Proud to be Disgruntled

An online magazine has named IBM workers its “Disgruntled Employees of the Year” for an ongoing effort to organize with the help of CWA. Alliance@IBM/CWA was formed after the company schemed to reduce pension plan benefits for mid-career workers. The Wall Street Journal said the workers’ battle not only got IBM to backpedal, but drew national attention to the corporate trend toward cash-balance pension plans. “Everybody likes to talk about the new economy,” said Daniel S. Levine, editor of Disgruntled magazine. But “when it comes to employees fighting for their rights and protecting their benefits, some ideas from the old economy, such as collective bargaining, still have value today.” The IBM workers are the first group recipient in the award’s five-year history. Above, CWA staff and supporters of IBM workers rally in Washington, D.C.