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Uppity Wisconsin - Progressive Webmasters

« Madison Snow Removal. Not Good | Main | Wisconsin State Journal and Lee Enterprises - Bleaker Than I Thought »

December 22, 2008

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Two key factors to consider with respect to Overture:

1) Overture is incredibly top-heavy. There are currently 24 non-represented permanent employees [managers and a few graphics professionals]. Working under them? Twenty-four permanent union employees. One-to-one ratio. Unheard of, I'd dare say. These are post-layoff numbers. Pre-layoff, union represented permanent employees represented 56% of the permanent workforce, yet the union represented employees absorbed 81% of the layoffs.

2) The repeated claim is that city employees are too expensive, and Overture should be able to control wages and benefits. Having looked at the incomes of the managers who have been with Overture since the Civic Center days, some of their incomes have gone up in excess of 50% since the last year in the old building. Annual wage increases that average 9-14%. This is far in excess of what the "overpaid" union employees got over that time period. These increases are the sum of the relatively modest city increases, coupled with repeated generous job re-classifications.

Additional responsibilities, they say. Perhaps convincing if they hadn't simultaneously been bloating the management ranks. Overture now has a good deal more managers, making a great deal more money, and all pointing the finger at the "overpaid" people who clean up their messes, literally, and figuratively.

annonomous

Overture is excessively top heavy. It amazes me that these were the same people who decided who should go and who should stay. None of their jobs were "phased out" or eliminate. Some of us who are "left behind" are still trying figure out what some of these VP's do. Give me a break....Tom Carto wasn't acting on "tough love," He was covering his own behind! He could care less about the staff at overture. This was evident when decision was first made to downsize. Instead of letting workers know what was going on, many didn't know about it until the appointed time....some even heard it on the radio. If you ask my opionion, those that were displaced were the lucky ones. My heart goes out to those overture staff will remain.

One thing for sure, the atmosphere and office morale will never be the same. Those that lost their jobs will be greatly missed.

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