Glad I left Micron.

I learned from an unidentified source Micron Technology, where I spent a year as a technical writer, will be cutting employee salaries as part of its effort to stave off further financial injury. The chairman of the board, Steve Appleton, and the CEO, Mark Durcan, took a 10 percent pay cut on top of the 20 percent cut they already took. Sounds like true leadership, right? Hardcore going to bat for your employees? Going without so the people who help you out can get by a little easier?

No.

They're also cutting the salaries of anyone making over $60,000 by one percent. That's 600 dollars. Cumulatively, that's an insurance payment someone won't be able to make. That's five or six months of electric bills. That's 25 or so tanks of gas. Anyone making over $100,000 gets a five percent cut. $70-79k, two percent. $80-89k, three percent. $90-99k, four percent.

Maybe that would fly in Boise, Idaho, where the company is headquartered and the cost of living is stupid low. But Micron has one of its flagship, 300mm fabricators in Manassas, VA, right in the middle of the super-expensive Washington, D.C., metro area. Most folks there are tool operators, associate engineers and cubicle warriors who are barely cresting the $60,000 mark; beginning operators make half that, so thankfully they aren't affected. I know from living up here it's really hard to get by on $60k; in fact, I made less as a technical writer during my entire, painful tenure there. Rent is higher, mortgages are higher, insurance is higher, taxes are higher, groceries are higher... the list goes on and on. You need all you can get up here.

Micron has sent another big middle finger to its non-Boise crowd.

The right thing to do would be for the entire board to go without salaries and live on their accumulated hundreds of millions until this economy calms down. But no, they won't. Appleton could sell his planes and other six-figure-price-tag toys for some cash-on-hand, but no, he won't. Appleton's salary outside of options was $900,000 in 2006, or thereabouts. That would be $720,000 after a 20 percent cut, then $648,000 after the most recent 10 percent.

Boo fucking hoo. I hope Micron gets bought out by Samsung and then some major housecleaning takes place.