IBM Hides the Bodies, Eyes US Government Billions

[antimatter98]

Source: slashdoc.org

"As his company was striving to hide the bodies of its laid-off North American workers, IBM CEO Sam Palmisano stood beside President Barack Obama and waxed patriotic: 'We need to reignite growth in our country,' Palmisano said. 'We need to undertake projects that actually will create jobs.' While Sam positions IBM to get a slice of the $825 billion stimulus pie, Big Blue is quietly cutting thousands of jobs and refusing to release the numbers or locations, arguing that SEC disclosure rules don't apply since the US job cuts are immaterial in its big global picture. The layoffs included hundreds in East Fishkill, coming early in the year after NY taxpayers paid IBM $45 million not to cut additional jobs in East Fishkill in 2008. Some are questioning whether IBM incentives are worth the cost."

Read more: http://slashdot.org/articles/09/01/31/2316221.shtml

[OhioChick]

1. IBM quietly cuts thousands of jobs

IBM quietly cuts thousands of jobs

updated 4 days ago


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- It isn't releasing specific numbers, but IBM has cut thousands of jobs over the past week including positions in sales, hardware and software divisions.

Workers have reported layoffs in Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York state, Texas and Vermont. IBM says the cuts are simply part of its ongoing efforts to watch costs.

It is adding bodies in cheaper and higher-growth parts of the world, like India.

Staffing in India has jumped from just 9,000 workers in 2003 to 74,000 workers in 2007.

http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=537958&catid=18

Meanwhile.....

Tech Industry CEOs Back Obama's Rescue Package
Corporate America Sees Benefit of Massive Federal Spending to Help Turn Around Slumping Sales, Combat Huge Job Losses

President Barack Obama won a well-timed plug for his economic-rescue plan from the U.S. high-tech industry, a group he nurtured heavily during the campaign.

Mr. Obama's gathering with 13 chief executives at the White House Wednesday -- the first corporate sit-down of his presidency -- showed how much the two sides now need one another's support. Ten of the 13 executives run companies that would broadly be considered from the technology industry.

Chief executives who met with President Obama
Steve Appleton, Micron Technology
David Barger, Jet Blue Airways
Greg Brown, Motorola
John Bryson, Edison International
David M. Cote, Honeywell
Debra Lee, BET Holdings
Anne Mulcahy, Xerox
Sam Palmisano, IBM
Antonio Perez, Eastman Kodak
Eric Schmidt, Google
Michael Splinter, Applied Materials
Wendell Weeks, Corning
Ron Williams, Aetna

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318835721826641.html?mod=article-outset-box

[Baby Snooks]

2. What's wrong with the picture?

What's wrong with the picture? The millions of unemployed Americans. Juxtaposed against the number of "outsourced" jobs. A connection that Congress for some reason doesn't want to see. Just as it doesn't want to see the picture. Or does it see the picture and just hopes that we don't?

[OhioChick]

3. They don't give a rat's ass. n/t

[Orsino]

7. They would if they were responsible to us.

They are instead beholden to corporate millions.

[Azlady]

5. I keep hoping there is going to be a STOP to this but it just

keep getting worse & worse! Writing, calling, writing, calling... not ONE response have I received with regard to this issue! Not ONE!

[OhioChick]

6. Same here. n/t

[bluesmail]

4. Aren't corporations laying off 'older' workers who are at the top of their

pay scale? Then when the dust settles they'll start hiring workers at a much lower rate. Doesn't at all sound patriotic.

[Greyhound]

8. The first and the worst. IBM has started moving to China in the 70s

and has been doing this since the 80s. They own the state and federal legislators and do what they please.

[OhioChick]

9. Do you think that Obama should give IBM

A piece of that financial pie?

If so, should there be stipulations?

[Greyhound]

13. Absolutely not! Few, if any, of these conglomerates are in financial straights as we

understand it, their compartmentalization of subsidies and divisions are used to hide their assets. They can pour billions into their Asian division but still claim they're bankrupt and "too big to fail" in the US.

[Octafish]

10. IBM and the Holocaust

IBM was essential in advancing Hitler's evil.

Edwin Black has chronicled the history:

IBM and the Holocaust

Sorry if this is OT, but this is news for many, if not most, Americans.

[readmoreoften]

11. That's what I thought. The OP could've as easily been literal as figurative.

My first thought was--did they lend computer power to another holocaust?

[Javaman]

12. aka we don't announce our layoffs, that would be such a buzzkill to our image!!!

IBM bringing you computers that the nazi's used!!!

Talk about buzzkill.

sheesh.