On this day in Labor History Pinkerton Detectives arrived at job sites across the US to escort workers off the premises.
No--this was not at a railroad or coal mine in labor’s distant past.
It was at the offices of what was once the largest computer seller in the United States.
And the year was 2000.
InaCom was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The computer giant had been built on buying computers in large quantities and reselling them.
But increasingly computer manufacturers, such as Dell, began to sell directly to customers.
They eliminated the middle-man.
Unable to adapt, InaCom’s finances were a wreck.
They brought in the Pinkertons to usher away employees and change the locks on office doors.
The Pinkertons arrived at the Atlanta office at 2:30.
They showed up at Jacksonville at 4 in the afternoon.
Another former employee recalled his experience, "On June 16, they came in to the Buffalo office around 5 p.m. with Pinkerton Security and a locksmith and said, basically, you've got five minutes to grab your personal belongings and leave the building,"
The bewildered employees were given few answers.
The Pinkertons posted signs with a 1-800 number on the doors they had locked.
Then at 4:26 more than 5,000 employees were sent an email from the company asking them to call that same number.
When they did, a recorded message began to explain “the events of the day.”
The employees learned they would not receive their paychecks and that they had all been fired.
But the news got worse.
The message went on. “We advise you begin exploring alternatives for medical and disability insurance.”
The message then said, “Inacom apologizes for the sudden disruption” and “Expresses its appreciation for your dedicated service.”
Employees were left to scramble for new jobs and insurance without any warning whatsoever.
Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show