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News and Opinion Concerning Health Savings Accounts, Medical Costs and Health Care Reform

• New York Times editorial: Maybe I’ll Get Better on My Own. While politicians have been debating endlessly over the best ways to reform the American health care system, the plight of American patients has rapidly worsened. A new national survey found that an alarming 20 percent of the population, some 59 million people in all, either delayed or did without needed medical care last year, a huge increase from the 36 million people who delayed or did not seek care in 2003.

  As expected, people who have no health insurance — there are some 47 million of them — were most likely to make that difficult choice. But insured people also chose to go without care in ever-larger numbers.

  According to the survey, the main reason is soaring medical costs, which have outstripped the modest growth in wages in recent years. High costs are deterring not only the uninsured from seeking care, but also many insured people who are struggling with higher deductibles, co-payments and other out-of-pocket expenses as their employers or health plans shift more of the cost burden to them.

  Many patients with insurance said they went without care because their health plans would not pay for the treatment or their doctors or hospitals would not accept their insurance. Both insured and uninsured patients said they skipped treatments because they had trouble getting timely appointments, were unable to get through on the telephone, or could not make it to a doctor’s office or clinic when it was open. No doubt a weakening economy, high fuel prices, the home foreclosure crisis and general economic anxiety also played a role. ...

  Champions of so-called “consumer-directed health care” might argue that the market is working — people are wisely delaying or forgoing care of low marginal value. But it is disturbing that unmet medical needs increased the most for people in poor or only fair health — those most likely to get even sicker if they don’t get treatment.

• RTTNews: UnitedHealth Settles Class Action Lawsuit; Trims FY'08 Profit Outlook Below Consensus. Excerpt: The lawsuit filed by the California Public Employees' Retirement System in 2006, alleged that UnitedHealth's CEO and COO collectively earned over $500 million by exercising the backdated options. However, the company has denied any wrongdoing.
• National Public Radio: Most Patients Happy With German Health Care. By Richard Knox. Excerpt: Mention European health care to an American, and it probably conjures up a negative stereotype — high taxes, long waiting lines, rationed care. It's not that way in Germany. Very little tax money goes into the system. The lion's share comes, as in America, from premiums paid by workers and employers to insurance companies.

  German health benefits are very generous. And there's usually little or no wait to get elective surgery or diagnostic tests, such as MRIs. It's one of the world's best health care systems, visible in little ways that most Germans take for granted. ...

  The health care system that took such good care of Sabina is not funded by government taxes. But it is compulsory. All German workers pay about 8 percent of their gross income to a nonprofit insurance company called a sickness fund. Their employers pay about the same amount. Workers can choose among 240 sickness funds.

  Basing premiums on a percentage-of-salary means that the less people make, the less they have to pay. The more money they make, the more they pay. This principle is at the heart of the system. Germans call it "solidarity." The idea is that everybody's in it together, and nobody should be without health insurance. "If I don't make a lot of money, I don't have to pay a lot of money for health insurance," Sabina says. "But I have the same access to health care that someone who makes more money has." ...

  Actually, it's about the same proportion of income that American workers pay, on average, if they get their health insurance through their job. The big difference is that U.S. employers pay far more, on average, than German employers do — 18 percent of each employee's gross income versus around 8 percent in Germany. ...

  Moreover, German health insurance has more generous benefits than U.S. policies cover. There are never any deductibles, for instance, before coverage kicks in. And all Germans get the same coverage. For instance, the Casagrandes' insurance covers an expensive medicine Jan needs for a chronic intestinal problem. He says if they moved to America, they might not be able to buy insurance at all because of their pre-existing conditions — a nonproblem in Germany.

  "He says for himself — or for us — the health care system in the United States is the major reason why we have never moved there, and never will move there. Because both of us have chronic illnesses that have to have a lot of medical attention, and we would go broke," Sabina says, translating for Jan. Jan adds something else. "It's also the No. 1 reason in the United States that people personally go bankrupt," Sabina translates, "which would never happen here ... never!" ...

  Germans really hate any hint of unfairness in health care. The fundamental idea is that everybody must be covered and, preferably, everybody should get equal treatment. So the fact that 10 percent or so can buy some perks is an irritant — something Germans complain about but manage to put up with. But it's unthinkable that 48 million people wouldn't have health insurance at all — the situation in America. As an American, Chris thinks that's shameful. "It's terrible," he says. "It's unbelievable. It shouldn't happen." Germans, he says, would never tolerate that. And their system has been working pretty well for 125 years.

• The American Prospect, courtesy of Physicians for a National Health Program: The Doctors' Revolt. Doctors, the traditional advocates for the medical status quo, are increasingly in favor of major reforms to the U.S. health-care system. By Roger Bybee. Excerpts: Doctors have historically been the watchdogs of the U.S. medical system, with the American Medical Association scaring New Dealers into dropping national health coverage from the Social Security Act and then the AMA shredding Harry Truman’s reform efforts in the late 1940s. But a new poll and other significant indicators suggest that doctors are turning against the health-insurance firms that increasingly dominate American health care.

  The latest sign is a poll published recently in the Annals of Health Research showing that 59 percent of U.S. doctors support a “single payer” plan that essentially eliminates the central role of private insurers. Most industrial societies — including nations as diverse as Taiwan, France, and Canada — have adopted universal health systems that provide health care to all citizens and permit them free choice of their doctors and hospitals. These plans are typically funded by a mix of general tax revenues and payroll taxes, and essential health-care is administered by nonprofit government agencies rather than private insurers.

• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: More Than 500 Backlogged Whistle-Blower Cases Allege Health Care, Drug Company Fraud. Excerpts: Whistle-blower lawsuits alleging that pharmaceutical companies and government contractors defrauded the federal government have created a backlog of more than 900 cases at the Department of Justice, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, more than 500 of the cases involve the health care and pharmaceutical industries, as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

  Lawyers involved in the backlogged disputes say DOJ "cannot keep pace with the surge in charges brought by whistle-blowers," the Post reports. Since 2001, 300 to 400 civil cases have been filed each year; however, the 75-lawyer unit that reviews the allegations investigates about 100 cases annually. Whistle-blowers routinely wait 14 or more months to find out whether DOJ will get involved in the case, during which time whistle-blowers are not allowed to discuss or disclose the existence of such disputes. The government rejects about three-quarters of the cases it receives, saying the majority lack merit.

  Some of largest the false-claims cases include a $650 million settlement reached this year with Merck in connection with an alleged failure to repay Medicaid rebates and a $515 million deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb to cover illegal drug pricing and marketing. The Post reports, "Even bigger lawsuits containing potentially explosive allegations are waiting in the wings."

• San Francisco Bay-Guardian, courtesy of Consumer Watchdog.org: Bad Medicine, Under the Guise of Helpfulness, Big Pharma is After Your Confidential Medical Records. By Jake Whitney. Excerpts: Let's say you were recently diagnosed with a serious medical condition -- depression, for instance. Your doctor thinks medication is the way to go, but says it may take some experimentation to find the right drug. The first try: Paxil.

  For two weeks, you don't notice a difference. But then suddenly you can't sleep and you're suffering from headaches. So you call your doctor, who tells you to stop taking the meds and come in to discuss your condition further. In the meantime, you get an unusual mailer from Walgreens, your local pharmacy, saying "please remember to take your medication." Perplexed, you wonder if your pharmacist knows something your doctor doesn't, and you consider resuming the Paxil. Then you take another look at the mailer.

  In fine print, you see that the message wasn't sent by Walgreens, but by a company called Adheris. Since you've never heard of Adheris, you call your pharmacist for an explanation. The pharmacist tells you that Walgreens has been selling your prescription information to outside companies, which are contracted to send you these "reminders."

• New York Times editorial: The Senate Stalls on Medicare. Excerpts: Before leaving town for the Fourth of July recess, Senate Republicans thwarted a vote on a sensible Medicare bill that would benefit doctors and patients at the expense of overpaid private health plans. The House approved the legislation with a vote of 355 to 59. The bill is supported by most doctors, hospitals and pharmacists. But it is vehemently opposed by the insurance industry and its Republican coddlers.

  The bill would protect doctors from a 10 percent cut in their reimbursement rates, and it would give them a tiny increase next year. It would also spend more money to enhance preventive services, improve low-income assistance programs and make other modest but worthwhile changes. The bill would largely and sensibly offset the additional costs by reducing payments to the private plans that participate in Medicare.

  That has inflamed opposition from the White House and Senate Republicans who seem determined to protect inefficient private plans from the rigors of competing fairly against traditional Medicare coverage. Medicare pays these private plans, known as Medicare Advantage, an average of 13 percent more to provide the same services as the traditional Medicare program.

New on the Alliance@IBM Site:

• Is IBM offshoring the IBM Payroll Help Desk to Manila, Philippines? If you have documentation please send to: Allianceibmunion@gmail.com
• From the Job Cuts Status & Comments page
  • Comment 06/26/08: I have heard from some top sources that as the summer progresses in BTV there is going to be more jobs lost. This will happen when Fishkill is done with their re-org. Good Luck to all those that feel safe. -Good Luck-
  • Comment 06/30/08: to the Alliance: Let me just say that if you maintain the number of members you have through 2010 you will get your union, because that is probably the number of IBM employees that will be left in the late, great, U.S. of A. -just1waiting-
  • Comment 06/30/08: 13 Distributed Operators to be RA'd in Lexington Kentucky due to the Wellpoint account going to India. Way to go Jeff Miller and Owen Cropper! Thanks for your support. -Anonymous-
  • Comment 07/01/08: Concerning the RA of Lexington Distributed Operators: I have it from good authority that anyone claiming time against the Wellpoint Account will be RA'd. In the past, Management was allowed to shed contractors and move regulars from the account that was being offshored to other accounts. Not with this action though. My understanding is that Jeff Miller has directed that anyone who was claiming time to Wellpoint must go. This is Miller’s way of sucking up to senior executives--showing them how tough he is. Cropper is on board with this strategy as well. Smee and Company must be proud of you boys. -Anonymous-
  • Comment 07/02/08: To Anonymous - any idea when the Wellpoint Unix SAs and DBAs are being offshored? There was talk of the DBAs being insourced. Thanks! -Wellpoint - Just a matter of time...-
  • Comment 07/02/08: Just a matter of time: I haven't heard that the DBAs would be insourced, but it wouldn't surprise me. As for the SA's, I believe you are right: it's just a matter of time. -Anonymous-
  • Comment 07/02/08: To Fingerbun: Two political actions that could slow offshoring: 1) Mandate that no Medical or Financial records for US Citizens be processed/accessed from outside the United States. 2) Tie H1B Visa quota's to the national unemployment rate for a particular job class (ie Unemployment for Project Managers or System Administrators falls below 2%, then H1B visas can be used to bring the number back in line). Write your Congressmen ! -Anonymous-
  • Comment 07/08/08: Just wanted to pass on to others on the board that some of the people who came over from the Micromuse acquisition are getting thrown under the bus from IBM. All Micromuse employees were told that their time at Micromuse counted for IBM time; however, upon getting RA'd and a package, are now being told that isn't the case. HR is now saying things like "Who told you that?" I have spoken to so many people today that verified we were told that Micromuse time on the job would transfer to IBM. Now HR is saying they are only including the 2 years since the acquisition. Should I seek a lawyer? I know others that can back me up including past and current employees. Anyone know a good lawyer? -Anon-Muser-
  • Comment 07/09/08: To -Anon-Muser- I am sorry to hear of what you are going thru. Sadly, EVERY ibm deal that includes taking on employees from another company goes the same way. IBM uses an 18 to 24 month transition period to consolidate, and transition the new work into ibm's hands. After they do this, they shed a good number of the original employees who came over. This is known upfront to the signing company as well as IBM mgmt. It's only the poor employees who think they still have a job, who sit in the dark until its too late. It's part of the process. That's why we need a union. All this stuff would be up-front at the beginning of these deals, and people would have choices if they wanted to work under those conditions or look elsewhere. -miss understanding-
• General Visitor's Comment page:
  • Comment 06/28/08: I heard via the rumor mill that IBM execs had considered making the LEAN co-locations which are now short term (3-4 week) gatherings of personnel at one location into permanent co-locations. Your job, regardless of your current location, would permanently move to the co-location site whether it was Atlanta or Poughkeepsie or Boulder or elsewhere. The proposal provided no relocation funding, no benefits to ease the necessary real estate issues, and no airfare to travel to/from the new location. so the employee wouldn't have to move. I heard the reason it was dropped was that IBM would lose too many high performing employees who would refuse to move and could find local employment outside of IBM. Don't know how much of this is true, but that's the rumor. -Boo-
  • Comment 06/29/08: Work at Home Boy: I haven't heard that specifically, but this might be what you're referring to... A GDF (Global Delivery Framework) operation was set up in Fishkill for systems administrators for a bunch of accounts...IBM Internal, as well as some commercial accounts. Sys admins from Poughkeepsie, Southbury, Watson and Fishkill have been "co-located" to Fishkill. It's essentially a LEAN operation, where system administrators are herded into a help desk environment instead of handling their own accounts from start to finish. All work has to be ticketed and put into a queue, then dispatched to a pool of sys admins, etc. ...you get the picture. It's infuriating and degrading. As an added bonus, employees are required to be in the office from 8:30-5:15 Monday through Friday. No working from home.

    So, on the heels of our 15% pay cut and gas at $4.25/gallon, IBM decides that everyone has to drive to the office every day. Fishkill is 20 miles south of Poughkeepsie, so an employee who lived north of Poughkeepsie is now commuting an extra 40 miles/day, five days a week. There is no mileage allowance...your office has been moved to Fishkill. Period.

    They played hardball here. Any employee who lived within 50 miles of Fishkill was given two choices: either you go to Fishkill, or you have 30 days to find something else within IBM. If you don't find anything within 30 days, you resign. No severance, no nothing. The ONLY exception was for employees who lived more than 50 miles from Fishkill. They were given an opportunity to opt out, with a guarantee that IBM would find them another position.

    I don't know what the reasoning would be behind requiring everyone to come to the office...I thought it was cheaper for IBM when employees work from home. But it may just be another ploy to entice people to quit. Sooner or later, they'll make our lives miserable enough that we'll quit and save them the trouble of laying us off. -Sinking Ship-

  • Comment 06/30/08: To Boo....I have heard the same thing regarding co-location. I work in IGS, and all of Jackie's group was destined to be co-located to Boulder during the 1st phase of LEAN. Mgmt changed their minds after they ran the stats and found too many of the employees who were (at that time) critical to the needs of the business would not relocate, but rather find different employment. As it was, we lost a boatload of good skilled people after LEAN. In a way it was a good thing because after all the good folks left, we were under headcount, and mgmt no longer needed to lay folks off. This year may be a different story.. We are losing accounts due to LEAN. Customers are NOT happy. -miss understanding-
  • Comment 06/30/08: Do you believe these Bozo's? Unbelievable. "Operating a business ethically and environmentally is not only a requirement today, but also an opportunity -- companies that demonstrate they adhere to the highest societal expectations of conduct have a significant advantage in attracting consumers, investors and talent," said George Pohle, IBM vice president and global leader for business strategy consulting. http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080630/0411787.html -John-
  • Comment 07/01/08: The move from work at home back to the office issue is possibly because IBM has all this vacant office space they are still paying for so they want to utilize as best they can while they still have it. If it entices USA resources (we used to be called employees) to quit then that saves IBM more bucks and helps their profits and the executive stock options to become more lucrative. Try asking IBM what their plan is. I'm sure they'll be straight with you! LOL -IBM workabee-
  • Comment 07/04/08: Hey IBMer's...did you know that all your personal data...(Name, Social security #, Birthdate, address) is now residing in Manila. Call the Payroll help desk and see for yourself. By the way; none of the top execs had their data moved. -ID theft coming-
  • Comment 07/06/08: I'm no insider but in my honest opinion I would sell IBM stock now. My reason? Look at the Yahoo IBM insider site. The IBM execs and officers are cashing out like mad now. Obviously they know to take their money or invest their money elsewhere and that is not in IBM! No real stock buying going on it appears just cashing out of options fueled obviously by billion and billions in absurd stock buybacks. -sell IBM-
  • Comment 07/08/08: Have those of you in IGS noticed the new industry buzzword and IBM"programme de jour"? It's ITIL! (Info Technology Infrastructure Library) Interestingly enough, IGS management is using the same lame excuses to gain employee buy in that they used for ISO 9000. You know, "ITIL conformance is required on 85% of new contracts, competitor's are leveraging it" blah blah blah! ITIL SCHMITIL!! No raise, no ITIL! And whatever happened to ISO?? When was the last time you had a dept meeting where THAT was a topic of discussion?? Same thing will happen with ITL because the management lemmings will buy some other phony program from some other think tank. What a joke. -Da Catboid-
• Pension Comments page
• Raise and Salary Comments
  • Comment 06/27/08: Salary = not enough; Band Level = 8; Hours/Week = 60+; Div Name = IGS; Message = Ok, listen folks......I really feel for those of your who did not get any raise this year. I guess I'm writing this to let everyone know that even the folks who did get a raise got next to nothing. I was one of the lucky ones who received a raise. Do you know what they gave me? 19.87 extra per MONTH. Our dept is banding together and planning on working 3-4% less this year because of the crappy or non-existent raises. (Inflation is running about 4%, so those who didn't receive anything are cutting back 4% of their time, while the ones who received 1% will cut back 3% of the time). We're still doing our honest days work, however, we are giving back to the company what they are willing to pay. If they believe the are paying us adequately, and we do not deserve a raise to at least compensate for inflation, then they must be right, We can't continue to work those long hours anymore because IBM doesn't pay for them. They've streamlined and given us the LEAN process...how about the employees LEAN ibm, and only give IBM what they are paying for. -I'm a Bozo-
  • Comment 06/27/08: Salary = 63000; Band Level = 7; Job Title = PM; Years Service = 12; Hours/Week = 30-40; Div Name = 7 Location = NC; Message = well out of 12 years I missed getting a raise 1 time and that was about 7 years ago.....so 11 out of 12, I guess I am doing above avg...as for raises, they avg from 3 to 7% a year, 2 promotions also ...been a 2+ last several years, been a 1 a few times before that...VP also avg from 3 - 6 % ..i don't kill myself but I am there when needed, add my points and suggestions...and everyone is happy -the exception?-
  • Comment 06/27/08: Salary = $120K; Band Level = 9; Job Title = IT Architect; Years Service = 30; Hours/Week = 60; Div Name = GTS; Location = Florida; Message = 2.8% Raise for PBC=1. Mgmt BS about how lucky I should feel to get that. What a crock. Happy to get something and feel bad for others that got less, but the whole Salary and Growth Driven Profit plans are badly broken and essentially de-motivators. -BOHICA-
  • Comment 06/28/08: Salary = 99K; Band Level = 8; Job Title = Dreaded IT Specialist; Years Service = 33; Location = Atlanta; Message = To "I don't care anymore" I have it from an unimpeachable source that the 7600 employees were were rebanded were NOT eligible for salary increases this year. I was told this was specifically spelled out in the salary plan tool. So, I'm with you, I don't care anymore and haven't for a long time. This is the 2nd year in a row I have received no raise even though a consistent 2+ performer. I'm retiring this year and have the old pension plan so I'm not as impacted as some. I feel really sorry for those employees who are not in my position. My advice, get out now it will NOT get better, only worse. I've watched this company erode for years and while it breaks my heart to remember what IBM used to be like, now it's just another company to work for, and not one of the best anymore. -Really Bummed-
  • Comment 06/28/08: Salary = 35,000; Band Level = 4; Job Title = technician; Years Service = 9; Hours/Week = 40; Div Name = microelectronics; Location = fishkill; Message = It is insulting to read people that are band 7 through 9 making 85 to 120K per year and complaining that they received no raise or barely any at all this year. Are you kidding me? You make that much and you complain? Half the workforce at IBM does not make 1/2 your salary. You should be ashamed to even post here -insulted-

    Alliance Reply: The dichotomy of salaries and wages has always existed within IBM. The reality of IBM's US workforce is that they are diverse in job classification, salary, and description. The point that Alliance@IBM is trying to make is, that ALL of the IBM employees are affected by IBM's management policies; that offer no recourse for the employees, other than leaving or staying if they are unhappy; or simply fired. With a union contract, the structure of job classification, salary, and description can be changed for the betterment of ALL the union employees. It can be negotiated by the union employees and their representatives. But first; you need to organize and join together for that common goal. There are several companies in the US that already enjoy a contract and a work environment, that they were involved in making. It can be a reality for IBM employees, too.

  • Comment 06/28/08: Salary = 100K; Band Level = 8; Job Title = Advisory IT Architect; Years Service = 28; Hours/Week = 55; Div Name = I'm not telling; Location = I'm not telling; Message = PBC = 1, MBA=0%, TCR=2.7%, in the middle of the salary range. When I told my son, he screamed that's below the rate of inflation! Yes, it surely is. I told him that 2.7% was as good as it gets for us workers, that all of my coworkers got less and most got nothing even though the company had reported record profits. I have friends that haven't seen a raise in 4-5 years and one that hasn't for 8+ years. They're daring people to leave and bluffing that you won't find something better. Time to call their bluff and raise the ante. Better off out. -Ma Linger-
  • Comment 06/28/08: Salary = 90K; Band Level = 8; Job Title = Senior IT Specialist; Years Service = 30; Hours/Week = 48; Div Name = IGS/ITD; Location = Poughkeepsie; Message = No raise again this year. PBC 2+and the exact words from my manager this year when they called to discuss salary were... Your increase this year is ZERO Percent... Record profits for IBM... Millions for the execs.. The trickle down must have dried before it got as low as I am. Oh wait... I was one of the 7600... so in reality.. I got a NEGATIVE 15 percent at the beginning of the year. I can almost hear the folks at Armonk singing... We're in the money :-) --Been a very long time-
  • Comment 07/01/08: I'm surprised there is not more outrage at the lack of raises or paltry raises this year! Did anyone get a raise at at least the rate of inflation this year? Why were raises often less than half of what they were in 2007? Are you folks actually happy at what you got in 2008? So why so rather silent? Why is it that folks that got an MBA last year who are still below their market target average now not eligible for the MBA? IBM said last year that the MBA would eventually level the salaries and pay for those folks paid below and well below market to catch up to market for valued skilled resources.

    Demand an answer from your IBM manager! Make your manager earn their pay since they obviously get more for less now in how they regard your compensation growth chances now and going forward. If you manager can give you the frank and honest answer or even ignores you about it then blast pay@us.ibm.com with your question. .cc the Corporate HR Payroll Compensation Director if you wish as well. Put the pressure on now! So who determines what pay for market is? It can't be the cheap IBM payroll bastards now can it? Join the Alliance. Together we can work towards a collective bargaining agreement and then IBM will have to answer our question(s) on compensation practices! If you do nothing now, expect nothing next year as your raise at best. -Market Based Absurdity-

  • Comment 07/01/08: I work at east fishkill, band 3. I received a 1% raise and was told its better than nothing; which I was told by my manager a lot of people received zero...like he was doing me a big favor with a 1% raise. I laughed when he showed me its monthly value. He laughed with me. They can't even give us an inflation increase with record profits! -flipper-
  • Comment 07/02/08: They may not respond immediately, but tell management how you feel. I've told my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line (a VP). I've told them my team can't keep delivering if the company treats us this way. I've started saying "no" to new work requests. I've told them how I'll respond if given the Global Pulse Survey (which IS part of their appraisal). -Fed Up-
  • Comment 07/02/08: To Indian Fool- You must think we are fools. Salaries are increasing very rapidly in India in particular. I understand this is due to the lack of skilled employees in India, despite the very large pool of labor. Not sure whether this trend has yet been successful in other brics. Who do you think is the fool? -I never comment here; will this time-
  • Comment 07/03/08: Exec's aren't giving themselves 1% raises, it's only the working stiffs earning the cash that executives grant themselves that are getting squat! As for what workers in other lands get, in some countries they are little more than slaves, in others there are various levels of socialized support that doesn't make for a level playing field. Globalization is about making all the world's workers slaves, wake up and get organized! The communist dictators fear independent unions because it will mean democracy, justice and a more even share of wealth, corporate dictators fear unions for the same reason. -anonymous-
  • Comment 07/05/08: Re: Why would people rather work for the state than IBM? Because the state pays better! -LoneStar- I had a friend who got RA'd from Austin and went to work for the State of TX in a "lower status" job in the same area of computing--basically he went from inventing/implementing software systems at IBM to using them at the State. In his case, the best part was that he was not *allowed* to work overtime!

    At IBM, he was basically expected to work 80-hour weeks with no overtime pay, but at the State he was legally forbidden to work over 40 hours, without being explicitly budgeted for overtime. Nevertheless, he said he was making more! I don't want to belittle the work he was doing at the State; he was highly skilled and experienced and had a nice title, but he *was* just basically running the code that he had helped create at IBM. The most important reason for these folks to not go to IBM, though, would be the State pension (and medical) that they will receive. I was shocked a few years ago to find that retired garbage collectors in some cities had better pensions than I did after I retired as a Senior Engineer at IBM! Ah, but who has the better memories of their workplace? Who, indeed??? -alreadyGone-

• PBC Comments
  • Comment 6/28/08: HR, in every corporation, is there to protect the interests of the corporation and to back the decisions, actions, and policies of the corporation. The myth of HR; that the employee (now called a resource in IBM) thinks, is that they are a liaison to them in dealing with management and would support the resource in an unfair action against them. HR is more than likely, in most instances to support management; even if the resource has a strong case that the corporation's actions and decisions done through management, might have been clearly unfair. If you want to have a liaison and support for an unfair action as a resource against management decisions and actions; you need union representation. -sby_willie
  • Comment 6/29/08: In replying to sby_willie ... Wow! Now that you explained about the role of HR, I could see what they did to me. Their support and help towards employees is crap! -Anon-
  • Comment 6/29/08: SBY Willie is 100% correct. I would add, that when you take an issue to HR, you've 'tipped your hand,' and provided them your defense, so that they can go back to their peers, management, and attorneys to figure out ways to shoot holes in your defense. It's 20 of them against one of you, and HR is simply the trained mouthpiece. That is why IBM needs a union. To level the playing field. No more 20 to 1 in IBM's favor, but 20 to 20 with the Union as the equalizer.-Former First Line-
  • Comment 7/06/08: The PBC is just a weeding out tool. It always was. It always will be. Your PBC rating was already decided in a management calibration or ranking session earlier this year. If you were calibrated as a PBC "2" then the best you can expect is to be a "2". You can't improve. The"weak 2's" are gonna be more aggressively managed out. If you were calibrated a "3" then it's: see ya. Your a dead employee walking. -plain truth
• International Comments
  • Comment 6/24/08: Country = USA; Union Affiliate = CWA 1701; Job Title = I/T Specialist; IBM Division = 1K; Message = The IBM executive bastards used IBM Ireland until China was ready for the IBM global initiatives. No doubt about it! They don't call the preferred IBM countries they offshore//move/expand business BRIC for nothing and we all know the"I" is for India and not Ireland. -Joe A Beamer-
  • Comment 06/27/08: Country = USA; Union Affiliate = CWA; Job Title = I/T Specialist; IBM Division = GBS; Message = To Amazed from Japan: In the USA I got a 15% base pay cut in February which put me about $2000 USA under the band 08 minimum for geography for I/T Specialist (about $65,000 or so, the band minimum is higher than this). I was rated a PBC 2+ too. I reckon I would be better off working in IBM Japan :) IBM can do anything it wants in the global scheme of things without a strong global union presence. -IT paycut test resource-

Vault Message Board Posts:

Vault's IBM Business Consulting Services message board is a popular hangout for IBM BCS employees, including many employees acquired from PwC. Some sample posts follow:

• "Pockets of excellence..." by "wonderaboutibm". Full excerpt: You will certainly find them at IBM. They may be a chance occurrence , but they do exist.

  The dreary truth, though, is that IBM is damn good at rigid central control. Look at the stranglehold that has been placed on spending any money for any purpose whatever. IBM Finance would call this expense control, and to an extent it was, once. Now it is a design for sucking all the oxygen out of the atmosphere. It is now the corporate way ... and it is not just IBM. It is every large multinational corporation, every organization that believes its future growth prospects are not really any more in the US and Europe.

  That's one reason why ABC and others keep saying the boutiques are better bets for consultants. The boutiques haven't gone into English-speaking rigor mortis yet.