That will surely help their employer become more competitive with their foreign counterparts now won't it! Dumb is forever.....! :roll:
As a young man in the late 70's, I had a very good job ripped right out from under me due to union idiocy. It looks like they have not learned anything in the almost 30 years that have past since my loss. Fire the lot of them and bring in people that WANT TO WORK! :x
It's all about legacy and unwillingness to retract and give up what you previously were promised. It's pretty tough for anyone in any profession to embrace that idea. I think it needs to be done however but it won't come so easy. I don't think Terry O'K would be very happy at all if he suddenly was forced to bill 2/3 of his previous charges for his services.
The UAW almost singlehandidly was responsible for NCR shutting down its manufacturing facilities in Dayton, Ohio in the mid 70's and moving much of it to other countries. Almost 28,000 people lost their jobs and the town never has been the same since.
"moving much of it to other countries"....that and "28,000 people lost their jobs" is what no one seems to want to comprehend. Because of the dirt cheap....and I mean dirt cheap labor offered in other parts of the world these 28,000 people no longer had the "jobs" they once had. Is that NCR's fault....no. Is that labor's fault for trying to negotiate their best deal...no. I am not informed enough to understand what the U.S. governmental policy could actually do about it if anything so the only alternative in any case like NCR is for labor to give it up and then give it up some more. Of course on the other end executive compensation just keeps going through the roof even when a company is losing millions upon millions.
George wrote: I have second hand information on that issue. I know one of those 28,000 that lost their jobs. He left Ohio and wound up back in his home state of Tennessee. He opened up a "Mom and Pop" auto parts store and I worked for him after school and on the weekends. He was anti-union after seeing the unions push more and more for the wrong issues. The unions pressed the companies to not fire people that didn't want to work. People in unions became lazy knowing that their jobs would be protected by the union. Productivity worsened. Cost is not the only issue driving companies overseas. Yes, it is a large reason. However, unions must take responsibility for this as well for working against the employer. Compare the wage of the average unskilled laborer on a Automaker's assembly line to that of unskilled labor elsewhere. Those people are payed well. Yet there are still strikes. Would they rather have no job? I just don't get it. I have robotic skills that would allow me to easily gain employment in any assembly plant. However, if there is a union envolved, don't look for me there.
I am very familiar with the NCR / UAW situation of the mid 70's. Here it is in a nutshell. NCR was in the middle of making a decision to retrofit their Dayton manufacturing plant for the production of electronic cash registers and computers from the mechanical products they had made up to that time. The work force, almost 30,000 strong at that point , had always been represented by a local independent union. They were paid a little less than local GM workers but NCR treated them very well with lots of perks and family activities provided by the company. They never knew they were unhappy until the UAW came to town to try to organize them. They made them all kinds of promises and these workers, including my father, bought into it. They had a large meeting where the UAW president at the time, Leonard Woodcock spoke. I was there. he was slick and had these guys believing that the UAW would make them rich. Meanwhile, NCR told them that they could not afford what the UAW was promising and if they voted to switch from the local union to the UAW that NCR would reconsider re-tooling the Dayton plant and may move elsewhere. The workers did not believe them.They forced a vote for representation and the UAW won easily. They instantly made demands on NCR far and away in excess of anything these people had attained before. NCR shortly announced that they would begin phasing all production out of Dayton over a five year period, moving to Delaware, New York, Georgia and Canada. True to their word, they left. The UAW closed its local offices right after the announcement, choosing to run rather than negotiate or fight. My father, with 26 years, was terminated in 1975. And that's the day he started dying. In six months the UAW destroyed the local economy, changed the face of Dayton forever and the lives of 28,000 people. I despise the UAW.
No doubt the unions went overboard at some point. Most of the old school is long gone and the newer generation are the ones working their a## off and paying for their father's and grandfather's sins.
sounds like the end game for a lot of social welfare programs too... money for nothing..it is to good to be true. On a "Union Note", I gotta story for you. I believe I touched on this before but here is the whole story........... Shortly after my divorce, I moved in with two friends. One a HS football coach and the other a Machinist at a plant in a (somewhat) nearby city. (No I wont name the plant or him and soon you will understand why) The plant was Union all the way. The plant has been employing a lot of immigrants in recent years and this has become a threat to the stability of union control of the plant (tell me what's wrong with that sentence?) Anyway, they had an election pending that basically dealt with the subject of 'what to do' about the immigrant employees and some other benefit negotiations for the employees that were already union. The long and short of it.. they wanted to make it a 'union only' plant. My roommate didn't believe in Unions. He had been telling us tales for weeks about having to dodge 'goons' in the parking lot just to get to his car. He would tell us these 'goons' simply wanted to 'talk' to him and to 'lock up his vote one way or the other' so they would know what to expect with the coming election. This stories seemed like something from a movie, needless to say, my other roommate and I didn't believe him. He did, however, have strange male visitors that wanted to stop by to kick his arse because he too had just gone thru a rather vicious country divorce. It appears that his ex-wife would go on and tell tales to all her new country boy suitors about all these terrible things he allegedly did. Ergo, all these Joe Bob's were showing up to put a beating on him to defend her honor. Needless to say, Mac (the coach roommate) and I chased more than a few of these guys away. Sometimes with a little scuffle, but nothing too bad... Well one day... the biggest g*d d*mned Italian you ever seen came knocking on our side door. He asked for my unnamed roommate.. I figured he was one of his ex-wife's pals were stopping by.. I tell him that he's not here and who exactly are you? Something bothered me about this guy. He wasn't country. Judging from his accent, I'd place him as being from Chicago, south side to be exact. This guy demanded, not asked, to know exactly when my roommate would be home and where he would be spending his time when he's not at work. I told him that I didn't know but if he'd hold on, I'll make some calls to see if he can be found. The guy demanded the phone numbers and names of the people I would be calling. At that point, I told him to have sex with himself..and once I said that, I could hear Mac stirring in the back of the house..No doubt probably coming to make this situation worse. More words were exchanged, things got a little heated.. When we finally got to the point where I'm making the decision in my head (throat, eye, knee or to unbalance him)...he stuck out his hand, said 'it doesn't need to go this way.' I shook his hand, he had a card in it. He walked away. As he got in his car he said one last thing... 'When you see XXXXXX, you tell him that the Union is not going anywhere and he needs to wise up and speak with me. We need his word that we have his support.' Still jacked for the fight and not in my smartest of moves... I hollered back, 'what if you don't have his support?' He got in his car, put down the window and said 'We have his support, he just doesn't know it yet.' That experience forever altered my opinion on unions... I no longer believe there is such a thing as a 'good union.' They all use hooligan tactics, some to stronger degrees than others. Think about it...all that trouble for one worker in one plant in Alabama.. extrapolate to what must happen for high dollar contracts? Screw Unions.. And thank God that bastard decided to walk away. I'll fight anyone, but there's no way I could have taken that guy.
When requesting a person of size to remove themselves from the premesis, it is very hard to say no to a .45. Keep that in mind Corey. I don't open my door to anyone I don't know without it in the back of my wasteband.
Corey, So you met my cousin Paulie! :wink: Don't f**k with these guys. I think its time for a new room mate and address.
Very interesting story Corey. It's definitely in support of many perceptions I have about unions. I work at Cobo Hall in Detroit on occasion and it is very, very heavily unionized. The new generation of union members down there are mellow compared to their fathers who could melt you with icy stares at the drop of a hat and make you wonder what in the hell you did wrong so you could make sure you didn't do it again. Also in your story Corey I pick up a little "anti-country boy" slant. Could it be that maybe you have experienced a little of that "cultural" difference I refer to in another Sports topic? :wink:
replies <t>-Tom:<br/> <br/> When I referred to my other roommate in the back about to make the situation worse, the unmistakable sound of a slide on a Glock was what I was referring to.<br/> <br/> -George:<br/> <br/> Both changes have been made<br/> <br/> -MCG:<br/> <br/> Its the quiet ones you need to worry about. They can still destroy your life, they just dont use tire irons anymore. (well, not all the time.)<br/> <br/> As for the anti-country boy... That's not entirely true. I do hold a fair bit of contempt, but that contempt is seeded in the hypocrisy of that lifestyle. <br/> <br/> They do have VERY valid complaints. Dixie is still being used and abused to variable degrees by modern day carpet baggers and local politicians who sell their soul to large companies that exploit the cheap labor in the South. That is not to say that all companies to that.<br/> <br/> Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Verizon and several others have been fantastic employers that have really turned around the economies. I'd venture to say that you'd sh*t yourself if I took you on...say a 3 or 4 day tour of this state. This place is growing and has the potential to really shoot thru the roof. Jobs that pay well above the average cost of living and provide room for growth within the company. That's what everyone is looking for no matter where you live.<br/> <br/> At the same time, there are other employers brought in here who basically treat folks with the red carpet on the way in and the noose on the way out. They dance a fine line with federal labor laws (because the state virtually has none). The mindset here is to simply blame the company and that can't be said. There are city and state officials who look the other way. There is equal blame to go around there.<br/> <br/> To understand this state, one needs to read the longest legal document in the counrty, the Alabama State Constitution. Then, and only then, can you begin to truly understand what is going on in this place. Lots of change is needed. Lots of change is coming. Its only a matter of how messy and how soon.<br/> <br/> Also, there's nothing messier than a small town divorce.. nothing. No matter where you are.</t>
Hey Krebs !! <r>Hey Krebs,<br/> <br/> I passed by your business the other day and heard this music blasting from your warehouse. <E>:lol:</E> <br/> <br/> <br/> <URL url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OK8Ac-dyw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OK8Ac-dyw</URL><br/> <br/> <br/> <IMG src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/PSUBELLS/smilingmonkey.gif"><s></e></IMG></r>
Mo , New Jersey is one of the worst union states. You have no idea what it’s like to be mugged by a union, here. I’ll never forget my client who had NJ union employees ( mechanical HVAC ) doing a job in NYC . He had to hire 8 NYC locals, only 4 actually worked and the other 4 had to just show up, sat in a chair and read the newspaper all day. God’s honest truth! That was the deal! Plenty of stories about cash payoffs. Unions are licensed to steal. ILA is another one. Clerks get paid $ 52 an hr + bennies at the docks in LA. Here’s Jersey style. Enjoy !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3mw49mk_x0
Corey, When I made the move to .45, I also made the move away from Glock. My defensive weapon of choice is now a Kimber Ultra Carry II Stainless 1911. I carry with one round in the chamber on half cock. Before I answer the door, the hammer goes on full cock and the weapon is in my right hand ready for action. I am too old to fight a home invader by hand. To me, that slide making the sound of a shell entering the chamber would have been music to my ears. I am trained in defensive use of armament. I will not show a weapon to anyone I don't know. If they see my weapon, it will be only for a split second before they feel the hot lead entering the center of body mass. You will never see me statically pointing a weapon at anyone. If I pull, my finger is moving to the trigger and it is pulled immediately. I hate to be this way. But this world is becoming more evil by the day. You can’t trust anyone you don’t know and some you do. I will use my weapon only as a last resort. If you are intending on invading my home and you see me start to back away from the door, don’t take that as an invitation to come in. Take that as evidence that I am backing up to get a clear first shot at you coming through the door. No matter how big that union goon was, no matter how hairy his knuckles or how much they drug the ground, a .45 hollow point in center of mass will drop him. Now, if he is on PCP, you will know it because the first, second and third round to center of mass will NOT stop him. That is why you back away for a clear shot in the beginning. If after the third round, he is still coming, shoot him in both hips with shots 4 and 5. No matter how doped up the criminal is, he can’t walk/run with one or two broken hips.
AJ, You better never drive by my office without stopping or I'll send a couple of the boys for you! We have to meet for some food or adult beverages.