For Embattled Workers, IBM's 100th Birthday No Cause for Celebration

As IBM turns 100, workers fighting for their union rights at the company in the United States and around the world sent their employer a message in a "Happy Birthday" video.

The video, and a day of action June 14, call on IBM to respect its workers' rights and recognize their unions, including Alliance@IBM/CWA Local 1701. Alliance members in the United States wore black and blue Tuesday and handed out leaflets calling attention to job cuts and deteriorating working conditions.

"In the U.S., job cuts are constant," Alliance President Tom Midgley said. "IBM hides that fact, as well as the number of jobs cut, from other employees, communities, elected officials and the media. IBM is off-shoring work at a record pace and sending loyal IBMers to the unemployment line."

As a result, IBM's celebration of its centennial leaves more than 15,000 workers terminated in recent years and thousands more fearing future job loss with little to cheer about, Midgley said.

CWA and other IBM unions recently formed the IBM Global Union Alliance. They have asked CEO Sam Palmisano to meet with them about rights and job conditions, but have gotten no response.

"While IBM is in the top league in many international business rankings, it ranks near the bottom of the list when it comes to working conditions. This must change as IBM enters its second century of operations," the global alliance said in a news release.

Click here to watch the IBM workers' video.