computers & organizing

Carl Remick carlremick at hotmail.com
Tue Feb 15 07:43:55 PST 2000



>Wall Street Journal - February 15, 2000
>
>Work Week
>
>BARGAINING CHIPS? Ford's PC perk could hand labor an organizing tool.
>
>Ford plans to put computers with Internet hookups in all employees'
>homes. But "the same technology that buys you a Ford Taurus enables
>you to organize a demonstration in Seattle," says Harley Shaiken, a
>Berkeley professor.

Not to be paranoid, but these PCs could also offer management a great tool for spying -- which is certainly a part of Ford's "corporate culture." From the newly published: _The Management Century_ by Stuart Crainer: "[Henry] Ford's 'rigid discipline' involved the creation of a 'Sociology Department.'

This basically spied on employees and at one time had fifty investigators.

Those who supported unionization were fired.... Employees with drinking or gambling problems were identified and dismissed. Those with financial problems were similarly dealt with."

Carl ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com



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