Query re: Local Layoffs

Tom Lehman uswa12 at lorainccc.edu
Thu Jan 14 11:40:14 PST 1999


Dear Ellen,

Pittsburgh has changed for the worse---I think it comes down to people fighting over the shrinking pieces of the economic pie. It's really gotten to the fighting over the crumbs stage in many areas.

At the Post Gazette, there are still three authentic Pittsburgh voices, two journalists and a photo-journalist. The Pittsburgh media doesn't have the personalities you remember like Rege Cordic, Porky Chadwick and Marie Torre anymore---it's sterile corporate yuppieville today.

If you like to read, And The Wolf Finally Came by John Herr is a good book. There is also a little conspiracy theory book by Penn State professor Dale Hathaway that I think is fun. Doug's comments, posted before mine are very up to date---yes---things can always get worse.

Your email pal,

Tom L.

eskwire wrote:


> Hello, I am a new subscriber. I'm a female, pink-diaper baby,
> always-already leftie, newly retired from California to
> home-town Pittsburgh, PA. I've always supported myself - film,
> tv, arts, software design. Oh yeah, I'm a paralegal, too. I'd
> like some help from your forum. If the info I need is in an
> archive or book -- please send me to it.
>
> I'd like to write to our (horrid, racist) newspaper and weekly
> free paper regarding local layoffs from steel industry plants
> here (incl. W.Virginia); maybe get a good discusssion going
> -- but I really don't know what I'm talking about. I'd like some
> background and information from you folks.
>
> Throughout December, there were thousands laid off work
> in steel plants here. TV news and the workers themselves blamed:
> The Government's (Clinton's) Buying Cheap Asian Steel, for their
> plight. Some questions I have: Is this true/ false/ too
> simplified? When companies have "bad quarters", are there
> alternatives to sticking it to lowest workers? Can stock-holders
> or hi/lo management eat some of loss too? When a company says,
> we must fire you because of "the stock-holders" ---- do
> companies have actual contractual agreements to keep
> profits at a certain level? With whom? If so, what are the
> additional consequences for a "bad quarter"?
>
> Pittsburgh's a great town --- really, it is! But upon returning
> I was shocked at the racism here and greatly saddened to see the
> skeletal, post-industrial neighborhoods out where I'm living -
> East of Pgh. in the Mon Valley.
>
> Sorry to be such a dope about economics and thanks in advance
> for your help.
>
> Ellen Kaufman
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