Outsourcing at the WTBTS

by Skimmer 7 Replies latest jw friends

  • Skimmer
    Skimmer

    Concerning outsourcing at the WTBTS:

    In a few weeks I may be proven wrong on this, but I don't see where the WTBTS has much profitable opportunity in outsourcing more than a few of its operations.

    Remember that the WTBTS operates for the most part on the "slave enterprise" system and has no reason to pay any third party a competitive price for whatever service it can obtain from "volunteers". Most of the work of running the corporations (printing, farming, food service, cleaning, etc.) can easily continue without any outside assistance as long as the flow of healthy young workers doesn't run dry.

    Other areas can be handled by a third party, and one of these, the Charitable Gift Program, has been around for a few years. Others include information technology processing, travel arrangements, vehicle support, and accounting; but the total number invoiced in these likely pales in comparison to the unskilled and semi-skilled worker count.

    Downsizing the printing and printing support "volunteer" staff is contraindicated in absence of a significant revenue drop; it is their main revenue source. As long as there is money coming in for the literature, they can't cut staff unless they think they can somehow boost working productivity. But they already have a 44 hour work week combined with field service requirements; do they plan on dropping the FS quota and increasing the work hours? Would many "volunteer' workers put up with a fifty or sixty hour work week?

    One change I could see happening is to pressure the parents of the younger "volunteers" to make expense "contributions" (room and board payments) of, say, US$50 to US$100 per week directly to the corporations. The WTBTS might be successful in this as I suppose most younger "volunteers" have at least one parent sufficiently brainwashed to go along with the scheme.

    The WTBTS could try encouraging older workers to leave inorder to replace them with younger one perceived as more productive and healthier, but this could result in age discrimination lawsuits.

  • MacHislopp
    MacHislopp

    Hello Skimmer,

    quite a fascinating post!

    I'll be waiting to see what really will happen...!

    Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

  • metatron
    metatron

    Hard to say, on outsourcing.

    In the past, they did use outside printers before Brooklyn
    became such a printing giant. Even with that, they still bought
    Bibles from the American Bible Society for use in some foreign
    missionary fields.
    They outsourced various food
    production instead of farming because it wasn't worth the
    hassle and cost of doing it themselves.

    If their fear of the internet isn't too intense, they could
    have publishers print out their own KM's - or tracts, maybe.

    I have been skeptical of claims that the WTS is loaded with money
    - when literature shipments are late, incomplete, or unfilled.
    In many congregations, it's a joke trying to get publications
    in time for a Service Meeting part or monthly offer. They avoid
    mailing literature to people stuck in institutions - even though
    they are among the most intense students of it. They went to
    cheaper book binding - knowing exactly how much they would save
    per book. They've been instituting inventory controls and
    downsizing various departments over the past few years.
    The instructions on Circuit Overseer expenses (letter) were
    downright stingy (no personal computer expenses, expecting them
    to be nomads living out of a suitcase).

    They may be building up a legal defense fund - like many corporations
    do - when losses from lawsuits can be estimated. That way, nothing
    gets disrupted in a public obvious way, if they lose in court.
    THe last thing they want is headlines like "Watchtower factory
    sold to cover molestation expenses".

    metatron

  • LDH
    LDH

    Metatron,

    As usual you bring valuable information on an excellent topic (Skimmer).

    I am floored to find out we were purchasing Bibles from the American Bible Society.

    Could you please tell me, does the ABS print the NWT or do they buy other versions?

    They avoid
    mailing literature to people stuck in institutions - even though
    they are among the most intense students of it.

    Do you mean convicts, or were you referring to another type of institution? I'd like more info on this.

    when literature shipments are late, incomplete, or unfilled.
    In many congregations, it's a joke trying to get publications
    in time for a Service Meeting part or monthly offer

    It was my understanding that only congregations that are 'behind' on their literature 'contributions' are the ones having problems getting their source materials. Are you saying that everyone is having this same problem?

    They may be building up a legal defense fund -
    I wonder if they have insured themselves against lawsuits of this nature. And if so, who would be underwriting such.

    Lisa

  • Skimmer
    Skimmer

    At one time back in the early 1970s, and perhaps also today, the WTBTS literature price list did include material not produced by the "volunteer" JW labor. I know this for a fact as I ordered and received a Russian language bible though the Kingdom Hall I was attending. It was not printed by the WTBTS, only re-sold through them.

    In addition, the WTBTS obtained the printing and distribution rights to the 1901 edition of the American Standard Version bible and also the Byington bible. The old 19th century _Emphatic Diaglott_ was (and maybe still is) printed by the WTBTS.

  • metatron
    metatron

    Lots of prisoners request literature - and I know that
    many of them study it intensely. The Society sends form letters
    telling them to get it thru the local congregation -
    lotsa luck on that 'life's water free' crap.

    I can't speak for all congregations in the US, obviously,
    but getting the right literature at the right time is a
    joke in many places. They complain to the C.O. about it
    but nothing happens - and I think their contributions
    are reasonable.

    The Society has shipped out other Bible translations
    for years - to foreign lands where a particular translation
    or another is dominately used or has 'Jehovah' in it.

    I recently was invested in a company that got sued, so
    they cut their reported earnings and set aside 10 million
    bucks just in case they lost. I figure the WTS may be doing the
    same thing.

    metatron

  • metatron
    metatron

    The downsizing aspect is probably easier to address.
    They aren't getting what they want to staff the branches
    or Bethel. They need technical types to come and stay.
    This is why they built Paterson - how can you hold on to
    lawyers or graphic artists in a sweatshop atmosphere?
    A country club estate works better.

    Beyond this, the future looks bleak, even with the
    economy the way it is. The molestation/blood issues
    aren't going to make Bethel attractive as away of
    life.

    Their source of cheap labor is slipping away

    metatron

  • Skimmer
    Skimmer

    I located my copy of the ASV (American Standard Version) of the bible printed by the WTBTS. On the copyright page it has:

    COPYRIGHT 1901
    By Thomas Nelson & Sons

    COPYRIGHT 1929
    By International Council of Religious Education
    To ensure purity of text

    Printed and Distributed by
    Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
    117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S.A.

    --------------

    And on a single page following the appendix is a list of WTBTS branch offices. There are a few pages of maps which may also be from the WTBTS. As far as I can tell, the text itself has been unmolested by Brooklyn.

    John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit