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Local Tech Wire

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – As reports of layoffs across 28 groups involving nearly 2,700 employees at (NYSE: IBM), the union seeking to represent those employees called for more workers to speak out against the cutbacks.

“This certainly is not just a sliver of workers cut here in the U.S.,” said union executive Lee Conrad, a retired 26-year IBM veteran. He was referring to an Associated Press headline and story that labeled the initial layoffs as being a “sliver” of IBM’s near-400,000 global work force.

“It is a stake to the heart,” Conrad told Local Tech Wire and WRAL.com.

IBM declined comment on the layoffs. "We remix our skills and structure to meet the changing needs of our clients,” said Doug Shelton, director of corporate media relations.

IBM employs some 10,000 people at its campus in RTP, long regarded as the company’s largest. IBM also recently opened a new data center at the site.

In North Carolina, the company has not filed a so-called “WARN” notice, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification. WARN notices requires employers to provide 60 days’ notice of covered plant closings and mass layoffs.

The layoffs affect U.S. workers, a force IBM has trimmed by more than 30,000 to some 105,000 over the past four years. As the week dragged on, the Alliance received a flood of information from IBMers around the country, including copies of or information taken from “resource action” – i.e. layoff packets – given to workers ‘selected to participated,” in IBM’s words.

“We need IBMers to join together with us and stop this onslaught on U.S. jobs,” Conrad said.

Shelton checked and confirmed to Local Tech Wire and WRAL.com that workers who have been notified that their jobs are being eliminated – or “R.A.’d” in IBM employee speak – have 30 days to find a new job within IBM.

IBM’s Web site lists several thousand job openings, including positions in the U.S.

However, Conrad countered, IBM places only about 10 percent of “R.A.’d” workers in other positions.

(For LTW coverage of the layoffs, see that layoffs were coming, and )

In the editorial at its Web site, Alliance, which is affiliated with the Communication Workers of America, said IBM workers were at

IBM posted record profits in 2009, and the IBM noted that the cutting of “at least 10,400” U.S. workers helped drive up those earnings.

“On March 1st 2400 IBM employees got a rude awakening. Once again the company they toiled for turned its back on them and showed them the door and the unemployment line. We have seen this scenario before,” the union said.

“In 2009 after glowing financial results IBM executives immediately started firing employees.

“By the time 2009 was over at least 10,400 workers had lost their jobs.

“IBMers are an understanding group.

“Many have said that if times were tough and the company was not doing well they can understand job cuts.

“But that is not and hasn’t been the case with IBM’s job cuts.

“IBM executives are abandoning the US workforce and moving work offshore, and to make matters even worse, bringing in foreign workers to replace US workers on contracts and accounts here.

“Make no mistake, the job cuts are far from over.”

The Alliance outlined three action steps:

  • More IBM workers to join the union. “No more unilateral decisions with no input or voice from employees. To do that we need a stronger Alliance@IBM and that means everyone join at whatever level you feel comfortable at.”
  • Employees to provide more information, especially about jobs being outsourced and sent overseas. “We need examples of US workers being fired as work is off shored. We need examples of US workers being replaced by offshore workers brought into the US to work on US accounts and jobs. We need information on IBM using foreign workers on Federal, State and City government contracts.”
  • Employees to speak out. “For too long our political leaders have turned a blind eye to the loss of our jobs to off shoring. This must change. Call your political reps and tell them you are fed up with inaction.”

“We realize for many of you these might be drastic and uncomfortable measures.” The Alliance said. “But at what point is the breaking point? After you have lost your job? We say be proactive and act now!”