Unfortunate for me, I worked in a dying industry for a company that had been overpaying and undersupervising for years...is that even a word?? Where was I? Oh yeah, way over paid, bosses did little or nothing to discipline those who didn't do their work, guys with a warped reality and no clue what the real world is like and thought our Union was run by Zeus himself.
It was only a matter of time, I just didn't think it would be this soon. I left a retail job I was at for 12+ years to come work for the local newspaper 3 years ago as an apprentice pressman. 4 year apprenticeship I was coming up on 3 years and word started to spread that layoffs were coming and we wouldn't be getting any severance package. 2 rounds of layoffs with 16 guys going on November 8th (I was #17) and an additional 10 being let go by the end of the 1st Q of 09. Well everyone is down in the dumps and they decide on Nov 6 that they will just let the other 10 go with the first 16 on the 8th
So I got a 2 day notice that I was losing my job, I got 2 weeks of pay for every year of service and 6 weeks of insurance.
Now they are down to 59 guys, overtime FLYING out the door, they are forcing guys in to work and even had retirees coming in and filling shifts....and I sit here on unemployment and haven't gotten any hits on a new job since I got laid off.
Did I mention that I got laid off on my three year anniversary TO THE DAY!! I started there Nov. 8 2005 my last night of work was Nov. 8 2008.