Should the UK and Canada trust the USA today

[Kathryn]

I don't believe it either, for the specific reason that the wife of a man who gas been laid off by a company is unlikely to be able to report objectively on the circumstances of his dismissal. Changes of ownership and organisational restructuring are very stressful for employees - especially when layoffs occur - and grudges and misperceptions develop. I've yet to hear anybody who has been laid off in these circumstances report that the company did better after the restructuring. That includes impressions my partner and I have of the local government we used to work for.

My husband wasn't dismissed. Not by a long shot. In his thirty years in the oilfield, he's never once been dismissed, demoted, disciplined, fired, or laid off.

When he saw what was happening with the company, he didn't like it. He voluntarily left, and started his own consulting business, which involves MANAGING crews from companies such as the one he left. So he now has a birds' eye view of the entire Ark La Tex area (soon to be Pennsylvania and Ohio as well, since his business is growing) and all the companies which offer those services.

From his considerably higher and more diverse position outside of that one company, he sees trends, and also sees which companies are growing and offering superior services, and which companies are faltering in their growth and services.

As for neither of you believing me, I guess I'll cry all the way to the bank.

 

[Kathryn]

I'll tell you something else that really sat poorly with the US workers at that company. It was a small thing, but it was indicative of a troubling mindset.

Each year, the Canadian managers received a $500 gift FOR THEIR FAMILIES for spa treatments. Now - this was a little token of appreciation because of the supposed stress on families inherent with oilfield services work - lots of time apart for example. The Canadian managers in both Canada and the US received this.

Not the US managers. They were not given many of the perks, including this one, of Canadian managers in the same positions.

It's not a big deal - but it's pertinent. Why show such partiality - and direct it at FAMILIES of your managers?

Weird.

 

[Alceste]

I once worked for a subsidiary of a very large company. the subsidiary was not pulling its weight. Head office put in a new managing director ( who was a multimillionaire in his own right) he said he would turn us round in six months and then leave. That is what in fact happened. We were informed every step of the way, It went exactly to plan. he made half the directors redundant ( with packages that gave them support to find new jobs for life) he made all general managers and half the line managers redundant and only reshuffled or removed a few supervisors. the whole place was reorganised under the remaining managers, all of us picked up additional responsibilities. Profits tripled in that first half year and turnover doubled. He put in place excellent redundancy terms for those that left. he then appointed a new managing director from a sister company and left himself. Even those that were redundant were impressed.

I do not think it is a matter of the nationallity of a new senior manager that matters, but how good they are at their job.

Funny, that's not too different from what happened in the Council except the guy in charge wasn't very competent. All the IT staff ended up on anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs from the impossibility of maintaining the network (20,000 computers) after the staff cuts. My whole department was axed but nothing was formed to replace it, so data security breaches and violations of FOI and Data Protection laws became routine. OTOH, information mgmt is a pretty small slice of the pie - I can't pronounce on the success or failure of the transition generally because I don't know what his priorities were, apart from establishing a massive PR department to handle the fall-out.

 

[Alceste]

I'll tell you something else that really sat poorly with the US workers at that company. It was a small thing, but it was indicative of a troubling mindset.

Each year, the Canadian managers received a $500 gift FOR THEIR FAMILIES for spa treatments. Now - this was a little token of appreciation because of the supposed stress on families inherent with oilfield services work - lots of time apart for example. The Canadian managers in both Canada and the US received this.

Not the US managers. They were not given many of the perks, including this one, of Canadian managers in the same positions.

It's not a big deal - but it's pertinent. Why show such partiality - and direct it at FAMILIES of your managers?

Weird.

Beats me. Maybe it was a contract issue.

At any rate, whatever your feelings about this company, do you acknowledge that one company does not make a trend, and that you can't pronounce upon the business practices of the entire Canadian oil industry based on your feelings about one single company?

 

[Kathryn]

You spoke not only about one firm, or not even only about a few... you made this out to be a general trend ("habitual", if you will) that Canadian oilfield firms in Texas fire their American employees and replace them with Canadians.

When I said "Canadian firms" I thought it would be a common sense realization that I meant SOME Canadian firms - not ALL Canadian firms. I guess that was too much of an expectation on my part.

I'll clarify - SOME Canadian firms in Texas lay off SOME American employees and replace them with SOME Canadians.

When asked to support this, you gave a single example where this actually happened (which I still think is missing details, because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense) and a handful of cases where Canadian firms simply acquired American ones... but with no mention of any sort of layoffs or bringing in of Canadian staff.

I gave several examples of Canadian companies acquiring US owned companies. As for the replacement of US employees with Canadians, that would be a bit difficult to prove, so I gave a specific example using first hand knowledge.

You claimed that it was happening "habitually" and involved companies, plural. One case does not make a trend.

My comment about their "annoying habit" was a bit tongue in cheek. And it does involve more than one company, but like I said, this would be hard to prove other than by anecdotal evidence. I mean, it's not like this is something that is posted proudly on their website.

That's really not that unusual, as has been pointed out by several already on this thread, but that doesn't make it much more palatable when it happens to the company you work for.

Frankly, I don't believe you.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

 

[Kathryn]

At any rate, whatever your feelings about this company, do you acknowledge that one company does not make a trend, and that you can't pronounce upon the business practices of the entire Canadian oil industry based on your feelings about one single company?

Alceste, my original post was in response to your accusation that US oil companies will become aggressive toward Canada's oil reserves at some point.

I found that statement to be one sided, considering what I've witnessed first hand from aggressive Canadian companies.

Anyway, as I stated before, I don't think it's WRONG that Canadian companies aggressively buy US companies and interests. I just think it's wrong to imply that the aggressiveness is one sided and only comes from south of the border.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Alceste, my original post was in response to your accusation that US oil companies will become aggressive toward Canada's oil reserves at some point.

I found that statement to be one sided, considering what I've witnessed first hand from aggressive Canadian companies.

Anyway, as I stated before, I don't think it's WRONG that Canadian companies aggressively buy US companies and interests. I just think it's wrong to imply that the aggressiveness is one sided and only comes from south of the border.

FWIW, even American companies are sometimes more aggressive to the US than to Canada.

A couple of years back when GM was closing plants all over the place, they chose to close American plants rather than Canadian ones on several occasions. Apparently, even though taxes are somewhat higher here, and even though the Canadian dollar is near a record high, the lack of public health care in the US means that the extra cost of American benefit programs makes it cheaper for them to build cars in Ontario than in Tennessee or Michigan.

 

[Kathryn]

My point is that Canadian companies seem to be just as aggressive as US companies.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

My point is that Canadian companies seem to be just as aggressive as US companies.

I thought you had backed off from your generalization. No?

 

[Kathryn]

I thought you had backed off from your generalization. No?

I've made my point very clear repeatedly.

 

[Revoltingest]

My limited personal experience is that Canadian companies can be quite aggressive....no less so than American companies.

 

[Kathryn]

My limited personal experience is that Canadian companies can be quite aggressive....no less so than American companies.

True dat.

Sorry - I'm still speaking in my WhoDat Nation language. Speaking of aggressive, the Saints just beat the Houston Texans. GEAUX, BOYS!

This beautiful win comes on the heels of our high school team winning in double overtime Friday night.

We keep this up, I might feel like invading a country or something...

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

All progressive and efficient companies are aggressive in their aims.
I do not think it is a nationality thing..
Choice of where one might want to live and work does depend on national flavour.
When I was young I seriously thought of living in Canada or New Zealand as i got older France has a greater appeal... however I am lousy at languages......

 

[YmirGF]

however I am lousy at languages......

I know what you mean. Heck, after 55 short years, I am still trying to master English.

In regards to the OP, as a resident of Canada, I am not worried about this decades old war plan. You ought to get a load of what we have in store for America. Currently we are flooding their country with mountains of pot to work them down and make them lazy.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

In regards to the OP, as a resident of Canada, I am not worried about this decades old war plan. You ought to get a load of what we have in store for America. Currently we are flooding their country with mountains of pot to work them down and make them lazy.

But you're right in the crosshairs, aren't you? I would think that from where you are, you could hear Americans lined up along the border chanting "fifty-four forty or fight!"

Oregon boundary dispute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Revoltingest]

All progressive and efficient companies are aggressive in their aims.
I do not think it is a nationality thing..
Choice of where one might want to live and work does depend on national flavour.
When I was young I seriously thought of living in Canada or New Zealand as i got older France has a greater appeal... however I am lousy at languages......

I do offer a free French lesson.

I know what you mean. Heck, after 55 short years, I am still trying to master English.

Yer still young.

In regards to the OP, as a resident of Canada, I am not worried about this decades old war plan. You ought to get a load of what we have in store for America. Currently we are flooding their country with mountains of pot to work them down and make them lazy.

It's bad enuf that we have Timmie's here....just don't go export'n poutine.
We can retaliate with Cincinnati Chili.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

It was not hypothetical... they had started building airfields and setting up military camps at strategic crossings on the canadian border... some are still there. The plan had been approved.

[Emphasis added] Right but I thought every country made plans for, and prepared for, the possibility of war with various other countries, as part of the cautionary principle. Most of these plans and preparations are never needed (like the American tanks arrayed in Europe in case of war with the Soviets). Was War Plan Red actually a plan to START war with the UK, or a contingency plan IN CASE OF war with the UK? My understanding is it was the latter.

If this was already covered my apologies, I'm still reading the thread ...

 

[YmirGF]

But you're right in the crosshairs, aren't you? I would think that from where you are, you could hear Americans lined up along the border chanting "fifty-four forty or fight!"

Yeah, we get that a lot. We just jam a joint in their mouths, provide a spark and they soon forget what they were blubbering about.

 

[Alceste]

All progressive and efficient companies are aggressive in their aims.
I do not think it is a nationality thing..
Choice of where one might want to live and work does depend on national flavour.
When I was young I seriously thought of living in Canada or New Zealand as i got older France has a greater appeal... however I am lousy at languages......

You'd be right at home here - it seems like half my neighbours are English. I brought my man to the West Coast and he doesn't miss England at all, except for his family and friends.

I heard that 80% of people in the UK would rather live somewhere else - that probably explains it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I agree something that long ago is bunk. But looking at today, a nation struggling to protect it's environment, take care of it's people, to properly educate it's children, and unwillingness to prosecute those who devastated the economy is reason to not fully trust. But then again our politicians aren't really doing much except pointing the finger at eachother so you really don't have much to worry about.