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Major layoffs foreseen at IBM
Union: Today is Black Thursday
By John Murawski, Staff Writer Comment on this story
A labor union seeking to organize IBM's work force predicts another major layoff at the global technology giant today.
Alliance@IBM, the union, warned of the looming job cuts on its Web site,<span style="font-weight: bold"> basing the report of "Black Thursday" on inside tips from IBM employees.</span>
IBM workers have been told to attend a<span style="font-weight: bold"> 15-minute meeting today,</span> and supervisors have privately told some employees that the subject of the meeting is a layoff announcement, said Lee Conrad, a national coordinator at Alliance@IBM.
The cuts are expected to target IBM's Global Business Services unit, which has workers at Research Triangle Park, IBM's biggest site worldwide.
"When so many people get that kind of announcement, there's going to be a job cut," Conrad said. "People are saying it's going to be a big cut."
IBM is one of more than a dozen recession-battered high-tech companies slashing jobs in this region. Parallel layoffs at Sony Ericsson, Nortel Networks, Lenovo and others are glutting the job market with out-of-work engineers, programmers and project managers.
An air of mystery shrouds IBM's staff reductions because the New York-based company typically does not disclose the extent of its cuts.
IBM spokesman Doug Shelton wouldn't elaborate on Wednesday.
"I can't comment on rumor or speculation," Shelton said.
The information void prompts workers, investors and competitors to play a guessing game. The union provides an outlet for the curious through its Web site, but Conrad said the organization has been very accurate in predicting past IBM layoffs.
According to the Alliance@IBM Web site, IBM has terminated almost 5,000 workers in the past months. IBM's RTP site employed 11,000 workers before recent layoffs trimmed its ranks.
Some jobs in IBM's Global Business Services unit will likely be outsourced to other parts of the world, Conrad said. The unit provides financial management, customer relationship management and supply chain management, according to IBM's Web site.
The unit also also advises companies that are seeking to cut costs -- through outsourcing.
According to one anonymous employee comment on the Alliance@IBM site, more than 300 IBM workers in North Carolina will lose their jobs today. Another employee said managers are describing the looming layoffs as "Black Thursday."
The Alliance@IBM has 350 paying members throughout IBM, including about 15 at RTP, Conrad said.
Union: Today is Black Thursday
By John Murawski, Staff Writer Comment on this story
A labor union seeking to organize IBM's work force predicts another major layoff at the global technology giant today.
Alliance@IBM, the union, warned of the looming job cuts on its Web site,<span style="font-weight: bold"> basing the report of "Black Thursday" on inside tips from IBM employees.</span>
IBM workers have been told to attend a<span style="font-weight: bold"> 15-minute meeting today,</span> and supervisors have privately told some employees that the subject of the meeting is a layoff announcement, said Lee Conrad, a national coordinator at Alliance@IBM.
The cuts are expected to target IBM's Global Business Services unit, which has workers at Research Triangle Park, IBM's biggest site worldwide.
"When so many people get that kind of announcement, there's going to be a job cut," Conrad said. "People are saying it's going to be a big cut."
IBM is one of more than a dozen recession-battered high-tech companies slashing jobs in this region. Parallel layoffs at Sony Ericsson, Nortel Networks, Lenovo and others are glutting the job market with out-of-work engineers, programmers and project managers.
An air of mystery shrouds IBM's staff reductions because the New York-based company typically does not disclose the extent of its cuts.
IBM spokesman Doug Shelton wouldn't elaborate on Wednesday.
"I can't comment on rumor or speculation," Shelton said.
The information void prompts workers, investors and competitors to play a guessing game. The union provides an outlet for the curious through its Web site, but Conrad said the organization has been very accurate in predicting past IBM layoffs.
According to the Alliance@IBM Web site, IBM has terminated almost 5,000 workers in the past months. IBM's RTP site employed 11,000 workers before recent layoffs trimmed its ranks.
Some jobs in IBM's Global Business Services unit will likely be outsourced to other parts of the world, Conrad said. The unit provides financial management, customer relationship management and supply chain management, according to IBM's Web site.
The unit also also advises companies that are seeking to cut costs -- through outsourcing.
According to one anonymous employee comment on the Alliance@IBM site, more than 300 IBM workers in North Carolina will lose their jobs today. Another employee said managers are describing the looming layoffs as "Black Thursday."
The Alliance@IBM has 350 paying members throughout IBM, including about 15 at RTP, Conrad said.