OT - Mainframe Programers Obsolete

From: YukonMama (yukonmama_at_aol.com)
Date: 05/16/04 

Date: 16 May 2004 00:58:54 GMT

I'm sure that most of you know that I'm a consultant (they don't want us to
call ourselves contractor :) ) with a large consulting firm. I've been on the
same contract now for almost 9 years.

Across the aisle from me is another consultant from one of our competator -
another large consulting firm. He has been on site for over 10 years.

Both of expected to be on site for at least another 2 to 5 years depending on
when the mainframe is shut down (there is a BIG project going on to migrate all
systems to another platform that doesn't use COBOL).

The other day his account manager showed up to talk with him. When he returned
to his desk it wasn't a pretty sight. He was told he was getting a 15% cut in
pay - why you ask - because he's a mainframe programmer and not marketable.

I immediately got on the phone to my office and asked if they had heard any
rumors or received anything from the company that's contracting us. No -
nothing and they were quite surprised to hear of the other company's action.
Being in the semi-managerial position that I'm in I do belive what my account
manager told me.

Is this going to be a on-going thing with the market? I hope the conversion
doesn't happen before the 5 years because this gal ain't ready to retire!!