Local Tech Wire 

IBMers get a reprieve from layoff firing squad, but for how long?

“I'm still an IBMer, for maybe another week,” – Big Blue worker

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — IBM wowed Wall Street on Tuesday with profits that topped analysts’ expectations. And Big Blue management is optimistic about 2009 despite the global economic slowdown. So what does the good financial news mean for IBM workers?

Apparently those fearing a massive round of layoffs were granted a reprieve – at least a brief one.

“I'm still an IBMer, for maybe another week,” one Big Blue worker wrote The Skinny. “I'm sorry, I think I'd better pass on talking with you folks. I don't want to jeopardize my severance package. I hope you understand.”

Alliance@IBM, which is the union seeking to represent Big Blue workers, and numerous IBM workers blogging on Web sites had predicted the company would announce a big work force reduction Tuesday.

“Sounds good for investors,” Alliance@IBM’s Lee Conrad told The Skinny as he listened in to IBM’s earnings conference call, “but IBM employees are waiting for the job-cut shoe to drop.

“I think the job-cut news will happen in the next few days,” Conrad said.

IBM said that work force “rebalancing” (read: reductions in certain spots) wouldn’t necessarily increase in 2009, and the company noted that employment actually continued to grow. However, IBMers based in the U.S. and in Europe point out that much of the job growth is taking place elsewhere.

Since IBM employs more people in the Triangle area (11,000) than in any other one location around the globe, this neck of the woods is especially sensitive to layoff talk.

Big Blue also isn’t known for making big layoff announcements. Rather, people are let go in dribs and drabs – not big news to the media, but certainly headline news for those affected.

Conrad noted that IBM also has other means of dismissing employees.

“IBM is also using the MIS (management-initiated separation) to force people out using the PBC [personal business commitment] evaluation system,” Conrad pointed out. “It is that time of year when the evaluations are complete.”

The Skinny

WRAL Local Tech Wire Publisher and Editor Rick Smith dishes out tidbits from the local technology sector. Read more articles…