Thread regarding L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. layoffs

The new mgmt at Crestview is trying to rehire some people the old regime let go. little too late. Can't treat people that way and expect their loyalty. There's still pockets of stupidity there. When they get rid of those snakes, they may have a chance.

Looks the poop has finally hit the fan. Multiple upper mgmt fired. Among the names: Gaskins, Kramer, Hammond and Becknell. No write up in the papers on this recent event either? Hmmmm....

I've heard that too Anonymous106454. Sounds like his, '4-walls' mgr meetings had a back door and a straight line to someone's ear.

I've heard rumors corporate investigations of Crestview Aerospace management. (K.Kramer in particular) Any truth to that?

"BTW, 50 is not OLD" says Anonymous85173. Holy moly dude what cow dung are you smoking! From the Sept 2013 layoff, engineers, those 60 and above 66% of them got it and those 50-59 27% got it. But those 20-29 4% got it. I wanted my severance package so I signed and shut up. Later I found out my signature did NOT MEAN ONE THING!! But since I (and everyone else I knew) had a better job for more money I celebrated I was out of there. Hasta la vista, baby!

"...evaluating the contribution of the employee relative to their salary..." The cowardly stance of a management group obviously hell bent on deflecting accountability. As a career professional, I have never experienced such unprofessionalism and a (seemingly intentional) inability to heed the good advice of direct reports. Direct reports who could have helped. Direct reports who were HIRED specifically to assist in the resurrection of the company. My wish is that corporate realizes the true issue before more honest hard working people are financially hurt. Shame on a management team that would sacrifice employee jobs in order to save their own. (That of course, is true of any management in any company.)

Oh I do hope I get picked for the next layoff. I have been milking my job for two years and it is getting difficult to avoid looking NOT busy because my phat master is running out of reasons to rearrange the furniture.

I found Val:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/3050470491_03073b35ee.jpg

What's the current headcount? Well there appear to be five or six Guy Fawkeses, a couple of Guy Fuwkeses, maybe an Al Liance or two, and a few others. Not sure about Val Snyder, though.

What's the current headcount at CSW?

All the talent has already left this company. Only deadwood, nepotists (or sons of nepotists), and unemployable mormon tripe remain. Let the axe fall again!

After all the layoffs, I'm still surprised with who is still around and what they get away with. I hate to say it, but there is still a lot of cleanup that could happen with very little impact to the business.

I just wish they'd make these cuts ASAP and get it over with. If CSW is concerned about cost, they should get the layoff over with. The tension in the work place must be costing them thousands of dollars every day in lost productivity. Come on Andy, just put a VSO out there so we old, overpaid, deadwood can be on our way.

Anonymous85214 shares a valuable lesson, I am seeing the same thing. Recruiters don't want to talk about anything over $120K and they really want to start the discussion at around $85K. The world has changed. And its not a question of "profit" or "greed," after all the company makes money when expensive people charge the contract. The problem is cost competition and the government demanding more for less from our very expensive development efforts. What was was seen as valuable "experience" is now seen as expensive and "old fashioned" and wanting to do things "the same old way." Doesn't matter if all the new trends and fashions in methodologies are really just the same thing we've seen in the past, they need the new (read: cheaper) blood. Oh well. If it came to it I could get by for $85K even less if I had to. Others may not be in the same position.

If anyone has information about this third party evaluation please do share.

So 50's is not old to the Company it is. How come in Sept. of 2013 there were around 1/2 of the engineers that were over 50 years of age even though the paper given to us stated otherwise. When we left we were told to sign a letter saying we wouldn't sue then we would get our severance package. The higher percentage of those let go were at least Principal engineers, Staff and Senior Staff engineers. Key technology was lost.

If you really think the company wasn't targeting higher paid employees you're up in the night. Think about it - profit margin. They charge a flat rate per person and an engineer making 80K vs 150K what's their profit.

Remember a few years back when HR kept doing market surveys and evaluating and adjusting everyone's salaries?

I went from $69k to $85 to over $108k. I had a boss taking advantage of every opportunity to take care of his staff. I'm now just shy of $130k. Based on all the job offers I am currently receiving my real market value is $90-95k. My salary is the only reason I am still around. It wouldn't surprise me if we have a company full over over paid staff.

I think HR has realized the condition they created and feel the need to correct and readjust.

50 is NOT old but in this industry it is considered ancient. I was talking to a guy in his mid-30s and even HE was starting to feel vulnerable when he compared his salary and assignments against some of the new grads (doing about the same kind of things but being paid a lot less-- you do the math). If we didn't have to be US citizens to work on classified projects you can bet there would be buses of H-1B visa holders arriving at the front door and we would get two weeks to train them on our way out the door.

BTW, 50 is not OLD, if you think that, you are still in jr. high, cause that's what kids that age think. If they are deciding based on age, the are opening the door to some serious law suits. Should be an interesting couple of months!

Now introducing "The Bobs". But, I have PEOPLE SKILLS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zylSNOd7TGU

look at your yearly evaluation - if it's not really high you're screwed especially if you are OLD (50+) and making over $130K. There is a huge contingent of ex-L3 engineers at Hill AFB all with the above mentioned stats. So don't think you're not going to get it even if you currently are busy. Ask any of us, that's the way it went down before.

I hope I'm let go.