His post on LinkedIn simply stated: “Well, in unexpected news, I was let go from GM at 5:07 a.m. this morning via email, along with (I hear unoffici

How a GM layoff email sent to employees in Warren triggered a storm on TikTok

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2024-12-11 20:30:07

His post on LinkedIn simply stated: “Well, in unexpected news, I was let go from GM at 5:07 a.m. this morning via email, along with (I hear unofficially) about 1,000 people globally. I wonder what I should do next ...?”

What’s next? After working 38 years at what’s now called the General Motor’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Bernard could never imagine what would happen next. Who could?

The cold sting of a car guy — a New Jersey kid who fell in love with autos at 3 years old when he got Hot Wheels cars from his dad — being handed his walking papers via email would grab the attention of a recruiting guy in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who would end up doing a TikTok that, yep, went viral.

It’s one of those wild twists at a time when many layoffs are buried in a big number. A number for Wall Street powerhouses to latch onto as automakers, tech companies and other corporations continue an endless march to cut costs. A number, not a neighbor who dedicated a life to a company and ends up unceremoniously being let go.

“Imagine getting laid off from a company after 38 years of loyalty?” asked a bearded Joel Lalgee in a baseball cap in the TikTok video. Bernard’s straightforward LinkedIn post was behind him on the screen. Lalgee heard about Bernard's LinkedIn post, which he says wasn't negative, when someone he knew commented on it.

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