After Promising No Layoffs, Gateway Pink Slips 100

[UpInArms]

Source: Careers-eweek

Workers in Gateway's headquarters and Iowa facility lost their jobs a month after Acer's CEO downplayed layoff fears.

On the heels of the being acquired by Taiwan-based Acer last month, Gateway laid off 50 workers in North Sioux City, Iowa, and another 50 at its headquarters in Irvine, Calif. Nov. 28.

The announcement came just weeks after Acer CEO J.T. Wang told BusinessWeek that Acer had no plans to lay off Gateway employees. "People in Gateway started to think how many employees will be laid off. That's not a priority. We want to keep the business. The synergies calculated don't include laying off people," said Wang in an October interview.

Acer announced Aug. 27 that it would acquire the struggling Gateway for $710 million in a move that stood to make it one of the world's largest PC vendors. The deal, which closed Oct. 15, could prove advantageous for Gateway, which had struggled with battery recalls and declining market share over the past seven years.

Read more: http://www.careers.eweek.com/article/After+Promising+No+Layoffs+Gateway+Pink+Slips+100/220554_1.aspx

[Benhurst]

1. Ugh! And I just bought an Acer.

[LiberalFighter]

2. They weren't laid-off... pink slip fired

[FREEWILL56]

3. Yes I've gone through the permanent layoffs before.

[Love Bug]

4. George said he had no plans to invade Iraq, either

and look where we are.

I feel for the workers because I've been laid off myself, but never, never believe management when they make statements like this. They can always exercise the right to change their mind without any notice.

[superconnected]

5. Right at Christmas time.

I always hate it when companies do it then.

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Acer sucks...

...typed on an Acer computer from an (unwilling) Acer reseller.:thumbsdown:

[kurth]

7. Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be workers in the PC industry