This email/memo is really really bugging me. My husband worked for this company for over 9 years. The average employment for an operator at this company is 1-2 years. When the operators leave they typically use up their vacation/sick time while working at the new company. H actually gave his two weeks notice, he actually showed up on time every day for those two weeks. He was honest when they asked him why he leaving, what they could do to improve, and anything else they asked. This is how he was repaid for his 9 years of service.

This was read by each shift supervisor to their shift.

"Subject: operator hiring; salary/benefit feed back for M(the new company he went to work for)

We have 5 operators starting Monday; and expect a second class of 5 to start on/about Nov 13.

In H's exit interview, he said the morale was bad due to staffing; and mentioned everyone would like to get paid more. He said the schedule was good, safety has improved.

H started here 7/97 at $10/hr. He left at $24/hr. He is starting at M at $24/hr. He will be paying $100/month for medical; and has no defined benefit plan nor bonus plan. It is a union plant.

M is a polycilicon unit that used to be part of the E Corporation when I previously worked there. The raw material used is silicon tetraflouride. The unit is 4 stories high; and has an aluminum siding. The chemicals are tetragenic which means that each year they have to have their sperm tested as part of their physical.

I share this with you because when the guys say that H left for a better deal; it is not necessarily so.

Heath did a good job for us. And we have worked on raising operator rates the whole time I have been here. The pay and benefits are good.

The labor market is tough right now A A, N, L and other smaller facilities are losing operatros to BP, Lyondell, and Shell as the oil market goes crazy.

We will do your best to bring in the best candidates we can.

Hang in there and be safe.
GW, Human Resources Manager, O T (Houston), LP"

I cannot believe she posted my husband's salary information. While his new starting rate is close to his old rate, he'll be getting a $1 raise in 90 days and $3 in 6 months. He will top out at almost $10 more then we started. He was a supervisor at his old job and now he's just an operator again. The new plant doesn't have a pension but they have 401K. While he now has to pay for our insurance it's only $112/mo for both of us with a lower deductible, lower copay, and better coverage. The union plant part is a positive, no more doing the work maintenance should be doing but they aren't because they aren't there.

While M is a polysilicon unit, they DO NOT use sperm testing. They did briefly in the 80s for two years when they switched to a new chemical because it wasn't certain on the side effects. The unit has an elevator. The chemicals ARE NOT tetragenic they are pyra(something) which means when it hits air it has a flash flame and burns out in seconds.

The pay at O is not good. The same type of company next door starts their new employees with only 3 years of experience at the rate H made when he left O. While you don't have to pay for insurance at O, including dependents, you are subject to crappy deductibles and coverage because of the cost to the company. They only offer it this way because they are based in Norway, who has socialized medicine. They often send their parent company employees here to train and they will not pay for insurance. They have to offer it to the entire US company the same way because of laws.

People are leaving the companies she listed because they want to work at the 'real plants' for better pay, benefits, and opportunities.

I'm so disgusted by this.