Mel Leonard

Consequences Mel Leonard

Nick Fusco has worked at Solkind Industries in Markham, Ontario, most of his adult life. Solkind produces solar panels and is the largest manufacturer in North America. Solkind is not unionized but is a fair employer and pays its employees well above the union rate. As a result no union has ever been able to organize Solkind. Nick is their shipping and warehouse manager and is responsible for the movement in and out of two thousand tractor trailers each month. In addition he is an expert on spur preparation for container railway flatbed railcars that Solkind sends to Vancouver for export to Pacific Rim countries. In this capacity Nick currently earns $100,000.00 year salary and a full benefit package for health, dental, optical and life insurance paid by the company. In addition he has an undefined pension that he contributes to monthly and Solkind matches 25% of his contributions. Nick is now forty eight years old and he has just been told by HR that the company is changing its manufacturing and shipping departments to be run by artificial intelligence. He is not being let go as he is a loyal and brilliant manager but he will now serve as a special projects manager but his salary will be changed to hourly. In the event that he does not want to remain with Solkind he has been offered a generous severance package but the company would prefer to retain him. His full benefit package will continue. Nick realizes that there may be consequences regarding the change due to his low educational standards. All his life has been devoted to shipping and there is no difficulty that might occur that he could not solve but what if the new position calls for skills that he does not possess? Solkind HR only promotes those with MBA's or Master's degrees to management positions. They believe Nick has his MBA because he had told them so when he first joined the company and they never questioned it. Not wanting to expose his misrepresentation he agrees to consider the new position. He has one week to decide. It is now December 09, 2011.