This Could Get Ugly
The union that represents USFK workers is threatening to go on strike if USFK continues its plan to cut 1,000 Korean civilian jobs in response to the 9% drop in funds the Korean government is willing to provide to the USFK.
USFK has said the shortfall could mean cutting up to 1,000 jobs among South Korean workers at U.S. bases. During a news conference in early April, USFK chief of staff Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell said, “We will be required to make tough but necessary decisions in the areas of force capabilities; pre-positioned equipment and stocks; personnel and services; construction; and command-and-control equipment currently provided to ROK military forces.â€
If this strike does happen things could get real ugly real quick.
A strike “has a lot of potential for damage and helplessness,†said Brendon Carr, an American-trained lawyer in Seoul who represents foreign companies that deal with union issues. “I could see it turning pretty crazy pretty quick.â€
In South Korea, companies are forbidden by law to lay off workers as a means to save money, Carr said. Layoffs happen only if the entire company is closing or declaring bankruptcy, he said. Thus, from a Korean’s perspective, he added, USFK’s layoffs are a rarity that target individual workers’ pride and competency.
A strike or protest could draw thousands of angry and even violent protesters, Carr said. He said when his own clients, which do not include USFK or the South Korean union, face similar business decisions about layoffs, he sometimes advises them to offer thousands of dollars of severance pay to avoid the disruption and demonstrations.
I can’t imagine the USFK would allow this strike to happen. First of all this would really cripple the readiness of the forces here because the Korean civilians who work on the military bases really do play a very important role in sustaining the US forces here on the peninsula which we are very thankful for service they do for us. Secondly the bad news coverage that would result from this would be tremendous and one thing the military does not like is bad press.
I just can’t imagine all the Korean civilians I work with daily and share common friendships with standing outside our front gate chanting slogans and rioting. Talking to my Korean civilian friends they really do not want to strike because they feel that is really going to upset the goodwill and friendship they share with the American soldiers but if your lively hood is getting terminated what else are you supposed to do? I will feel really horrible if this strike happens. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
Agree that the loss of one's job is horrible, but aren't they planning to protest the wrong group of decision makers? It was the ROK that reduced the funding level. Not USFK. USFK is just reacting to the cut.
Actually, think USFK is going to suffer through this, regardless of the bad press, if only to make the point that the days of Uncle Sugar carrying the load are over.
USFK seems to be playing hardball recently, whether in regards to the movement south to Pyongtek or in financial issues like these. Can't say it is always the best policy but it is certainly not business as usual. Looks like we will live in interesting times.
Its about time they realize the gravey train is over. In Germany when we cut the bases, we cut the Germans, but, we gave them a severance package the envy of the world. Some workers got over a 100k US Dollars! What did we give our soldiers when we canned them because the force was too big?? The most they got was maybe 10-30k and then we took taxes out on that so, it was a pitiful amount compared to what we gave the Germans. The Koreans will be well taken care of and I dont feel sorry for them. Christ look what NAFTA did to the American worker…..Thousands laid off and no severance package. People have lost their homes, families, and lives. Besides, ITS TIME WE GET OUT OF KOREA !! What the $&% are we still doing here, 50 years later??
As others have hinted (and I'm sure you suspect) USFK will get bad press coverage regardless of what happens. Even if it bites the bullet in this instance, you will soon be subject to another round of ill-will. It's because of anything the Army has done or will do.
Indeed, there are worse things than bad press: One is the act of trying to endear yourselves to such people, in the misguided hopes of alleviating their stated concerns. At best, all the Army will get out of it is more contempt while demoralizing the USFK as a whole. At worst, some soldiers might even cross over to the other side to curry favor with the wrong crowd.
Your Korean friends are not the only ones who are watching and worried. Please keep that in mind as you weigh your loyalties to them against the loyalties to your countrymen. You've been given an important responsibility in the defense of the country – our country – not South Korea. And your immediate responsibility is to your guys. You owe it to them not to fraternize with the Koreans to the point that it will affect your judgement.
I can sympathize with your situation. I've had to choose between my native loyalties and foreign friends – even to the point of hostility. But even worse than that, is watching the men under your charge become demoralized because their leadership forgot that their behaviour was being noticed.
"I just can't imagine all the Korean civilians I work with daily and share common friendships with standing outside our front gate chanting slogans and rioting. Talking to my Korean civilian friends they really do not want to strike because they feel that is really going to upset the goodwill and friendship they share with the American soldiers but if your lively hood is getting terminated what else are you supposed to do? I will feel really horrible if this strike happens. I really hope it doesn't come to that."
Many a sailor of the Fifth Fleet would have said the same thing of Bahrain. Then 9/11 happened and they were shocked to see the change in the attitudes emanating from the people they worked with for so long.
Hope is the province of Civilians – people who, more or less, suspect they won't have to bear the consequences of their Hope. And Hope is too often used as an excuse to delay an uncomfortable decision; in the fervent belief that the decision will never have to be made.
Leaders don't procrastinate by rationalizing reasons not to make hard decisions. When they do, the people who depend on them become rudderless, and are led into situations that could otherwise have been avoided.
You're in the US Armed Forces. We're trained to plan on the worst-case scenarios, to judge people in the most uncomfortable light, and to confront them.
Don't Hope.
Act.
Make a decision, and confront your Commander, your men and your Korean friends with that decision. Don't play both sides of the road. Don't waffle. You owe it to your men.
Leave Hope to the weak-willed and the starving; it's sad to say, but it's often all they have.
You're not one of them.
First of all I have nothing to do with who gets fired in USFK. That is handled by people up in the 8th Army and has nothing to do with me. I'm nobody special. I just happen to know some of the people who work at the PX, do my dry cleaning, work in the DFAC, the gym, etc. They show up to work on time and do their job well so to suggest they are living on a gravy train is nonsense. Many of these workers are older workers who have worked for USFK for anywhere to 15-20 years. They work for their money and all play critical roles in daily USFK operations. So if they are going to be layed off then we owe them at least some fore warning to let them find a different job before being cut. I don't see anything wrong with an agreed upon severance package if we are cutting somebody that is nearing retirement. How would you feel if your job got cut 2 years before retirement?
However, whatever 8th Army decides you will not see soldiers jumping in on the side of the protestors. We all understand this is stuff handled way above our grunt level and respect that. We just assume the higher ups are doing what is best for the Army.
>I just can't imagine all the Korean civilians I work with daily and share common friendships with standing outside our front gate chanting slogans and rioting.>
Don't delude yourself on this one. In 2002 I had students giving me gifts the day my second son was born, who an hour later were involved in xenophobic demonstrations.
Koreans as a people are so steeped in a culture of blame that they cannot accept responsiblity for their actions in any form. Base closures (and lay-offs) are a direct result of the 2002 Race Riots but not a single Korean working for USFK could ever admit that. They know it is, but they cannot say it out loud.
Truer words haven't been spoken. Even my in-laws tried to start some anti-us crap based on a flyer they found about the school girl incident. Luckly my father in-law is a Korean war vet (korean) and he set his sons straight.