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first, don't even think i'm defending the chinese labor practices. i am not. just a report from the front line of the race to the bottom.
where i work you would be impressed by shiny new machines and a clean shop, typical high tech american manufacturing. look closer and you'll see one operator running six of those shiny new machines, hustling his/her ass off to keep them all running at rate, i work alongside minimum wage workers who are afraid to even sit down for a few minutes here and there for fear of losing their shitty job. the product made by these minimum wage workers feeds one of the largest and most profitable sectors in this country, one that is discussed ad nauseum every day here on DU for about the last two years. the stick has replaced the carrot in all relations with employees. at least the chinese bosses let their workers sit. that is a luxury few are allowed here anymore. every little luxury gets taken away eventually by management who has forgotten or never known what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. our payday was recently pushed back a day, not a big problem, except for the fact that employees were not told until after they would have normally received their checks on payday. some had floated checks for bills. yesterday our new supervisor gave us a heads up that there will be a meeting today, scheduled at our normal break time when half the employees leave. we used to have a window we could look out of at the employee entrance, not any more. oh and please be sure to mop up real well tonight at the end of your shift, but gee, we forgot to buy soap for the floor. make do.
i've been at this company "only" about 8 years, but am now one of the veterans, i and all others in similar positions feel like hostages rather than "our most valuable asset", as the giant banner hung to impress the customers proclaim. i've seen all the good experienced people above me fired or laid off, almost always for some petty reason. i see the applications coming in to the supervisors office where there are left for anyone in the company curious enough to see, at the top of the stack the leading applicants resume's are marked and highlighted by the plant manager "CHEAP!" yes our main criteria when hiring is now how cheap we can get you in the door for.
i used to enjoy my job, now the only thing keeping me here is the fact my pay hasn't been cut. yet.
but, boy! you should see our website! shiny new machines!
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