GE is using a lot of temporary workers at Auburn. Somebody retires or quits, and instead of posting the job, GE fills it with a temp worker from Manpower.

GE promises the temps that if they work hard and show their dedication to the job, they will be made permanent.

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.

When GE uses lower wage temp workers, it may save money in the short run; but it eventually undermines our plant's productivity. And while there may be an occasional need for temp employees, Auburn management is clearly abusing it.

Another example was the temp who worked with us for about 8 months. Although wherever she worked in the plant she was praised for her skill and work ethic, she was overlooked for a permanent job in favor of another temp who had been here for less time.

When the HR manager was asked why, he said, "It looks like she slipped through the cracks." That's little consolation to the temp, who was then told to "hang in there." It raises a question about the process used to decide who is hired.

Our nation fought a war in order to give truth to the words "free and equal" and to end slavery. We aren't slaves at GE and neither are the "Manpower" workers who help us.

But the temps ARE treated like second-class citizens. They don't get the same pay for the same work. Although they don't have the benefits that we enjoy, there is no real difference between us. It's just the luck of the draw.

As employees know we are expendable to GE. We can be replaced at the drop of a hat. And just as easy as not, we could be like the Manpower workers: On the outside looking in.

There is no moral justification for any worker to be treated like a second-class citizen in this country.

Hiring more temps with low pay rates and no benefits drags down the living standards for all of us. 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 free workers feeling "lucky to be free." The abuse of temps leaves those of us who still have a full-time job feeling "just lucky to have a job."


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: http://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t14.htm table B-1.]

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

yeah

October 24, 2008 10:07 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I have been a temp for a year now. I went to the temp agency to get more office work experience because I was tired of working civil service jobs for peanuts. But as a temp I feel even less valued than when I worked as a line cook at a restaraunt, or a cashier at a curtain store. I used to have sick days. I used to get payed holidays. Some jobs I had, offered limited benefits. I get more per hour now, but its still not nearly enough to live on. Plus I am expected to work every single day of the year and never get sick or take a vacation. I do, for the record, have great attendence, but, ya know, things happen! Just last week I was ten minutes late (NOT a regular occurance!) and I had my temp agency calling me and explaining to me as if they had done so a hundred times that good attendace is important and make sure I call if I know Ill be late and yadda yadda.

The permanent employees here get free stuff from the company like every other week, its rediculous, and I am always overlooked. They all got a HUGE boX of candy for halloween this week and they have the nerve to complain about exactly what they got in front of me. One guy started two days ago and got one! I've been on this assignment for 4 months and everyone in my office has already had at least one vacation, some two, since Ive been here and they all come back and go on and on about how great it was and how it sucks to be back. Yes. Im jealous.

Whenever I have business to discuss with my manager she leaves me on he back burner until she has absolutely NOTHING left to do then she sometimes squeezes me in, and if there is one disturence (like one of our drivers walking in and talking about his dog for example) she just gets up while im in mid sentence. Its so frustrating!

Im not introduced to people when everyone else is. Im left out of meetings. Everyone here just seems to look down their nose at me.

Temping is not far off from slavery. Yes. We are paid. And we can leave if we want. But I work full time in what proclaims itself as being the best country in the world and I cant go to the doctor or the dentist, can't pay my bills, have to scrimp to eat, cant afford to keep my car road safe, cant make any plans, and cant get any respect. This isn't right!!!

PS Dont get the wrong idea from this rant either. I'm always curtious and don't comlain.

October 24, 2008 10:39 AM  

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