vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

1.27.2009

Should we know?

Job cuts are under way at IBM in Essex Junction this morning and that makes for a tough day for a lot of people.

Apparently, whether one is inside the building or out, one doesn't know how many cuts there will be.

Under federal law, as you read in this morning's Free Press, a company doesn't have to inform government of even large-scale layoffs if it is giving employees 60 days' notice or severance. In the Statehouse today, people are buzzing about the size of the number with no facts at hand.

The question here isn't so much about law, but about what's right. Should an employer like IBM, knowing the impact they have in this state by virtue of their size, give officials a heads up? Or should they have room to conduct the layoffs the way they want?

I can tell you from personal experience there doesn't seem to be a good way to conduct layoffs. Give plenty of notice or spring it on em suddenly - either way it rots.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 11:29 AM |

Comments:

I suppose this makes Bernie Sanders and his union goons happy - after all of the IBM bashing they have done over the years! Way to go!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:47 AM, January 27, 2009

Don't blame the unions for protecting workers from corporate greed.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:00 PM, January 27, 2009

Jim = Jobs ???

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:14 PM, January 27, 2009

If the circ was built there wouldn't be a worldwide economic crisis!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:24 PM, January 27, 2009

Jim's failures to deliver on any campaign promise are not his fault.

It's someone else's fault, always.

The buck stops someplace else.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:50 PM, January 27, 2009

It's a sign of the times. 68,000 laid off yesterday in other large corporations around the country. IBM workers in other states are also affected. Know doesn't seem like much consolation, but at least the workers are getting severance based up service. For many others in other companies, just the layoff notice.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:45 PM, January 27, 2009

2.6 million people lost their jobs in the last year so blaming local politicians for job cuts here seems rather foolish in the overall context of things.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:50 PM, January 27, 2009

Yeah, you are right EXCEPT that Gov Jim DOuglas not only supported Pres Bush's policies, he embraced his economic policies, and chaired his election and re-election campaigns.

Therefore, s _ _ t does flow downhill!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:00 PM, January 27, 2009

Except that Bernie's hatred towards IBM had already fueled a sudden desire to do more stuff at Fishkill. Not to mention the liberals long-time refusal to deal with the circ highway. When crunch time arrives, these businesses have good memories.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:02 PM, January 27, 2009

I know, I know, we should all lower our standards as low as possible so businesses will grace us with their presence. If we raise our incentives for IBM above the NY offer and than they one up us and so on and so on until we are literally paying businesses to come to our state with our tax money. Oh wait, that's what we are already doing. Quick someone remind me of the definition of the free market.

Nothing like a race to the bottom to get the heart rate going.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:39 PM, January 27, 2009

trying to attract or keep jobs - or responding to requests from employers - is a "race to the bottom"?

There is no fabled "Quality of Life" when the good jobs disappear, and when lifelong Vermonters can no longer make enough $$ to make up for our ridiculously high living expenses.

I say roll out the red carpet for big employers! We need more of 'em, not less!

(I'm sure some unemployed keyboard jockey will disagree with me, so fire away!)

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:52 PM, January 27, 2009

Bubba:
Guess you didn't hear; Fishkill got layoffs also.

For someone as incompetent as you think Sanders is, you sure give him a lot of credit for being able to influence corporations in the area. Which is it? You can't have it both ways.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:01 PM, January 27, 2009

"Unemployed keyboard jockey" rather unkind way to refer to people who have been laid off. Or is the sympathy reserved for certain of the laid off?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:03 PM, January 27, 2009

Go Deb Markowitz!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:56 PM, January 27, 2009

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 5:56 PM, January 27, 2009

Economics 101-
A company employing 300 will have a payroll of +/-$7.5 mill that goes into the local economy- those 300 will easily support another 300 in services around the community. Those 600 people probably pay $300k in property taxes, of which 75% pays for schools. They pay +/- $300k in VT taxes as well as the employer's tax on profits. Those 300 employees also contribute (or the company) to a health insurance at about $800/month per employee keeping people insured and out of ER rooms.
How does the money get to Washington in the first place?-
Your money and your taxes are paying for this huge bailout. Now they are favoring us by giving iy back to people who abuse it.
So- we really do not need businesses to support the community- we will just ask Bernie & Obama to send us cash- why should we even look for work.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:36 AM, January 28, 2009

Amen! Once proud and frugal Vermonters have become (for the most part) nothing more than liberal droids, satiating themselves on Bernie's communist kool-aid.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:01 AM, January 28, 2009

Too late. The Repubs and their corporate sponsors got there first!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:11 PM, January 28, 2009

Go Doug Racine

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:53 AM, January 29, 2009

The clouds have lifted, the sun is shining, and Bush is no longer President. The dims control congress, everyone will now get their 40 acres and a mule, the terrorists now love us, and jw still won't work! What's your whiny, pathetic excuse now that you can no longer blame the Republicans for the depression they forced on to you?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:34 AM, February 02, 2009