by blacksheep 33 Replies latest social current
Probably 10-15 years ago the printing overseer at Bethel did a cost analysis and determined that it would be cheaper to outsource the printing. I guess the free labor couldn't overcome the built-in inefficiencies to their system.
I remember reading this in the mid-90s, but can't remember the source. Also, I believe Ray Franz talks about it in ISoCF.
Hmmm
: think a better person to ask about this would be AlanF or Farkel, considering the fact that I am on another continent
It's true that the society knows it's cheapter to outsource their literature production than to do it themselves. While I don't know for sure, I would guess that it would be a big psychological blow to JW membership if the society turned their printing and binding operations to another(sic) for-profit business! The R&F have been feed all this "Jehovah blessing our self-sufficiency" stuff for many decades, and then all of a sudden they're not self-sufficient anymore? Hmmmmmm.
What surprises me the most (and I don't have the answer) is why they are turning down Bethel applications. The average stay in the Bethels now is so short, it's hardly enough time to train the new recruits.
Somethings up, though. I'm just not sure what it is.
Farkel
The "brain drain" you mentioned isn't really all that suprising. An experienced Journeyman on a press can make more than $20.00 an hour, shoot, in the East Coast area probably more like $30.00. When I worked as an apprentice pressman I was making $15.00 an hour in the midwest. It's true that the Society might find it cheaper to outsource, this way they no longer have the expense of press and bindery equipment purchase, maintenance and insurance. Still Labor is the single largest cost in printing, and their labor is free (slave?)
Although the physical labor is free they still have to house them and feed them and pittance allowances. Sort of surprised they haven't forured out a way for them to get the slaves to pay their own room and board and still work in Bethel
Yeru,
: Still Labor is the single largest cost in printing, and their labor is free (slave?)
Yeah, but I think the society has finally figured out the old maxim, "you get what you pay for."
Those Bethel peons can only hear "if you don't work harder, Jehovah will kill you" so many times before they become numb to it.
Farkel
Edited by - Farkel on 17 June 2002 12:29:27
sounds like not as many people want the watchtower and awake anymore, and the donations are drying up!!!!......... omg!!!..... what are they going to do with those extremely valuabe properties?........ lease them out?......... they will have to, won't they??
Lady Lee, they did have that going for awhile. They were called "Temps" and "Commuters".
I live near the Farm. I'll see what I can find out. I do know they are still spending money on the homes there. Hadn't heard about them not accepting any more new Bethelites. Maybe I can get a few of my employees to spill the beans.
Yes, printing costs have dropped as the technology gets better. One man can now do the job of three. This is somewhat different from the WTS's habit of having three men doing the job of one.
I think it was Tom Cabeen who wrote the article about printing costs. You can still get it from the Beacon website.
[Aw crap, I can't find it. Anyway here's Tom Cabeens story. I didn't re-read the whole thing but I thought he figured out the costs and compared them to his work on the outside.]
http://www.xjw.com/cabeen.html
Sean
Edited by - seaken2001 on 17 June 2002 12:56:4
Hi All,
Thanks for your replies. (To Grits, youre more than welcome to post any part of my message on any email lists you have. If anyone has the scoop (which btw, Im delighted if it means the disbanding of the Bethelite life Id be interested. I dont quite have the stomach to call the WTS, although I am curious. And Im a relative newbie in navigating around the ex-jw sites. Tthis one has been great: I wish it were here when I was leaving many years ago).
I guess my deep down hope is that the need IS drying up. That people are WISING up. It surprised me to learn of the cancellation of mail subscriptions. How do they plan to get the truth into peoples hands??? Wasn't the subs one of their big measures of success??
What many of you say makes a lot of sense: the fact that theyve always advertised for Bethelites, and that its such a privilege to get in. Ill be honest, I was under the impression my nephew be snapped up the way the need was always positioned when I was in. And yes, the self-sufficiency of the org was always driven home, so if thats been changing slowly (or even dramatically recently), then I find that very, very interesting
Also, as my relatives and I dont talk very much (wonder why), I found it quite interesting that both my mom and sister made it quite clear whenever we talked that my nephew was applying and waiting to here from Bethel. Like it was a very big deal, and they were very proud of his decision. And like even *I*, a DA'd witness should be somehow PROUD of the possiblity of his going. (Right, yeah...) Prior to the most recent (final) news that he wouldnt be going due to lack of need, my sister seemed like SHE was getting some mixed messages from the WTS or from somewhere.. She said you know theyve reorged, and are making some changes. The only changes Id heard about Ive read here, so I played dumb. She didnt elaborate, but she definitely acted guarded.
It wasnt rocket science to figure out that neither she nor my nephew were exactly being leveled withThey had also gone back to NY (cross country trip) to do a tour and to make contacts to get him in (again, he has a couple of uncles who were/are? there), so it seemed like a pretty big deal, and I thought it was a foregone conclusion that hed be packing his bags any day now. Hes not, much to MY relief. Guess MY prayer was answered.
Sorry for the absense of punctuation (particularly apostrophes) in the last post. I swear they were there when I wrote the message in a Word doc. Sorry for the annoyance.
Glad everyone jumped on this. Very very interesting thoughts and comments. The one post about how we were always taught Jah is blessing us/org so we could be self-sufficient (even having their own orange groves in Florida so the NY bethelites could have fresh fruit in the winter, etc.), but then to hear that we/WTS are no longer self-sufficient... so Jah must've taken his blessing away... Hmmm... I just wonder if I was still a JW sitting in the KH, what in the world would I be thinking about all of these backsliding developments. The KH's must be a hot-bed of speculation and chatter among the "friends" about these endless changes going on. It seems it's just one new thing after another.
BTW, that cost list re: publication of the mags... I saw it about a week ago via Freeminds (if it's the same one you're thinking of), under the section called "Bethelite Papers" or something like that. And under that were sections about "How the WTS pays for the mags" (or similar wording).
GRITS
