Thread regarding Chicago Bridge & Iron layoffs

There once was a privately owned company and it was called Chicago Bridge and Iron. The company being privately owned was a good company respected not only by the employees that worked there but also by others that didn't. It was called a family and not only because other family members worked there. It was because employees and even the managers, foreman, leads all looked out for each other. They had each other's back. There were cakes for anniversaries, picnics for the families, Christmas parties for the children, etc. The company had profit sharing, good health insurance, fair pay, etc. The company did well because Chicago Bridge and Iron cared about it's employees and the employees reciprocated and cared about the company. When work got slow, the company would have employees paint, cut grass, do other jobs around the shops just to keep people working and on the payroll all because people and families mattered. Chicago Bridge and Iron won work because it was well respected in the industry, met schedules, was fair with it's customers, Suppliers, etc. It was known back then as a leader in their industry. Chicago Bridge and Iron won contracts not only on account of price but because of the quality of their work, their safety record, their expertise in the industry, etc. Then the company went public and the emphasis went from a company that cared about it's employees, customers, etc to a company that was out to please the shareholders. Profit sharing went away, the company picnics, Christmas parties, all went away. Employees became a means to an end and that end was to make as much money as possible to please the shareholders, to award big bonuses to the upper management, to nickel and dime it's Suppliers, to cut benefits so more profit could be made, etc. The company started to go downhill. Chicago Bridge and Iron lost the respect and confidence of employees, customers, Suppliers alike. The company would lay off when times got slow, managers did not give credit or acknowledge the expertise of long time employees, safety was always preached but when it came to making money safety became secondary. There is a moral to this story and we are all smart enough to figure it out. Companies that take care of their employees, have a genuine interest in their customers, treat Suppliers as partners, etc all are companies that become great and stay as leaders in their industry. Chicago Bridge and Iron has lost a lot of what made them the great company they once were. It is sad but will be really hard to gain all that back. It's like individual respect, once you lose it, the damage is done. Good luck to all the hard working honest employees that still work there. Maybe McDermott can bring about the turnaround and shot in the arm that Chicago Bridge and Iron needs right now.