What a company!

[Dave W]

Gibson Guitar Forces Its Factory Workers in Nashville to Work During COVID-19

Are their lawyers considered factory workers? I'm sure they're busy mailing threats and filing lawsuits.

[Dave W]

I see that it's been updated:

(UPDATE: After receiving hundreds of angry tweets, Gibson Guitar announced today that they would not be re-opening their factory on Monday)

[westen44]

Tennessee is already 11th in the number of infections. 

[ajkula66]

I see that it's been updated:

(UPDATE: After receiving hundreds of angry tweets, Gibson Guitar announced today that they would not be re-opening their factory on Monday)

The real question is whether employees will get paid or directed to get unemployment insurance...

[Chris P.]

I got this press release today:




GIBSON Operations In The USA Temporarily Closed

Gibson Makes Decision In Alignment With Other Nashville Based Factories And The Broader Guitar Manufacturing Industry Across The USA

Gibson Provides Financial Relief To ALL U.S.-Based Factory Workers



NASHVILLE, TN (March 22, 2020) Gibson has maintained the highest standard of protocol and recommended hygiene practices throughout the evolving COVID 19 situation, including daily leadership briefings and pro-active communication to all employees. This also included the monitoring of accordance with federal, state and local entities – and other professional sources. Until last Friday, the majority of manufacturing facilities across all industries remained open in the greater Nashville area, and beyond. Gibson's facilities have NOT been in operation since Friday and will remain closed until further notice. To date, there have been zero reported cases of coronavirus across the Gibson employee base.   

Today, Sunday, March 22, Nashville Mayor John Cooper has ordered all non-essential businesses to close for the just-announced 14-day "Safer At Home Order" starting at midnight tonight. Gibson is aligned with this request and has already initiated communications with their employee base in Nashville. Gibson also took the preventative step to temporarily close their Bozeman, Montana facility, despite there being no government request. The Gibson Headquarters Team located in Nashville, TN will be working remotely during the foreseeable future to provide the appropriate levels of service across all functions.

With this current, and uncertain situation, Gibson's leadership has also decided to provide all Gibson hourly factory workers with a $1000 Gibson support payment to help get the team through this difficult time.  Gibson has set up various communication platforms to keep the team informed, including the Gibson DIAL (Direct Information Advisory Line) for all employees. 
   
"At the early stages of this unfortunate and ever-evolving situation, we took a proactive approach to monitoring and prioritizing the health and safety of our entire team around the world," states James 'JC' Curleigh, CEO of Gibson. "I am proud of the way our teams have responded and we now shift our focus to supporting each other to get through this together."

Gibson will continue to monitor and assess the situation and will keep the extended partnership base of employees, dealers, suppliers, and others informed accordingly.

[westen44]

I noticed they also closed their Montana facility.  Montana does have a low infection rate.  But the only place at this point to be free from the virus would be Antarctica. 

[Dave W]

Negative publicity caused them to change their tune. Good that they're providing some support to workers.

The problem wasn't that they had chosen to stay open, but that they were requiring workers to report while a serious disease is spreading. It should have at least been optional.

[westen44]

What I'm concerned about is that there are those who won't be named (and who have nothing to do with Gibson) who seem to be thinking that we should just go back to business as usual.  Saying stuff like, sure people are dying from the coronaavirus, but don't people die every day anyway?  People are dying from car wrecks and that doesn't make us stop driving cars.  What kind of convoluted reasoning is this?  People need to take a look at Italy.  That is hell on earth.  That's what you do everything to avoid.  One thing you don't do is make people go to work if they feel like they might have to end up sacrificing their lives.  Prepare yourself to meet the Grim Reaper if necessary to help get more profits for someone.  I guess some people (I just saw one on TV) think that's the American way.  Count me out. 

[Pilgrim]

Upon reflection, I think an element that's missing from some folks' psyche is the ability to consider and anticipate the future. They don't process the fact that action now prevents something that WOULD happen but doesn't HAVE TO happen.  Action now means the future problem will be smaller in scope. I just think they don't grasp the concept, or they simply don't care.

[westen44]

Upon reflection, I think an element that's missing from some folks' psyche is the ability to consider and anticipate the future. They don't process the fact that action now prevents something that WOULD happen but doesn't HAVE TO happen.  Action now means the future problem will be smaller in scope. I just think they don't grasp the concept, or they simply don't care.

Your line of reasoning is the same as an article in "The Atlantic" I just read.  Also, simple as it may sound, Benjamin Franklin was right on target when he said "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." 

[Dave W]

What I'm concerned about is that there are those who won't be named (and who have nothing to do with Gibson) who seem to be thinking that we should just go back to business as usual.  Saying stuff like, sure people are dying from the coronaavirus, but don't people die every day anyway?  People are dying from car wrecks and that doesn't make us stop driving cars.  What kind of convoluted reasoning is this?  People need to take a look at Italy.  That is hell on earth.  That's what you do everything to avoid.  One thing you don't do is make people go to work if they feel like they might have to end up sacrificing their lives.  Prepare yourself to meet the Grim Reaper if necessary to help get more profits for someone.  I guess some people (I just saw one on TV) think that's the American way.  Count me out.

People only need to take a look at New York City, or places like the nursing home in Washington State, to understand how dangerous this virus is. In the long run, the fatality rate will likely be lower than original estimates, but it's still a horrific illness and some survivors will have permanent lung damage. Opinions on how to handle things may differ but it's outrageous to dismiss the seriousness of it.

Back to the subject at hand, guitar factory workers aren't essential to public health and safety. You don't force them to work. Gibson has made things right now, but it was yet another boneheaded move by them.

[westen44]

People only need to take a look at New York City, or places like the nursing home in Washington State, to understand how dangerous this virus is. In the long run, the fatality rate will likely be lower than original estimates, but it's still a horrific illness and some survivors will have permanent lung damage. Opinions on how to handle things may differ but it's outrageous to dismiss the seriousness of it.

Back to the subject at hand, guitar factory workers aren't essential to public health and safety. You don't force them to work. Gibson has made things right now, but it was yet another boneheaded move by them.

Yes, it was boneheaded.  Too bad that it happened.  Hopefully,, that will be the last mistake they make like that. 

[uwe]

Amen to all that has been written here.

Yes, the Covid-19 shutdowns will deal a huge blow to global economies, but economies revive, dead people - last I heard - don't. Economy is important, personal freedom is important, social contacts are important. None of them are, however, as important as saving people's lives, nor is their restriction for even a painfully long period as damaging to the fabric of a society as sacrificing human lives.

Italy and Spain - mind you, both not exactly Third World countries - look indeed horrible. A warning to us all.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

A somewhat cynical perspective from a Tennessee worker WITH the virus: our governor Bill Lee is a completely unqualified dunderhead poster boy for big business and has made no illusions about that fact. He has only continually proven this as Tennessee ranks LAST in the nation for taking preventative measures to combat the spread. (Ask me about his ideas of "education reform" if you want to learn new profanity.) Here in Knoxville, the city and county mayor (Kane from the WWE- and no, I'm NOT kidding) went to war over issuing stay at home orders, with the county-controlled health department making a political decision to keep restaurants and bars open for public traffic long after the CDC recommended closure to foot traffic.  Why do I bring this up? Because in Tennessee, government answers to business and not vice versa. Gibson probably had as much say in keeping their factory open as they do any other internal decision. I'm happy they were PR-shamed into action. Other industries are more institutionally sociopathic and unfazed by PR. To call Nashville corrupt is like calling Washington DC corrupt: DUH.  Thankfully, my employer is based in Minnesota.

[patman]

My daughter lives in Madrid.

Scares the crap out of me right now...