35+ years working this glad it's behind me.

Been here...for many years...

Sounds like congratulations are in order!!!

  It's been 10 years since my last official career. It took about 5 years for the night terrors to die down. I was proud of my work, and ashamed of my company.

Do I want to ask what you used to do? 

   In my case, I started with the Bell System, and couldn't have made a better choice. Then the breakup of '83 happened, and slowly at first, customer service declined in small ways. Then they called us 'US West' and that was a step down, but nothing compared to when the new name became Qwest. At that point it was like not wanting people to ask who you worked for. You know, "Oh I work for the IRS, but only the good part." In this case, we made a bad name in every state that we serviced. After I left 10 years ago, they changed their name a couple of more times. When they call to tell me of retirement benefits, I tell them to just take me off of EVERY list that they have, and consider it even.

 

Do I want to ask what you used to do? 

 

I don't know, but I posted because of the song, and it was in the field which I worked for 35+ years.  I know you didn't ask, and wasn't pushing anything on any one here, but was a cool song IMO.  Any one could relate to it, it didn't have to be refinery orientated . 

 

Actually, I was asking 4krow, but thanks!

 

I can relate, as I'm sure many a member here can. 

 

19 years ago I sold my business and joined a food packaging company as plant engineer. It was fantastic at first. Family owned business, a dozen plants across the US and Canada. We were treated very well, we allowed to do our jobs and our successes were handsomely rewarded. 

 

A few years in, the patriarch of the owner family decided his time was up and he wanted to buy a vineyard in Napa and devote his time to that. The company was sold to a large international corporation that seemed to be well in tune with the business we were in. There were a few minor re-alignments but for the most part, they trusted us to continue doing what we were good at. 

 

Then the world changed. That company had holdings in sectors that went to crap and they decided to divest themselves on 'non-core' business units. That meant us. Our division was sold to another much larger multinational that was more of a merger and acquisition company ( we referred to them as murder and acquisition ) than a manufacturing one. The cuts came in waves. Waves like on the open ocean, one right after the next. 

 

I got so sick of walking employees with 20+ years in the company out the door. It was soul destroying. Then the consultants came. Salaries got cut, benefits dwindled and pension contributions got decimated. As more high level staff got let go, the remaining few were tasked with covering their responsibilities atop our own. 

 

One day we walked 2 more senior staffers out and I got called on the carpet to be told I was now required to cover both of their jobs. Entirely.

 

Not having enough pension to consider retiring, it was time to find other employment which thanks to my extensive connection in the local business community only took a couple weeks.

 

I'm happy for anyone who manages to get out of the rat race. Congrats! 

19 years ago I sold my business and joined a food packaging company as plant engineer. It was fantastic at first. Family owned business, a dozen plants across the US and Canada.

Who?

this is where I work,

http://formostfuji.com/

hit 25yrs about 2 weeks ago....

Congrats to those who have retired!  I am about to retire from the place I am at, take some time off, and then go back to work next year to finish out my working years.  I am 55, so I can take my money and run....grin