Blue No More

IBM layoffs in the Hudson Valley

bluenomore — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:37:21 +0000

Looks like they may be up to it again…

Rumor of 150 cuts in POK and EFK:

IBM shipping stupidity

bluenomore — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:17:36 +0000

Take a look at how IBM shipped a couple of replacement trackpoint covers (those little red pencil-eraser thingys) to a customer in Canada. Tell me the company isn’t nuts…

More IBM Layoffs

bluenomore — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:59:14 +0000

IBM’s layoffs have hit again, and they’ve hit a very sensitive area very hard. New York’s Hudson Valley, home to many of the long-established IBM sites such as Poughkeepsie, East Fishkill, and the now-defunct Kingston, lost 300+ IBM jobs today. Almost a year to the day of a similar Resource Action last year, this one targets IBM’s chip business, which is primarily located in the East Fishkill plant, with additional jobs in Poughkeepsie and Burlington Vermont lost as well.

IBM’s chip business surrounds it’s POWER Architecture processors, used in IBM servers.

Read these articles for more information:

IBM to Cut 300 Jobs in New York

IBM Cuts 450 Chip Manufacturing Jobs

300 local jobs lost at IBM; Union: ‘more of the same’

Big Blue Hands Out 90 Pink Slips

IBM Alliance Job Cuts and Status Board

150,000 layoffs in the works at IBM?

bluenomore — Mon, 07 May 2007 04:38:52 +0000

I have heard this before – in the Alliance message boards, around the watercooler before I was axed, and in conversations with my former coworkers… but this is the first time I’ve seen it on a mainstream Web site. It’s worth a read – I, for one, think the guy is on to something.

Lean and Mean: 150,000 U.S. layoffs for IBM?

Condolences to those recently laid off

bluenomore — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:22:18 +0000

IBM has done it again – I’ve heard from former colleagues today, and read the news in the Poughkeepsie Journal, and the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin. Over 1300 let go, and I’m sure this is only the beginning. The message boards over at the Alliance site have been filling up fast this afternoon – however most of those who were given notice didn’t seem to be too surprised, so at least they were prepared. With IBM these days, it’s a matter of when, not if.

What really adds insult to injury is the fact that IBM executives are planning to fork out more than $100,000 to treat themselves to a fancy culinary lunch here in a few days, right in the wake of all these layoffs. Stupidity run amok. My managers used to have trouble approving a light lunch for the end-of-year holiday banquet, and meanwhile the execs are off having $100K lunches.

For those of you who were victims of today’s resource action, please know that you aren’t bad people and that it wasn’t your fault. Keep your head up high, and look for another job – you’ll be happier away from IBM, even if you don’t know it yet.

Welcome to BlueNoMore

bluenomore — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:06:35 +0000

A little background… I was an IBMer for nearly 9 years when I was selected for one of their famous “resource action” events in the fall of 2006. Many of my friends and co-workers from IBM were similarly selected for this event, and thus the chaos began.

For the uninitiated, a “resource action” is a fancy term for a layoff.

Long story short, I was able to land on my feet, get another job (although not quite at the same pay), and start a new life, in a new town and with a new role.

Although I am happy with how things worked out, I feel like IBM led me down a primrose path for many years, and I hold a grudge against them. Why shouldn’t I? They drove me into therapy, caused problems with my home life, and pushed me to the edge of ruin.

I hope that this blog will be several things:

1) A cautionary tale against working for IBM – if you’re in college and IBM has recruited you, or if you have an interview coming up, I urge you to reconsider.

2) A place for other IBM victims to come, see my stories, and realize that they weren’t/aren’t alone in the world.

3) A showcase of general corporate stupidity, a ‘la IBM.

4) Other things, yet to be determined.