.....and disclose some truths. Charly Hannagan at the Post never made it clear that the strength and soul of Camillus was its people. And I mean PEOPLE, not workers or management, which is an artificial barrier used by organized unions, in this case the misguided Steel Workers, to create animosity in the workplace so as to control the people like puppets. The hourly people I knew were great workers with great souls and dedication, and worked their butts off not only to keep their jobs, but to keep the company alive. Some other workers were not so dedicated and needed union protection so that they could continue their "struggle against management" instead of focusing on helping their brethren and keeping the company open.
But let's praise first. The great workers, you know who you are. You volunteered for the glorious Yard sale on your own time, came in early to make improvements when supervision resisted change, made the best product possible under the circumstances. You are the ones that gave your all and were let down. You are the ones that cared. You are the ones union officials berated and insulted because you questioned them on the fact they weren't doing anything to help keeping the company alive.
I know "management" was bashed, and in many cases rightly so. But to throw all people into a category to blame is so wrong. True, the owners were no leaders, but they led the company to destruction.
I read the many posts praising Ron P (Kong), and a Kong of a man he is, and so is his heart. One of the people......and part of "management". The other members of "management', but workers all, that worked 5-6 days a week even though they were being paid for 4 days, because they had heart, and they cared...no different than the shop floor people. The woman that kept on processing the orders, after working hours and on weekends, because every new order brought more days of life. The one that kept the payroll going, even though she was being harassed by the leaders of the picket lines. Mike Donovan, the one man trying to hold the company together even though the owners went into hiding and abandoned it. Yes, he was the designer of the concession request. But his job was to keep the company alive. What most people don't realize is that Camillus was on a 4 day work week NOT because of lack of orders, but because of lack of cash to pay the employees. He was harassed at home, with pickets scaring the wife and kids. The only person holding the whole business together by his finger nails was forced to quit.
To Phil, trying to keep the business relationship with the designers going, even though the designers were not being paid. He was betrayed, too. To Vinnie, also betrayed by the owners and let go, who traveled throughout Europe and started alliances with distributors around the world to make Camillus an international name. He came back with enough orders and future commitments amounting to about 50% of all Camillus future sales, creating business opportunities that the owners never imagined. Camillus would have exported more knives that they would ever import from China. The opportunity was killed when the strike prevented the orders from being filled, thus effectively killing the company. To the suppliers that stood by the company even though they were not being paid. To the sales force who kept on selling even though their commission payments stopped coming> To the loyal customers, who stood by with orders unfulfilled, hoping that the strike would end quick so they could get their products.
The company was very sick; borderline critical. But it could have been saved. Granted, the owners were greedy and inept. Granted, the bank was oblivious to the situation, and acted irresponsibly with no regard for the people or the community, or American manufacturing. As people all around were fighting for their jobs, the owners ran into hiding, the bank dumped the company, and the international union betrayed its own people. The strike put a stop to any activities on transfer of ownership that would keep the company alive. true, the same vultures who wanted the name as a front for imports were hovering. But there were those who wanted to really turn the business around and grow the company, and keep jobs in CNY. They were stopped by the strike, and before that, they were becoming suspicious by those naiive employees wearing buttons saying "CONCESSIONS NO! Union YES!". The buttons in reality meant "CONCESSIONS NO, UNEMPLOYMENT YES!", because when the concessions were turned down, the union leadership was nowhere to be found, except for the typical hard core bitching about "management" that was trying to keep them alive. It is ironic that the only ones that were getting paid were the ones that pulled the plug on the life support. Camillus should have a sign reading "Jimmy Valenti Memorial Park", for the international union representative who lead the contract negotiations, the one who misunderstood the situation, misread the owners, misled the people, and irresponsibly demanded wage increases and more benefits that if accepted would have killed the company anyway. The workers never knew about that.
The sad part is that the contract didn't really matter, since new owners would have had a different contract, had the potential buyers been allowed to continue their negotiations. Hence the tragedy. The strike was irrelevant. And the union leadership new that. Irresponsible. Betrayal. Why did they do it? I don't know, but it sure wasn't because of the concessions. Those could have been negotiated, and there was no such effort.
After that, the company was being run by the workers, both on the floor and in salaried positions, with no one at the helm, and no real management in place except a consultant hired to dispose of the business.
The rest is just an epitaph.
For those who helped, you should be proud of yourselves. You are good people and will be good wherever you go. As far as the others are concerned, you can blame others all you want, but you will carry the shame with you wherever you go.
R.I.P, Camillus.
on after being AXED with years of service found it inside to come back and work his butt off to try and turn us back around after All the bad calls made by those in charge. Rick fighting static from all sides stood FIRM and singlehandly started and maintained the Collectors club.The more they said no the harder he pushed till it became a reality.All done mostly on his own time till the fight became too much even for even his hard head to put up with.Vicky one of many many workers always willing to go the extra mile to do what it took to get a rush order out.And Phil all the untold hours working on new designs worring about all design details, then the supreme show of loyality lending the company HIS PERSONAL moneys to keep us afloat.And in the end they never even kissed him with his jar of KY.
