The employees are regarded as a necessary evil, a burden, a bother. Mr. Priory is anticipating deregulation like an impatient day trader. Dollar signs are rolling in his eyes like a slot machine. Rick Priory has been preaching for some time that he does not want Duke-Energy to be a utility stock. He has never mentioned the down side of his grand vision.
Volatility is a two edged sword.
It can slice you off a chunk of profits. It can just as easily slice off your head. Evidently he seeks to control some of this risk by continually hacking away at the employees' benefits. The 29-member committee is going to make recommendations to the North Carolina General Assembly. In this city, you have to have credibility.