From owner-freebsd-jobs Thu Jun 18 00:03:33 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id AAA01783 for freebsd-jobs-outgoing; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 00:03:33 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-jobs@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from mtiwmhc03.worldnet.att.net (mtiwmhc03.worldnet.att.net [204.127.131.38]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id AAA01778 for ; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 00:03:32 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from tgparker@worldnet.att.net) Received: from worldnet.att.net ([12.78.197.134]) by mtiwmhc03.worldnet.att.net (InterMail v03.02.03 118 118 102) with ESMTP id <19980618070301.EHGW7809@worldnet.att.net> for ; Thu, 18 Jun 1998 07:03:01 +0000 Message-ID: <3588BBA3.91725BF7@worldnet.att.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 03:02:59 -0400 From: Tony Parker Reply-To: tgparker@worldnet.att.net Organization: A. N. Brabrook, Inc. X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.03 [en] (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-jobs@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: NY Computer Techs Are Organizing! Come and join us! References: <199806180344.UAA07950@hub.freebsd.org> Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------C43D753CA15FB9B6A637A18D" Sender: owner-freebsd-jobs@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------C43D753CA15FB9B6A637A18D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit NY Computer Techs Are Organizing! Come and join us! --------------C43D753CA15FB9B6A637A18D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="NYCG02.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="NYCG02.txt" THE NEW YORK COMPUTER PROFESSIONAL'S GUILD c/o Tony Parker 548 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019 fax: 1-212-582-9122 ****** voice mail: 1-800-652-4297 email: tgparker@worldnet.att.net * Health Care * Pension Plan * Income, Payroll, & Tax Management * * Re-Training & Certification * Employment & Job Search Databank * * * * IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS!! * * * TO DISCUSS: * Health Care * Pension Plan * Income, Payroll, & Tax Management * * Re-Training & Certification * Employment & Job Search Databank * * READ ON FOR FURTHER DETAILS! I've been a computer professional since the 80's and after working in almost every type of corporate computer related environment I've come to the following conclusions: 1.) The computer industry is a great industry, I love every aspect of it, and I think computer professionals are the true working elite of both the present and the future. The computer industry is changing and growing at an incredible pace causing companies go in and out of business with each technological advancement. This type of "Boom-Bust" cycle has had a major impact on the income, security, life-style, and needs of Computer Professionals. 2.) Similar "Boom-Bust" socio-economic trends, & patterns are now occurring like those that affected the lives and working conditions of skilled and elite workers & professionals of the 20's and 30's are now beginning to take place. Despite the fact that we are currently enjoying a temporary "BOOM" in our industry, It is only a matter of time that "BUST" trends will begin again and noticeably impact on our lives 3.) I feel there is a distinct need for computer professionals to form a professional organization or guild NOW in order to protect the following basic interests and needs: * Health Care * Pension Plan * Income, Payroll, & Tax Management * Re-Training & Certification * Employment Issues & Job Search Databank a.) Health Care - - Health Care is a major issue that impacts on everyone. Computer professionals are an aging work force with families that need health care. i.) Some of us buy health care independently. This is an expensive solution and oftentimes the independent buyer of health care does not get good value for the dollar. ii.) Some of us who are permanently employed buy health care through our employers. Even with Cobra type wrap-arounds this is not a permanent guarantee of health coverage, and lasts only as long as we continue to work for our employer. iii.) The shocking statistic is that many of us Many of us go without! iv.) I propose a Computer Professionals Organization/Guild that would have the buying power to insure permanent affordable comprehensive health care for its members and their families. b.) Pension Plans - - i.) Aging is not likely to affect our abilities as computer professionals for many years to come, nevertheless an effective, reliable, and independent Computer Professionals Organization/Guild Pension Plan controlled and managed by the membership would be an essential service and guarantee that our golden years will be secure. ii.) Though many corporations and employers offer some kind of pension plan, and diligently collect our money for years, all too often these corporations and employers attempt to wriggle out of their commitments when it's time to pay us back our own hard earned money. iii.) Most experts agree that the Social Security System will go bankrupt before many of us are even considering retirement. iv.) Some of us buy Private Pension & Retirement plans, which can afford us some security, but as individual investors we are usually not getting the best terms and value for our dollar. c.) Income, PayRoll, and Tax Management - - i.) In a thinly disguised attempt to avoid their taxes, FICA, Workman's Compensation and other responsibilities, many Corporations and Employers have taken to the practice of hiring Computer Consultants, as independent (1099) sub-contractors. This effectively passes the burden, responsibility, and tax liability onto the Computer Professional. ii.) As a "Work-around", many Computer Consultant's pay for the services of Payroll Companies, which effectively resolves the problem. Nevertheless for an independent consultant this is still an added expense and costly burden. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide some kind of cost-effective payroll management services. iii.) Some Employers and Corporations Hire Computer Consultants on a W-2 basis and do collect the taxes, yet improperly or fraudulently neglect to make the appropriate Tax and Insurance payments, leaving the Computer Consultant still liable for the unpaid taxes. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide some kind of oversight into these practices and help to protect its members from the effects of such abuses. iv.) Though Computer Professionals are amongst the highest paid workers today many of us work on a "contract" or "assignment" basis, which means that there are often "slack" or "down" periods between these "contracts" or "assignments". Without a properly managed Unemployment Insurance Plan, many Computer Professionals simply go without income during their "slack" or "down" time, and live off of savings. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide some kind of managed Unemployment Insurance Plan to insure that there would be viable interim income for any of its members finding themselves in one of these "slack" or "down" periods. d.) Re-Training & Re-Certification - - i.) Our Industry experts all agree that the computer industry virtually regenerates itself and completely changes every 6-8 months. As Computer Professionals we have to keep current on a wide range of Hardware and Software developments in order to keep ourselves marketable. A basic range of Certification in Computer Hardware/Software, Lan/Wan Networking, and Data-Communication Skills is both time consuming, and a major financial burden. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide some kind of basic Training & Certification Program that would keep its members current with industry advances. ii.) Some Corporations and Employers do "invest" in Re-Training and Re-Certifying only their "Key" or "long-term" employees, leaving Short Term and "Contract" Computer Professionals to fend for themselves, unless they are willing to pay for these expensive courses themselves. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide an affordable Training & Certification Program, that would be acknowledged by Corporations and employers. iii.) Many Computer Professionals that do invest in these costly certification courses, discover that the training is either sub- standard or that the certification are not readily accepted or recognized by corporations and employers. A Computer Professionals Organization/Guild would be able to provide a quality Training & Certification Program, that would be acknowledged by ALL Corporations and employers. e.) Employment Issues & Job Search Databank - - i.) By and large our Industry is populated by a multitude of responsible, reliable, professionally and ethically run corporations, employers, and computer service providers. ii.) Unfortunately, This last "BOOM" in our industry has also seen the disturbing growth of "Body Shops" and Placement Agencies. These organizations are little more than job brokers, and offer little value to the enduser or customer other than the personal skills and abilities of the Computer Professional being placed. iii.) They simply cruise the various InterNet Job-Banks & newsgroups collecting resumes and passing them on to their customers. For this questionable service they collect fees & commissions (Sometimes as high as 60 percent of the rate being charged the customer/end-user!) from either the customer or the Computer Professional. iv.) These organizations seem to be the main source of our ills, They take as much as 60 percent of our pay-check yet do next to nothing in return. Often-times they don't even pay us the money we're due. v.) A Computer Professionals' Organization/Guild would be able to provide a oversight on the practices of these Placement Agencies and "Body Shops" insuring that that these organizations were in total compliance of ALL Federal, State, and City Labor, Employment, & Immigrations laws and regulations. If and when any of our members had any claims against such an organization, A Computer Professionals' Organization/Guild would be able to provide professional legal advocacy, and bring both political and media pressure on the offending organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So if you're a Computer Professional and any of this seems to ring true to you and you'd like to join a Computer Professional's Organization Run by Computer Professionals, then please Drop me a line. E-Mail Me at: tgparker@worldnet.att.net or leave me a message on my voice-line. 1-800-652-4297 * Health Care * Pension Plan * Income, Payroll, & Tax Management * * Re-Training & Certification * Employment & Job Search Databank * * ____________________________________________________________________ FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT: Tony Parker 548 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10019 fax: 1-212-582-9122 ****** voice mail: 1-800-652-4297 email: tgparker@worldnet.att.net * * * IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS!! YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE NEW YORK COMPUTER PROFESSIONAL'S GUILD IN A DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: * Health Care * Pension Plan * Income, Payroll, & Tax Management * * Re-Training & Certification * Employment & Job Search Databank * -------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------C43D753CA15FB9B6A637A18D-- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-jobs" in the body of the message