Secret info found about company, how to handle situation....??

Hey Gang...some information has surfaced, and I need some input. I currently work as a quality engineer, manufacturing engineer, and environmental management representative, among my many job duties. The story I'm about to tell you is from my point of view...being a salaried employee at this company for over 20 years. (seen it all....done it all)

As all of you know, due to tough economic times companies have been forced to make cutbacks in personnel, salary, and benefits. Our company is in the difficult business of being an automotive supplier - it's a nasty dog-eat-dog world. For the last 16 years we have not had a profit....yep....you read that right. Our parent company in Japan keeps us going by infusing us with money, technology...etc. We have a profit sharing program but the last check I got from that program was 17 years ago! Often times we quote jobs below our costs just to get the business, and we are told that once we improve productivity these jobs will make money...never happens. About every 3 years we have a spending or expansion program...conveniently just before the UAW contract negotiations begin. This way the company says "we have no money" during negotiations.....so no raises, etc. We have also had 6 different presidents sent over from Japan, and each one has had a plan that would supposedly make us profitable in a few years. Each plan has failed to do so. As time goes on...things get tougher. About 7 years ago all our salaries were frozen. When the recent economic recession hit...we took a pay cut...on an already inadequate salary. They also have us mopping floors, taking out trash, and doing other janitorial jobs. Just the other day they upped our insurance premiums, and stopped 401k contributions. Our management treats most of us very poorly, and many meetings some of the women end up in tears - no kidding. I think management feels that they are in the driver's seat....since so many are out of work...so they are pushing things to the limit. I won't elaborate any more on this...but I will say that I've never seen morale any lower, and I've never seen managers so apathetic. Just when I think I've seen the worst...something else happens that boggles my mind. Just recently we are told that they want to get rid of the profit sharing plan....hmmmm.....we never make a profit so why ask for that...very suspcious? Many think that somehow if we do make a profit...that it is somehow being filtered back to our parent company across the pond. We do a massive amount of resale business, and it does makes you wonder. I'm sure you get the picture.

Regarding our pay cut...we were told by management: "we are ALL taking a pay cut, American and Japanese workers alike". This made it more tolerable for us to accept our pay cut at the time.

NOW HERE'S MY PROBLEM.....YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS....BUT....

One of our Japanese managers went back home, and left a bunch of papers laying around. Amoung this pile of paperwork were the income tax returns of our foreign managers. They have been viewed by several people that I know of....so I peeked at them, and I was shocked at what I saw. The income of our managers actually went UP when we took our pay cut. One of our "foreign associates" who works in the shop on a machine...makes 4 times the amount that a top level set-up person does operating the same machine. Now I agree that when you are working in a foreign country, that you deserve some compensation and such, and I could understand when a Japanese manager makes more than an American manager for the same job...something additional is understandable. But the numbers I saw are 3 and 4 times higher than comparable American managers earn. On top of this, they get free housing, free car, and other perks.

I know if other salaried people saw this information...they would go through the roof! I would like to give this information back...and let them know that we are aware of this huge and unfair wage difference. But I am unsure how to do it. Should I do it anonymously with a letter? Should I do it in person - and possibly face a "tribunal"? Or should I just make the documents disappear? Can this situation be used to leverage better conditions for us?

 

My personal views are....that I could tolerate the current situation until something better comes along. However it is nearly impossible not to be influenced by this information. There are others who are also wondering what to do. Although we are considerd "just at-will employed salary people"....this latest episode has caused most of us to "unite" in a way of looking at the situation....

 

You ask some good questions. Many of us believe that our company is viable and must at least break even, as you said we should have folded up our tent years ago. So why are we still in business? Why does our parent company continue to put money into us? Are they really losing money...or is that just what they tell us? Why after so many years of no profit...do they suddenly want to eliminate the profit sharing plan? The same pattern has been repeated time and again. Here is a quick overview what what we are told....

We have a plan, to expand the plant, add new products, and make money in 3 years.

In comes money, equipment, and technology, and production starts up.

2 years later....still no profit. Partly from quoting new jobs below our costs!

3 years later...we have no money. Union contract up - no raises, no more benefits.

Union contract established, business gets back to normal.

We have a new plan, to add new process and reduce costs, and make money in 3 years.

In comes money and equipment....yada yada yada......

No rational business person would allow a company to stay in business under these circumstances. So many suspect that there is something rotten going on behind the scenes. Perhaps we do generate a profit for our parent company, and it just isn't shared. Or perhaps we are not meant to make a profit. I see many decisions made that support this view.

I think that this information that was practically dropped in our lap, shows that we cannot trust what we are being told. I think something is rotten in Denmark. As for other jobs...pretty hard to come by....but I am actively looking.

 

Thank You Everyone for your input, and a special Thanks to SRT Mike for sharing a story very similar to mine. GatorFL....you have also hit the nail on the head.

I will heed everyone's advice. I will anonymously give this information to the appropriate people....and try and get everyone to drop the subject. We are all getting a royal screwing and it's hard to take. Other comparable jobs in Michigan are VERY hard to come by right now, with unemployment above 10%. So I guess we'll just take our lumps and hang in there. Something better will come along eventually. As I said earlier....with jobs the way they are...the company knows they are in the driver's seat. But when things turn around and there are other opportunities out there....people will be running out the door. Many of the people I work with have many years in....lots of experience....and have been loyal through rough times. It's ashame that we are not only paying for the last 2 years of the recession...but we are also having to pay for the previous 16 years of crappy management. Just to put things into perspective....I would like to share some actual numbers. In my original post I mentioned an associate working along side a union employee, setting up and running machines. The set-up guy with 23 years in, gets $14.00 an hour, and in a typical year grosses about $34,000. The Japanese guy doing the same job is getting an annual salary of $86,400, plus a free condo, a free car and insurance, and other perks that result in a grand total of just under $100,000. I know that life ain't fair...but don't you think this is a bit excessive?

I know the grass isn't always greener on the other side....but the grass where I'm at is poopy-brown! I'll just take it on the chin and wait for a better opportunity. I'd rather eat a large bowl of belly button lint than set foot back in the office again - but I have a family to think of...so I'll go....I'll go.....

Again - Thanks Everyone !

 

Thank You GatorFL...I've done it all, and am doing it all....to get out of here. My age and experience is actually working against me at the moment. Too much knowledge and experience...and employers think you'll be too expensive...they are bottom feeding right now. In the long run, you get what you pay for. I've seen degreed engineers that couldn't tie their shoes without a manual...and I've seen many "street smart" guys that could out think many degreed engineers. I'm not bashing the well-schooled guys out there....but employers shouldn't discount common sense and real world experience.

I handed over the information this morning to the proper people, with witnesses close enough to see and hear what I said. I'll take the fallout like a man...whatever happens.

 

UPDATE:

It's been one day since I handed over the income information. Later on I heard that our Japanese coordinator/interpreter was looking through the info with a look of shock on her face. Oh well.......apparently she took a pay cut like the rest of us, while the "inner circle" of people all got increases on an already huge and undeserved salary.

I know this whole story sounds like a soap opera. I re-read all of the replies to this thread, and I think that some of you understand my situation, and some don't. But there is one thing your all right about...and that is I either stay at my job and accept it, or not.

Well.....my wife and I have talked things over, and I have done a lot of soul searching. I have evaluated my role in the company, and my contributions over the years, and not to blow my own horn here....but I have significantly improved our company in several areas. When I was quality manager, I got us QS-9000 certified. I also developed our quality plan system, documents, and measurement systems. When I was engineering manager, I developed costing and quoting standards, estimating standards, and the quotation format that we still used today. I have made our environmental management system very efficient, saved money through recycling, reduced emissions through the use of "friendly" chemicals. I have designed a couple of specific items for the brake industry, for which I was paid the huge some of one dollar per item. I'll stop there...I'm modest....

I have come to the conclusion that I am worth more than I am being compensated for. Many of you have made some good points. In this world, you get what you ask for and deserve...ONLY if you have the back bone and self-worth to stand your ground. If you aren't confident in yourself...you can accept what "they" think you deserve. But if you really have the goods to deliver...then by all means stand up and let "them" know.

That is what I have decided to do. I'm being taken for a ride.....and the managers must be laughing at how cheap they have me on the hook. We have enough money tucked away to live on for a couple of years. At this point I'm still thinking things through. But I think the time has come for me to stand up for my values....or walk out the door. I have several things going for me. I have the most experience of any management person, I can run machines, do set-ups, work in shipping, work in engineering or quality, I can cost and quote, or even do customer service. I know what laws and regulations we must abide by, and how to track and monitor our systems to satisfy "Uncle Sam". The bottom line is....I've decided that I can walk out if I'm not satisfied.

So that is going to be my course of action in the next several weeks. Jobs are scarce, and it's a tough world out there. But there is no way our company can hire someone who knows our unique industry as well as I do...who can hit the ground running in as many different areas as I can. Perhaps the only reason I'm not sufficently compensated is because I've been a "panzy-boy" and just taken what they have handed me.

I know this is very heavy stuff to post here on fchat....but I have nothing left to loose....and much to gain....

This will probably be my last posting on this thread. Thank You to All for your input....