IBM Will Be Calling And Other Local Things

By Deborah King-Eichholz

I am happy to know that IBM is on schedule. The Delaware County Economic Redevelopment Commission and the County Commissioners have been working hard to bring jobs into the area. There has been a bit of grumbling that these are not $ 20.00 an hour union jobs, but that kind of thinking has to go.

I've wondered if the people doing the most grumbling aren't the employees of Borg Warner Automotive and the now defucnt New Venture Gear and Delco - Remy plants . The fact is, those days went south and they are not coming back. ECI has been
losing jobs for close to 20 years. The local mentality regarding " work " has long been seen as " hostile. " This has been hurtful when trying to attract business, but there are companies who will work with us, if we work with them.

Many years ago, the wage earners at local factories would brag that they ALMOST broke a sweat at work - playing Euchre or whatever they could do to pass company time. They would brag about drinking on the job and a few other activities not covered in their job descriptions. They profitted and prospered. Some buying vacation homes and nice boats, new cars every two years - the things successful people do when times are good.

The 70's came and so did higher gas prices, the occasional gas embargo and the automotive imports from Japan. People sneered, as we all knew Japanese imports were said to be inferior. Never mind that the quality continued to improve and the gas mileage was far better than the GM gas guzzlers. Oh, there were the occasional lay-offs, sometimes they would last a few years, but sooner or later, you would be recalled. Things would pick up. Life would go on as normal. Work, lay-offs, work, lay-offs, etc. Gas prices continuing to climb, imports gaining popularity because the quality was there and so was the better gas mileage. GM certainly didn't let it and neither did we.

Then, along came the global marketplace and with it, the international trade agreements. The automotive parts suppliers found the doors open to countries without union problems and people who were happy to have the work, albeit with much less money than their North American counterparts.

Some of us woke up and found the road out of The Rustbelt Mentality was re-training and education. Some wallowed in their own misery - moaning and groaning about The Good Ol' Days before this country was sold down the river, or - in many cases - across the borders.

I will agree...entry level pay is not pay the mortgage pay, but it can help a household survive and thrive. The IBM Center will not lay off simply because OPEC won't pump more crude. These are jobs you can count on.

Walk into the future one way or another, but don't try to hold us back.

The future is here and now.

More from Deb at her blog It's Time for us to Stand

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