Herman, Steelcase execs' pay increased

Herman Miller is projecting it will cut between 400 and 650 jobs ? most of which are expected to be manufacturing layoffs and could happen in our region.

[disgusted]

and the rich get richer and the poor get the shaft

[disgusted]

sure glad obama got in so he can "share the wealth". maybe the "upper class" should do the same and forgo those raises until this economy gets better.

[3rd Shift]

and if it weren't for their leadership, thousands of people wouldn't have jobs at all.

[Mother Teresa]

3rd shift....you sound like the average Joe Republican who has been brainwashed by corporate America and fooled by the media into thinking that jobs are "created" by powerful rich people and then "given" to us poor working folk, that we should be grateful for any little scrap they might throw our way, and if it weren't for their benevolence and "leadership", we'd all be without jobs. Jobs exist because there is a service or product that is desired by the public. People are then hired to provide those services or manufacture the products, and at the same time make a profit for the company. But when the top execs pay is as much as 500 times what the average employee makes, and then the employees get laid off while the execs keep raking in the millions, you think this is fair and reasonable? And just how long can this go on before the company files bankruptcy? Yeah, the "leadership" at Herman Miller and Steelcase, and hundreds more companies in the US, is full of greedy, immoral and totally anti-American millionaires.

[BR Bean Counter]

Mother Teresa... What came first, the Chiken or the Egg?

Your quote: Jobs exist because there is a service or product that is desired by the public. People are then hired to provide those services or manufacture the products, and at the same time make a profit for the company.

Where did the company come from? Maybe by people with the vision, the capital, and who decided to take the risk to start it. They're called shareholders, and they hire the CEO to operate the business and to make their investments either grow or pay dividends. It is these shareholders that drive the decisions, through the CEO, where employees are laid off during slow times. If that results in a healthier company, where its stock value does better than projected, or where dividends can continue to be paid to them, they are happy.

Is it right to do? In their eyes yes.

Is it moral? Maybe not, but there's no law against it.

Finally, can it be changed? Sure! Either by a controlling <read as socialistic> government, or by the free market system. Stock in these companies is open for sale everyday. If the employees want to control the actions of the company, they only need to purchase a controlling number of shares. They would then be in the position to tell the CEO how to operate the company. If the majority wants the company to conitnue to pay employees when there isn't any work, or as you called it "demand", they can do that. But now it is their investment that they put at risk.

So if it was you, would you mind losing value in your investment? Or would we be better off to have the government force these shareholders to take the loss?

[Wow]

This is RIDICULOUS!!! What the hell are people thinking? He makes more than the president of the country! That's insane...why doesn't our govenrment cut his pay down? How can he sleep at night? The exec's at GM are not much better. I lost my job at Delphi...my plant closed, but the same year...while the company was filing bancrupcy each of the top ceo's recieved bonuses of over $400,000, which the bancrupcy judge approved! What is wrong with these people? We can spend $700 billion to "bail out" our economy, which isn't going to help any of the hundreds loosing their jobs, but no one can look at this type of spending and see the problem? It's so infuriating!

[Batch 37 Pain Is Good]

Wow wrote:

This is RIDICULOUS!!! What the hell are people thinking? He makes more than the president of the country! That's insane...why doesn't our govenrment cut his pay down? How can he sleep at night? The exec's at GM are not much better. I lost my job at Delphi...my plant closed, but the same year...while the company was filing bancrupcy each of the top ceo's recieved bonuses of over $400,000, which the bancrupcy judge approved! What is wrong with these people? We can spend $700 billion to "bail out" our economy, which isn't going to help any of the hundreds loosing their jobs, but no one can look at this type of spending and see the problem? It's so infuriating!

Govt involvement is the problem.

[Myerslake2005]

Typical, decreased profits, job lay offs but reward the CEO for a job poorly done.

[Richard]

Typical of the media. Intentionally sensational and devisive, the article tells only part of the story. These guys earn every penny of their salaries and the increases were established before any indication of the need for layoffs.

[just kill me]

if the goverment would keep their face out of the private sector,we wouldnt have these troubles..telling business owners how much they can make or compensate their people is socialism at its finest,but so is subsidizing them even though they have fundamentaly failed...oh wait,thats what the American people elected for president!!!hmm,i see the potential for a cottage industry of USSA tee shirts!!instead of a hammer and sickle,i could use a cell phone and remote control!!yeah,thats the ticket!!wonder if i can get me some a that gubberment money to starts up my business?!?

[BR Bean Counter]

just kill me wrote:

if the goverment would keep their face out of the private sector,we wouldnt have these troubles..telling business owners how much they can make or compensate their people is socialism at its finest,but so is subsidizing them even though they have fundamentaly failed...oh wait,thats what the American people elected for president!!!hmm,i see the potential for a cottage industry of USSA tee shirts!!instead of a hammer and sickle,i could use a cell phone and remote control!!yeah,thats the ticket!!wonder if i can get me some a that gubberment money to starts up my business?!?

Just remember to print it atop the background of a bridge card and a block of cheese!

[Batch 37 Pain Is Good]

Amazing how many people in this country think they are entitled to a job and how envious they are of others instead of working for it. That is why we have the Congress we have. If companies can survive on their own, great. Do what you want. If they can't then fail. Govt should stay out.

[BR Bean Counter]

Batch 37 Pain Is Good wrote:

Amazing how many people in this country think they are entitled to a job and how envious they are of others instead of working for it. That is why we have the Congress we have. If companies can survive on their own, great. Do what you want. If they can't then fail. Govt should stay out.

Makes a person wonder how many people will start or even bother to run businesses when Congress sets their pay. Maybe $9.50 p/hr?

[just kill me]

BR Bean Counter wrote:

<quoted text>
Just remember to print it atop the background of a bridge card and a block of cheese!

man,if i could gets me a truck load or two of dat gubberment cheese,i could makes me some righteous bucks!!!what color should i make the shirts??

[Ryan]

Mother Teresa wrote:

3rd shift....you sound like the average Joe Republican who has been brainwashed by corporate America and fooled by the media into thinking that jobs are "created" by powerful rich people and then "given" to us poor working folk, that we should be grateful for any little scrap they might throw our way, and if it weren't for their benevolence and "leadership", we'd all be without jobs. Jobs exist because there is a service or product that is desired by the public. People are then hired to provide those services or manufacture the products, and at the same time make a profit for the company. But when the top execs pay is as much as 500 times what the average employee makes, and then the employees get laid off while the execs keep raking in the millions, you think this is fair and reasonable? And just how long can this go on before the company files bankruptcy? Yeah, the "leadership" at Herman Miller and Steelcase, and hundreds more companies in the US, is full of greedy, immoral and totally anti-American millionaires.

fine, if they go out of business then let them. That is capitalism. The strong servive and the weak are weeded out. You say jobs are created because there is a service that needs providing, but I have never seen a job created by a poor person.

[Sandy]

BR Bean Counter wrote:

<quoted text>
Makes a person wonder how many people will start or even bother to run businesses when Congress sets their pay. Maybe $9.50 p/hr?

If the minimum wage goes up to $9.50 an hour, the government will then have to tell companies what they can charge for goods and services for people to survive. Oh wait, does that mean that the welfare checks we get will be bigger???(sarcasm here). This whole thing is just so darn frustrating!

[BR Bean Counter]

just kill me wrote:

<quoted text>
man,if i could gets me a truck load or two of dat gubberment cheese,i could makes me some righteous bucks!!!what color should i make the shirts??

Blue State! Blue State! Blue State!

[TLC1000]

Batch 37 Pain Is Good wrote:

<quoted text>Govt involvement is the problem.

Government working for "big business" is the problem, instead of working for the "people". These same "big business" were pushing for NAFTA and CAFTA through the politicians they supported. Companies become so large they no longer care about their employees as they did when the company was first founded. All they care about is making more millions for their "select" top millionaire shareholders. So our politicians in office don't work for us...they work for greedy "big business".

[just kill me]

BR Bean Counter wrote:

<quoted text>
Blue State! Blue State! Blue State!

tee hee hee!!!!!every shirt comes with a free welfare check and a food stamp!!

[mamma]

This is what needs to stop. These rediculous salaries and bonuses while the "common" man worker gets nothing. We are getting to be known as the bail out country. Ya, let's see if Obama is for us or not when he takes over. I very much doubt it.