I hope the issues are resolved soon and people can get back to work...
...Unions have become very weak over the last couple of decades. This was the first major strike by these guys in 30 years. I hope that it's not only resolved quickly, but also that the workers can get a fair shake and that the unions, in general, can become stronger as a result of this.
I hope the issues are resolved soon and people can get back to work...
...Unions have become very weak over the last couple of decades. This was the first major strike by these guys in 30 years. I hope that it's not only resolved quickly, but also that the workers can get a fair shake and that the unions, in general, can become stronger as a result of this.
I hear you. I hope all the people can get to work, and that they get the money that would have otherwise gone to their CEO as a multi-million dollar bonus, as CEOs often seem to do.
As to those that complain about unions, you can thank unions for your five day work weeks, your company healthcare and retirement plans, your safe working environment, the lack of child labor, and your decent paychecks. Prior to unions, Americans worked in sweatshops. A strike is often a necessary evil.
As to those that complain about unions, you can thank unions for your five day work weeks, your company healthcare and retirement plans, your safe working environment, the lack of child labor, and your decent paychecks. Prior to unions, Americans worked in sweatshops. A strike is often a necessary evil.
yeah... so I guess that means that we should pay them for that for all eternity... they're just like the mob for the most part these days...
oh, wait a minute... they ARE the mob, I forgot...
My understanding is that the main issue of contention has to do with shipping jobs overseas. The union has agreed to oversee the healthcare for retirees, but only if in exchange they have some sort of guarantee that the jobs will stay in the U.S. and new plants will open in the U.S. as opposed to over seas.
However this all comes out, it will have a very very large impact on the U.S. auto industry because once they are done with the GM Negotiations, Ford and Chrysler are next. This contract will lay out the frame work for the other two major U.S. car companies.
In the meantime, with GM down there are going to be a lot of people filing for unemployment and trying to figure out how to feed their family. The suppliers, shippers, etc. etc.
I am a member of two unions. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and, the Inland Boatmen's Union of the Pacific. I stand in solidarity with the UAW. I hope a resolution comes soon. A resolution that favors the UAW. And yes, I have read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. The conditions then were far more horrible than anything we have today to be sure, and thank God for the unionizing that occurred back then. And to be honest, I do see some excesses in the Unions today, but I have to tell you, I have worked with some very professional men and women in the Unions, and they are worth every penny they are paid. I have seen incredible skill and commitment in far below zero weather, and in extreme circumstances at sea I have worked with the best of the best and we are worth every penny paid to us. The one thing that has bugged me most with being in a union is that sometimes it is very hard to fire a moron who deserves to be sent down the road. That one is a bummer.
IMO this issue is a direct result of our brilliant "free-trade" system. Go back to fair trade and these issues wouldn't exist. The issue here isn't how much money the employees are earning, the issue is whether or not the jobs remain in the U.S. or continue to be shipped overseas.
I will be praying for a Godly resolution, if at all possible, but a favorable to Americans resolution, none-the-less; and for GM and all their employees and their Families....(((((Abi and Sushi))))))in particular, as well as for, God's protection over our economy! Thank You GOD for supporting, strengthening and undergirding the American Unions and Workers! Strengthen Their Hand...Give them every advantage! Bring a speedy resolution!
IMO this issue is a direct result of our brilliant "free-trade" system. Go back to fair trade and these issues wouldn't exist. The issue here isn't how much money the employees are earning, the issue is whether or not the jobs remain in the U.S. or continue to be shipped overseas.
Believe me, I am no fan of NAFTA. The Dems and the Repubs fell for that one. Only Ross Perot had that one right (as far as candidates goes back then). "Hear that giant sucking sound? That's the sound of American jobs heading south of the border!"
IMO this issue is a direct result of our brilliant "free-trade" system. Go back to fair trade and these issues wouldn't exist. The issue here isn't how much money the employees are earning, the issue is whether or not the jobs remain in the U.S. or continue to be shipped overseas.
This is a serious problem. Because of outsourcing of manufacturing we now have a trade deficit of approximately $800 billion dollars per year. That is a lot of money leaving our country. Normally, we would feel the ripple effects of this kind of loss of money in our economy. Except the government has been borrowing money at an ever increasing rate to hide the effects of their harmful trade policies. And now we have not only a large yearly trade deficit, but also large government debt. We need to go back to having managed trade which would be harmonious with our own economy and industry rather than the current free for all of sending manufacturing to the cheapest places on earth just so our multi-national corporations can make higher profits. With managed trade we could examine our imports in comparison to our exports on a periodic basis. And choose which products and from which countries we will grant a minimum import duty to and which imported products would be tariffed more heavily. In this way imports could be used to harmoniously support rather than harm our U.S. economy like is occuring now with all the debt incurred.
Some people might say that with the loss of the value of the dollar in comparison to the currencies of other nations this will encourage more manufacturing in the U.S. Not necessarily. That would depend on which nations the dollar is dropping in comparison to. Also with the damage previously done with outsourcing and the moving of factories overseas it will take extra money now to move these factories lost back to the U.S. and there is no guarantee that this will occur once these factories are lost.
Hence, for our own economic prosperity as a nation and that of our own self reliance we need to keep the GM factories in the United States.
sure I have... and how many decades has it been since those conditions existed here?
unions served their purpose at one point in time... they don't anymore.
To JL's point of "expertness", the same can be said of non-union professionals as well...
I might have a different opinion of them if they actually served positive purpose these days... health care, work conditions, etc are now adjusted by the marketplace... IF you allow it to be... folks like to work at places they're taken care of, not places they're protected (IMO)...
It's been my experience that employers have no problem providing benefits for the folks that work for them and most of the time those benefits are BETTER than the union benefits because the employer doesn't have to pay an extra 15-20 percent that only goes to the union brass... not the employees...
The unions do not (IMO) allow GM and the others to remain competitive... look at Toyota, Honda, etal that are moving plants TO the U.S. and able to do so while giving employees FAIR benefits in comparison... because they are not under the thumb of 'organized labor'...
After almost 30 years of supplying the finest banjo parts available for builders, manufacturers and home craftsmen worldwide, the decision was made to attempt to create a banjo which would be unsurpassed in quality, beauty, and have the much sought after sound found in many of the early banjos. Clarity and power with a strong booming bass was the goal. Real value in a quality instrument was also a prime consideration.
Every part used in the construction of a Sullivan banjo is selected for perfection.
Each step of the manufacturing operation is carefully monitored to insure the instrument
you will play and enjoy for many years will still be worthy when you decide
to pass it down to a deserving grandchild.
Skilled hands perform delicate tasks, which a machine could never duplicate.
There is a degree of love built into each instrument.
Care and perfection is the watchword.
Each instrument is built as a personal testament to the skilled craftsmen,
who passed this legacy down.
No union there. No need for *eternal security* from the company for health care.
Unions had (and deserved) their 15 minutes of fame back in the day.
Workers at companies (such as this one), never saw the need to employ unions.
(I use the word *employ* deliberately).
Product and customer satisfaction reigns supreme.
If that happens, the company grows (as this one did).
When the main concern is building a quality product that one can pass on to a grandchild,
(luckily) unions are out of the question.
They certainly wouldn't add to the company *mission statement*. :)
No union there. No need for *eternal security* from the company for health care.
Unions had (and deserved) their 15 minutes of fame back in the day.
Workers at companies (such as this one), never saw the need to employ unions.
(I use the word *employ* deliberately).
Product and customer satisfaction reigns supreme.
If that happens, the company grows (as this one did).
When the main concern is building a quality product that one can pass on to a grandchild,
(luckily) unions are out of the question.
They certainly wouldn't add to the company *mission statement*.
I love it when someone provides some folksy anecdote, and then attempts to use it as a kind of example of a 'one-size-fits-all, if its good enough fer them, its good enough fer everybody' illustration. In this case when it comes to unions.
Reality check! Guess what? No Virginia, your example does NOT (and should not) apply to all businesses. Back when Ford was a privately owned company (Ie., no publically traded stocks at first), Henry Ford was adamantly against unions too. And not all of his employees were paid or treated well.
So you're contention is that if unions are involved, the concern for quality to pass on to one's grandchildren goes out the window? I guess Sushi basically doesn't give a damn whether the cars that he helps make are safe for his kids and (ultimately) grandkinds, ehh? Not if you're anecdote is true re: unions.
Workers at companies (such as this one), never saw the need to employ unions. (I use the word *employ* deliberately).
Errr, no. Unions aren't employed by companies, employees are. Unions are (legally) setup to protect employees from abuses from companies that seem to think that their employees are but a step up from being property of the companies.
Just because its a folksy sounding anecdote doesn't automatically make it true.
Errr, no. Unions aren't employed by companies, employees are. Unions are (legally) setup to protect employees from abuses from companies that seem to think that their employees are but a step up from being property of the companies.
Errr, no. Reality Check. Unions haven't served that purpose for decades.
...but I'm glad that it's over and folks can go back to work...
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Nottawayfer
Sorry to hear that. I will definitely pray for resolve.
(((((Abbi and Sushi))))
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Suda
Praying for a speedy and equitable resolution.
Suda
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GrouchoMarxJr
I hope the issues are resolved soon and people can get back to work...
...Unions have become very weak over the last couple of decades. This was the first major strike by these guys in 30 years. I hope that it's not only resolved quickly, but also that the workers can get a fair shake and that the unions, in general, can become stronger as a result of this.
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dmiller
(imo) Unions are sand in the machinery of life.
Regardless of that, I hope Sushi (and all other's)
get to return to work soon.
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copenhagen
You have my prayers,
quote by graucho
Unions have become very weak over the last couple of decades
true but in this case if it is the UAG group it could be trouble.
copenhagen
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Mister P-Mosh
I hear you. I hope all the people can get to work, and that they get the money that would have otherwise gone to their CEO as a multi-million dollar bonus, as CEOs often seem to do.
As to those that complain about unions, you can thank unions for your five day work weeks, your company healthcare and retirement plans, your safe working environment, the lack of child labor, and your decent paychecks. Prior to unions, Americans worked in sweatshops. A strike is often a necessary evil.
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Tom Strange
yeah... so I guess that means that we should pay them for that for all eternity... they're just like the mob for the most part these days...
oh, wait a minute... they ARE the mob, I forgot...
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Shellon
Have you read Upton Sinclair's "Jungle"?
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Abigail
My understanding is that the main issue of contention has to do with shipping jobs overseas. The union has agreed to oversee the healthcare for retirees, but only if in exchange they have some sort of guarantee that the jobs will stay in the U.S. and new plants will open in the U.S. as opposed to over seas.
However this all comes out, it will have a very very large impact on the U.S. auto industry because once they are done with the GM Negotiations, Ford and Chrysler are next. This contract will lay out the frame work for the other two major U.S. car companies.
In the meantime, with GM down there are going to be a lot of people filing for unemployment and trying to figure out how to feed their family. The suppliers, shippers, etc. etc.
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doojable
This almost sounds like it needs to be in the Prayer Forum as well.
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ex70sHouston
Competition is the name of the game.
When the insurance for the union workers cost more per car than the steel I think there may be a problem.
On ABC news this morning it was reporting that the average union worker makes over $60K per year.
Maybe if they reduce the cost of labor the cost would come down making US made vehicles more price competitive.
When business is off as it was this year no one guarantees my income. Buying your own health insurance isn't cheap either.
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J0nny Ling0
I am a member of two unions. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, and, the Inland Boatmen's Union of the Pacific. I stand in solidarity with the UAW. I hope a resolution comes soon. A resolution that favors the UAW. And yes, I have read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. The conditions then were far more horrible than anything we have today to be sure, and thank God for the unionizing that occurred back then. And to be honest, I do see some excesses in the Unions today, but I have to tell you, I have worked with some very professional men and women in the Unions, and they are worth every penny they are paid. I have seen incredible skill and commitment in far below zero weather, and in extreme circumstances at sea I have worked with the best of the best and we are worth every penny paid to us. The one thing that has bugged me most with being in a union is that sometimes it is very hard to fire a moron who deserves to be sent down the road. That one is a bummer.
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Abigail
IMO this issue is a direct result of our brilliant "free-trade" system. Go back to fair trade and these issues wouldn't exist. The issue here isn't how much money the employees are earning, the issue is whether or not the jobs remain in the U.S. or continue to be shipped overseas.
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RainbowsGirl
I will be praying for a Godly resolution, if at all possible, but a favorable to Americans resolution, none-the-less; and for GM and all their employees and their Families....(((((Abi and Sushi))))))in particular, as well as for, God's protection over our economy! Thank You GOD for supporting, strengthening and undergirding the American Unions and Workers! Strengthen Their Hand...Give them every advantage! Bring a speedy resolution!
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J0nny Ling0
Believe me, I am no fan of NAFTA. The Dems and the Repubs fell for that one. Only Ross Perot had that one right (as far as candidates goes back then). "Hear that giant sucking sound? That's the sound of American jobs heading south of the border!"
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Mark Sanguinetti
This is a serious problem. Because of outsourcing of manufacturing we now have a trade deficit of approximately $800 billion dollars per year. That is a lot of money leaving our country. Normally, we would feel the ripple effects of this kind of loss of money in our economy. Except the government has been borrowing money at an ever increasing rate to hide the effects of their harmful trade policies. And now we have not only a large yearly trade deficit, but also large government debt. We need to go back to having managed trade which would be harmonious with our own economy and industry rather than the current free for all of sending manufacturing to the cheapest places on earth just so our multi-national corporations can make higher profits. With managed trade we could examine our imports in comparison to our exports on a periodic basis. And choose which products and from which countries we will grant a minimum import duty to and which imported products would be tariffed more heavily. In this way imports could be used to harmoniously support rather than harm our U.S. economy like is occuring now with all the debt incurred.
Some people might say that with the loss of the value of the dollar in comparison to the currencies of other nations this will encourage more manufacturing in the U.S. Not necessarily. That would depend on which nations the dollar is dropping in comparison to. Also with the damage previously done with outsourcing and the moving of factories overseas it will take extra money now to move these factories lost back to the U.S. and there is no guarantee that this will occur once these factories are lost.
Hence, for our own economic prosperity as a nation and that of our own self reliance we need to keep the GM factories in the United States.
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Tom Strange
sure I have... and how many decades has it been since those conditions existed here?
unions served their purpose at one point in time... they don't anymore.
To JL's point of "expertness", the same can be said of non-union professionals as well...
I might have a different opinion of them if they actually served positive purpose these days... health care, work conditions, etc are now adjusted by the marketplace... IF you allow it to be... folks like to work at places they're taken care of, not places they're protected (IMO)...
It's been my experience that employers have no problem providing benefits for the folks that work for them and most of the time those benefits are BETTER than the union benefits because the employer doesn't have to pay an extra 15-20 percent that only goes to the union brass... not the employees...
The unions do not (IMO) allow GM and the others to remain competitive... look at Toyota, Honda, etal that are moving plants TO the U.S. and able to do so while giving employees FAIR benefits in comparison... because they are not under the thumb of 'organized labor'...
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Belle
Praying for you, Sushi and all those involved.
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WhiteDove
Union Sundown
Bob Dylan
Well, my shoes, they come from Singapore,
My flashlight's from Taiwan,
My tablecloth's from Malaysia,
My belt buckle's from the Amazon.
You know, this shirt I wear comes from the Philippines
And the car I drive is a Chevrolet,
It was put together down in Argentina
By a guy makin' thirty cents a day.
Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.
Well, this silk dress is from Hong Kong
And the pearls are from Japan.
Well, the dog collar's from India
And the flower pot's from Pakistan.
All the furniture, it says "Made in Brazil"
Where a woman, she slaved for sure
Bringin' home thirty cents a day to a family of twelve,
You know, that's a lot of money to her.
Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.
Well, you know, lots of people complainin' that there is no work.
I say, "Why you say that for
When nothin' you got is U.S.-made?"
They don't make nothin' here no more,
You know, capitalism is above the law.
It say, "It don't count 'less it sells."
When it costs too much to build it at home
You just build it cheaper someplace else.
Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.
Well, the job that you used to have,
They gave it to somebody down in El Salvador.
The unions are big business, friend,
And they're goin' out like a dinosaur.
They used to grow food in Kansas
Now they want to grow it on the moon and eat it raw.
I can see the day coming when even your home garden
Is gonna be against the law.
Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.
Democracy don't rule the world,
You'd better get that in your head.
This world is ruled by violence
But I guess that's better left unsaid.
From Broadway to the Milky Way,
That's a lot of territory indeed
And a man's gonna do what he has to do
When he's got a hungry mouth to feed.
Well, it's sundown on the union
And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea
'Til greed got in the way.
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dmiller
a quote from the Sullivan banjo website ---
No union there. No need for *eternal security* from the company for health care.
Unions had (and deserved) their 15 minutes of fame back in the day.
Workers at companies (such as this one), never saw the need to employ unions.
(I use the word *employ* deliberately).
Product and customer satisfaction reigns supreme.
If that happens, the company grows (as this one did).
When the main concern is building a quality product that one can pass on to a grandchild,
(luckily) unions are out of the question.
They certainly wouldn't add to the company *mission statement*. :)
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Sudo
At least now there's finally some good news.. I bet Abi and Sushi can breathe a sigh of relief!
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Abigail
Wahoooo!!!!!!!!!!!! It's over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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GarthP2000
Reality check! Guess what? No Virginia, your example does NOT (and should not) apply to all businesses. Back when Ford was a privately owned company (Ie., no publically traded stocks at first), Henry Ford was adamantly against unions too. And not all of his employees were paid or treated well.
So you're contention is that if unions are involved, the concern for quality to pass on to one's grandchildren goes out the window? I guess Sushi basically doesn't give a damn whether the cars that he helps make are safe for his kids and (ultimately) grandkinds, ehh? Not if you're anecdote is true re: unions.
Errr, no. Unions aren't employed by companies, employees are. Unions are (legally) setup to protect employees from abuses from companies that seem to think that their employees are but a step up from being property of the companies.
Just because its a folksy sounding anecdote doesn't automatically make it true.
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Tom Strange
Errr, no. Reality Check. Unions haven't served that purpose for decades.
...but I'm glad that it's over and folks can go back to work...
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