Tomorrow is D-Day!

[ajr]

Our company is going to be taken over on Friday by a large foriegn company (they are Spanish we are in the UK). No one is meant to know but everyone does. Are jobs are meant to be safe for now, hopefully that won't change but I don't trust anybody. I was wondering if anybody else out there in prepress land has been in the same situation, and what their experiences were. Any feed back will be appreciated. Apparantly the Champagne is chilling in the fridge upstairs, but I dont really see it as a time to celebrate.

Andy

[Joe]

I worked for World Color Inc. when Quebecor bought them in 1999. They changed the name to Quebecor World and assured everyone their jobs were safe. That lasted for 2 years when in June of 2001 the plant I was working in closed it's doors for the final time. Basically Quebecor has gutted most of the old World Color facilities.

Good luck on this deal.

[Jalan]

Quebecor was bought out by Q?Media Solutions here. I do work for them all the time. Talk about turnover. I've dealt with so many CSRs in the alst few years, it's crazy. The people they let go were really good and had good ties with the customers, it was foolish for them to let them go to hire a bunch of people for less money that new a fraction of what the original people did.
Andy, I hope you get what you want and wish you best of luck. Just keep your eyes open for any signs. If you see a few people let go, think of looking for a new job. (I'm a bit bitter/jaded about these things, if you can't tell).

[ajr]

Thanks for the support guys.

I met the new boss today (he's spanish couldn't speak a word of english) I made a complete tit of myself. He shook my hand so bloody hard I shrieked out in pain.

First impressions count!!!

Andy

[Pointyhat]

Please, please, please cover your ass. If your guts feeling your gonna be out of a job in a year, then trust it.

[ajr]

Things are looking up. I've been told that our new owners are going to invest ?5.3 million in us. Our turnover is going to double and our staffing is going to double too. In the prepress dept I will get 3 new staff, another CTP system, but I bet I won't get a pay rise!

So watch this space!!

Andy

[Jalan]

Excellent to hear! Just make sure you ask for 10% of that investment. :wink:

[Sparky]

In 1990 I was with Continental Graphics in Los Angeles. Our Division did about $5 million a year in sales but was only about 20% of the total revenue. After 4 years of development and establishing a DTP department I came to work one day and found out my GM had been fired. He was the only one I answered to next to the President. Soon afterward I found out they wanted our division GONE!! I was fired after 3 "policy violations" according to the Company policy manual and the Teamsters Union. 1. I punched in from lunch 3 minutes late (write up) 2. I was suspended for 3 days without pay for "unauthorized use of company equipment" because I was on-line after I punched out to research an issue I was having with our new software. (something in the company policy about not being aloud to stay on company grounds more that 15 minutes after the end of your shift) 3. did a "rule-up" at the demanding request of the shop forman on a press sheet that he kept insisting was OK and the customer was standing by the press so hurry up etc., etc. Well the sheet had been run upside down and I never got to see it.
Forman got a slap on the hand, Pressman got 1 day pay suspended,
3 strikes and I was fired :evil: :evil: :evil:

Teamsters never lifted a finger to help me :roll:
(will with hold my comments about unions) :wink:

[Gusgsm]

Ajr,

Spanish money usually goes abroad buying other companies when it (we?) wants to enter or deepen its presence inside a given market. That usually means keeping a company even if having to streamline its workforce (ie: give the sack to somebody).

That may not be the case, but I mean that it is usually an expansion into other markets thing, not so much as for using the axe.

Anyway, covering your own's ass is always a good strategy.

If you need a hand to brush up your Spanish, please do ask :wink:

PS: May I ask the name of that Spanish firm? (excuse me if not)

[Bart]

Jeez Sparky, the time between warning no. 2 and 3 must have been fun. Goes to show you if they want you out, they can get you out.

Arthur Scargill - a rabid communist who presided over the British miners union twenty five years ago. They had an all-out strike that ultimately spelled the end of coal mining in the UK. He started off the strike with a big union and a small house and ended up with a small union and a big house. Union my ass!

ajr - as more and more work is automated and carried out in cyber space it is irrelevant where the office is. Beware of Trojans bearing gifts...........