no, the solicitation was before that. The real issue started with the siloing of the two departments, which created fiefdoms, which will inevitably result in each fiefdom struggling to exert their dominance and individual power.

That's why this isn't just a problem with one VP or one union or one group of employees displaying an "<insert group here> workgroup thing". This was a management policy that was tolerated (and even encouraged) from the top, and the real problem of having somebody who doesn't understand people as the CEO of the organization.