"Are discharged members just thrown out into the street? Or are there arrangements that are made for as smooth a transition as possible. I don't know. Perhaps one of you experts on this subject can outline the procedure. Or maybe you don't know either. In which case why don't you call Bethel out of concern and find out how this all works." Still no serious research about this.
Bethel layoffs in 2008 - 300+ and counting
by sir82 139 Replies latest jw friends
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AuroraB
I'm really curious, I read Blondie's info on tax exemptions (thank you Blondie). I'm wondering if it's really true that they don't get any settlement or salary to speak of when they are asked to leave bethel as part of the layoffs? How much money is the average bethelite able to save every month? You can't just be kicked out and nobody cares what happens to you, right? I can't wrap my head around this.
When I was laid off from my jobs, not only did I get mega-bucks when I left, they continued my salary for MONTHS, and allowed me to collect unemployment afterwards as well. I had plenty of time to find a new job without worrying--and I had actually quit right before the layoffs started. They told me to come back so I would get my layoff benefits. And this is from people who literally landed in jail 4 years later for their business practices and were fined over 600 million dollars.
This is just...wow. I seriously can't wrap my head around it. I'm thinking about all of the bethelite couples that my sister has been telling me about that are picking up and moving, "to where the need is great" or to be "special pioneers" or to serve non-english speaking congregations here in America. Three that I know of. It all seemed just out of the blue to me, but I didn't really question it.
Really, does anyone have any accurate info. on my questions above? Do these people really have no recourse if they are laid off?
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Amber Rose
Sir82 gave some details of the loving generosity extended to victims of the layoffs in this this thread:
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Nulite
If I'm not mistaken some of the bethelites who are reassigned as special pioneers are given a monthly stipend. $500 a month perhaps??? I know a number who were reassigned. Clueless!!!!!
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MinisterAmos
We had two brothers booted from Bethel in my ex-congo!
The first is in his 30's and has no real construction skills (he has never has a job since he landed there at 18 y/o) so he was booted in the first round of layoffs last year.
He and his wife were sent to where the "need is greater" and are currently living in a garage apartment first because neither one graduated from high school (they won't need it in the new system) and second because they are constantly switching jobs as the Org changes meeting schedules. It seems that the "worldlies" are unwilling to cater to the constant changing of book studies and time off requests.
Now his brother Jonathan is a different story altogether. Jonathan was working as a non-union air conditioning repairman and had built up a very nice little career. One day Bethel called (after firing his brother) and announced that they had "noticed his spirituality" and invited him up. He and his wife quit their jobs and sold their crap and moved to Brooklyn.
Guess what happened?
After working there for a year +- and coincidentally completing heating and refrigeration renovations on the four buildings and the Saenger that just hit the "for-sale" market, Jonathan has been fired from Bethel. He is back in FL in the dead of winter looking for an A/C job. There are no A/C jobs in FL in the winter.
So looong sucker! -
horrible life
These layoffs, have been in the works for years!!!
The cards are all falling into place, for the WT perfectly. Technology has come, and money is flowing,
If I have my "facts" straight, They didn't MOVE the printing presses to the country. They bought faster, computerized, push a button, printing presses. All that has to happen, is a guy (1) rolls a new roll of paper into place, and pushes a button. The machine probably even boxes them up. Get another guy (2) to put the boxes on a pallet, and (3) another to roll it out to the waiting UPS truck. Then the (4) sister, mops the floor, when they are done. Three shifts, and throw some food at them, and all is well!!! $$$$$$
In the mean time, they have been acquiring real estate, and fixing them up, with "free" labor. Now they are selling them off, for a huge profit. Sounds like a midnight infomercial doesn't it??? Selling one at a time, so as to not glut the market. Brooklyn is thrilled, as is New York City. Brooklyn is getting high class, loaded with money, tenants moving in. It will change the face of Brooklyn. Also, finally bring in more taxes, more jobs, to support the influx of people moving into these buildings, whether they are living or working in them.
What have the boys and girls in Brooklyn been doing, since the printing has been moved?? Cleaning??? Painting?? Making everything nice, for it to go on sale!! Once it is sold, there isn't a place for them to live, and they have served their purpose. Time to go home.
They want to build a dorm with perks at the farm? . I bet, that that is all that will be needed, in the form of residences.
Training???? How much training does it take, to be able to push a button??
Somebody here, already told us about the art dept. They take a real picture, and change it to art. Computer. ETC....... Even the writing dept. is reaping the benefits of computer. I would bet, that as they write, and need to throw in a scripture, they just push a couple of buttons, to find a scripture that half-ass applies.
After all of the real estate is sold, I would think, that they could run the entire "BUSINESS", with 1/50th the amount of workers, space, food, and utilities.
CORPORATION = BUSINESS = WT A business, doesn't have a heart. If you were the CEO, of a multi-million +++ dollar corporation, and could make XX times more money, by just getting rid of some dead, or dying wood, you would in a heartbeat.
The WT is about $$$ not ethics or heart.
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5go
"Are discharged members just thrown out into the street? Or are there arrangements that are made for as smooth a transition as possible. I don't know. Perhaps one of you experts on this subject can outline the procedure. Or maybe you don't know either. In which case why don't you call Bethel out of concern and find out how this all works." Still no serious research about this.
Well from the letter we were read at my book study "thrown on to the street" would some it up quite well. They get zero help.
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JWdaughter
I think it would have been good if ALL ALONG they sent folks packing at 30 or so. Like "Logans Run" only they don't kill them:) This would have allowed them to have careers, plus, there ARE skills that many do learn at Bethel that they could use elsewhere after 12 or so years (at most) they would still have a chance for a life and earning power and family or full time service if they really want it. At this point, laying off 50 year olds. . .cruel. I knew a few Bethelites when I lived in NY (they attended local cong. with family members in Jersey). They would be older than me now. Its a little scary going in to the work force at my age even. I am basically at empty nester age-when a lot of women become florists or real estate agents or cashiers or something. But normal people skills will be entirely missing from the 50 yo Bethelite that is hardcore and dropped off into the world with little warning. I feel bad for them.
And they ARE acting like a corporation. But corporations do not get to send their employees out into the world without ANYTHING but an expectation to continue working for them with NO pay and NO room and board. Pensions, "unemployment, 401K, health ins/cobra.
I bet Enron was kinder!
Evil evil corporations in the 'worldly' scheme of things have some rules.
I think religious exemption for all this is wrong. Why should religions get a free pass? Any religion? -
horrible life
I would think that now that they are downsizing the work force, skills learned, will be slim. Technology is changing everything. Man is needed less and less. Machinary breaks down less, everything will be in one place, with the WT, less maintance men, a handful of electricians, and plumbers. Construction will be almost nil, once everything is built.
My husband has been self employed for years, and I have worked for Drs. for 20 years.
And they ARE acting like a corporation. But corporations do not get to send their employees out into the world without ANYTHING but an expectation to continue working for them with NO pay and NO room and board. Pensions, "unemployment, 401K, health ins/cobra.
I bet Enron was kinder!
Evil evil corporations in the 'worldly' scheme of things have some rules.Neither one of us, have pensions, 401K, or health ins. (provided) Self employed, don't get unemployment, so not for him. Small businesses, or even big corporations, such as Wal-Mart, don't provide all of these benefits for their workers. Wal-Mart keeps their workers under 40 hours a week, so they don't have to. Many other companies, are the same. If you are not a white collar worker, or don't work for a large manufacturing company, you rarely get these perks.
WT could care less about the human resources they use up. All in the name of $$$.
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Tired of the Hypocrisy
Smells shitty to me. I have a niece who is a highly skilled nurse. She passed up an over $100,000 job with the corrections dept. so she could change bed pans at beth-hell.