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Not A Layoff December 10, 2001 To the Editor of the Burlington Free Press: I'm writing to offer some comments regarding the job First of all, IBM's use of the word "layoff" is incorrect. This is just an example of the company's internal doublespeak, known to many employees as "IBM-speak." Call it mass job eliminations or firings, but nobody has ever been laid off by IBM. The history is that new hires are brought in to fill jobs. Former employees are not called back. In fact, active college recruitment is going on right now. Second, so far this year IBM has announced plans to spend up to $7.8 billion buying back its own stock. All the hand-wringing about a poor business climate is geared toward making everyone feel sorry for IBM, while huge sums of money are being spent to prop up the executives' share values. Finally, cuts at the Essex Junction plant are a blow not only to employees, but to the local community, Chittenden County, northwestern Vermont and the entire state. This is the same company that demands special property tax rates, special treatment during local and regional permit processes, and state expenditure of more than $100 million to construct the Circ Highway. It is time for state government and the people of Vermont to ask what
happened to "IBM the good citizen." The people and the leaders
of Vermont need to understand the greater issue is that we do not have
a seat at the table when these
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