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My dad was let go this week after 29 years at Lufkin Industries. Missed full retirement by 11 months.

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I would tell your dad to speak to a lawyer. Age discrimination and firing someone to avoid an earned benefit are about the only legal grounds available for old white guys.

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Not sure it was because of age or possible benefits. They are cutting most of the people left. He made the cut when they shut down the foundry and another cut earlier this year. He knew it was coming, but was hoping to hang on until he got his 30 years in.

And I wouldn't say he is old... mid 50s.

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I am VERY familiar with the history of Lufkin Industries. I've had family in the uppermost management of Lufkin for decades when it was still run by Lufkin lifers. My uncle was President and CEO for years. One of the bedrock features of working for them was , once you made the cut and were part of the family, you had damn near lifetime employment. Lufkin never paid particular well when compared to the other companies BUT it made up for it in the East Texas family style and the benefits.
If your dad was an engineer or other professional type up there he missed hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct pay in exchange for the Lufkin lifestyle and promise of long term employment and a great East Texas retirement of hunting and fishing in style....... 30-40 years guys were treated like royalty in Lufkin and retired all over East Texas in comfort and with the use of a lot of great facilities for the rest of their life.
Then along came GE.............

Not so much blaming GE as this is just the way of the world BUT it needs to be a warning to the young uns to NEVER EVER EVER fall for any belief that you are anything other than a number and totally expendable. Give your company NOTHING that does not directly benefit you monetarily NOW ( or very near future) .

I hope your dad did have a pile of Lufkin stock when the GE buyout happened, at least he had a nice windfall back then. There were TONS of little old widow ladies all over town who suddenly became 3,4 or FIVE million millionaires overnight thanks to the GE stock buy-a-thon.

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My dad was let go this week after 29 years at Lufkin Industries. Missed full retirement by 11 months.

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I would tell your dad to speak to a lawyer. Age discrimination and firing someone to avoid an earned benefit are about the only legal grounds available for old white guys.

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Not sure it was because of age or possible benefits. They are cutting most of the people left. He made the cut when they shut down the foundry and another cut earlier this year. He knew it was coming, but was hoping to hang on until he got his 30 years in.

And I wouldn't say he is old... mid 50s.

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I am VERY familiar with the history of Lufkin Industries. I've had family in the uppermost management of Lufkin for decades when it was still run by Lufkin lifers. My uncle was President and CEO for years. One of the bedrock features of working for them was , once you made the cut and were part of the family, you had damn near lifetime employment. Lufkin never paid particular well when compared to the other companies BUT it made up for it in the East Texas family style and the benefits.
If your dad was an engineer or other professional type up there he missed hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct pay in exchange for the Lufkin lifestyle and promise of long term employment and a great East Texas retirement of hunting and fishing in style....... 30-40 years guys were treated like royalty in Lufkin and retired all over East Texas in comfort and with the use of a lot of great facilities for the rest of their life.
Then along came GE.............

Not so much blaming GE as this is just the way of the world BUT it needs to be a warning to the young uns to NEVER EVER EVER fall for any belief that you are anything other than a number and totally expendable. Give your company NOTHING that does not directly benefit you monetarily NOW ( or very near future) .

I hope your dad did have a pile of Lufkin stock when the GE buyout happened, at least he had a nice windfall back then. There were TONS of little old widow ladies all over town who suddenly became 3,4 or FIVE million millionaires overnight thanks to the GE stock buy-a-thon.

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I learned that lesson just recently. After being laid off from CVX for no fault of my own, I have learned that I have to look out for my families interests first and foremost, and the companies somewhere down the line. I busted my tail working for a company that I thought I was going to be at for 30+ years. After relocating 3 times in 4 years, living and working in 3 separate countries, and working myself to the bone for days on end, I was let go with little more than an email saying to turn in my laptop and badge. Mind you it wasn't 30 years, but it still hurt bad knowing that I wasn't anything but a number or cog in the big machine. I work for a much smaller company in a much less volatile industry now that provides a much better work/life balance. Good post.

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Pretty much all large companies do it. I've worked for three multi-billion dollar companies and every one of them I can show an example of it happening.

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My dad missed 30 years by one month. Was cut by a major as well.

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that is bull****

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Why would I lie about that?

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I know this is likely an exception but at the major I work at, we had an individual notified she was being let go but they're letting her stay until she turns 50 in October for retirement purposes. Everyone else is already gone

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