WE Blog

I got many thumbs-up responses to last Friday’s column “Letter to Boeing/Onex CEOs: You’re fired!”
Many of the calls and posts were from Boeing workers. One e-mail said this: “As one of the many people that were black listed in the Boeing Onex deal, I would like to thank you for being a voice for Boeing workers that were wronged in the takeover, and most of the folks that lost their jobs were good employees.”
Another worker wrote: “I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of my coworkers to say thank you. Until now we have all felt as though nobody was in our corner, not the local politicians, not the community, not the media, and not even our own union leaders.
And this from a “lifelong manufacturing manager”: “These Boeing/Onex execs are acting like total non-professionals working from some prearranged workbook. Where are the voices of our city and area leaders — mayor, city mgr., city and county councils, community and church leaders. Are they also intimidated by the Boeing/Onex steamroller approach?”
However, a couple of readers didn’t see the humor of the piece and told me they thought the criticism went too far:
“I think its time to stop dumping on Onex and exploiting the Boeing/Onex buyout,” said one e-mail. “Either you were not around the last 40 years or you don’t want to point out all the heartless layoffs which always came around the Christmas holiday Boeing found necessary to make. My father was one of those longtime Boeing workers who fortunately was never laid off, however the possibility was always present as it is with any manufacturing concern.”
Another reader said: “There will be traumatic changes for the Boeing commuity, and they will have an impact on our broader communty. It is very likely these changes will be healthy for us in the long run. Whatever may happen, Randy’s ranting did not deserve the space he was given Friday.”
I appreciate all the responses, for and against.
Let me just add that my column was not about the worth of the sale itself — Onex might be the best deal Wichita can get — but rather the impersonal, callous way the layoffs were handled.
It wasn’t right.
posted by Randy Scholfield