When I started my career as a mechanic, I was working for family owned companies. Most were being run by second generations of the founders. The "Old Man" would stop by occasionally to check up on things, but the kids generally ran the operations.
Management never shared with the workers what they earned for the year, I never knew what their profit margins were. I never cared. They paid me a decent salary, treated me fairly decent, and several of them still owe me a pension to which I donated not one cent. (Whether they make good on them these may years later is yet to be seen).
Up until 1987, I personally met the owner of each company I worked for. After that I started working for more internationally owned companies, mostly European, then Japanese owned. It became more impersonal as time went by. During this time, they too did not share a lot of information, but paid fairly.
Through the '90's I worked for a German owned company that paid very well, (and owes me a pension), that never really broadcast their income or expectations of a plants economic performance. At the time, they were a global "Player", had been since before WWI.
Since 2000 though, I find that every company I deal with or work for, wind up being owned by a holding company. A holding company is nothing but a pimp, The various facilities they hold are nothing but their stable of whores sent forth in the night to earn them profits.
The facility I work for now was owned by a family when I signed on. ( I was looking forward to that "knowing the owner feeling" again.) They owned 4 plants, spread strategically on the East coast. They were purchased during my first month here by a holding company that owned 12 other plants.
That was sold to, within a year and a half, to a company that held 60 plants.
I think we are up to about 90 plants that this one small investment group owns. Last week, I was told that the 29 MILLION dollars my small plant contributed to their profit was not enough, and we have to cut expenses to make up the difference.
I'm one of the smaller plants they own. I took this job in 2006, when they claimed a day that ran 60% efficient was a good day and finished 2011 at a year end of 90.4 % efficiency, and I didn't contribute enough?
Somebody tell me how much is enough.
Oh, they offer no pension. In case you wondered.
Thanks for reading my rant.
Millrat