'Nother Cattle-Call

Looks like there's another "cattle-call" for some jobs today and yours truly will be mooing right along with all the other livestock.

But, you know, we bulls are sensitive to red flags, and I see a few here.

First, the ad states that they offer "competitive pay" with "benefits available."

Available? As in, "If you want medical insurance be prepared to buy it out of your own pocket, chump!" I did the math and, assuming a 40-hour-work week, the medical insurance I'm maintaining through COBRA amounts to a $4.23 per hour usurpation of whatever pay rate they might be offering!

Also, THIS article in the local newspaper indicates that these are jobs that have been outsourced in the Goodyear tire plant.

More red flags!

Those particular salaried positions are being outsourced because Goodyear anticipates efficiency gains, said plant spokesman
Richard Evans in an e-mail.

"We will be assuming those folks and hiring them from Goodyear," said
Exel spokeswoman Stacie Noel, adding that hiring is contingent on background
checks. "They will be working inside the Goodyear plant alongside Goodyear
employees. It's just that they will be employed by Exel."

The change is tentatively scheduled to go into effect Feb. 1, and employees currently in those positions will have the chance to work for
Exel at the same wage levels, Evans said.

Uh-Oh!

Outsourcing to achieve "efficiency gains" can only mean having the same amount of work (or more!) done at less expense to the company.

Also note, that the outsourced employees will "have the chance" to work for "the same wage levels." That says to me "no benefits package" - or at least a greatly reduced benefits package.

I did a one-year stint as a salaried contract employee at a GMAC supplier back in 1997. It was $18/hour, but no benefits.

Ah, heck, who am I kidding?

I'm goin' to apply!

Another victory for free market capitalism!