#1Sep 2nd, 2008
We certainly wouldn't expect the 3 making the 720 apiece to share some of the small wage,eh?
Union Protests Earning High Pay
We certainly wouldn't expect the 3 making the 720 apiece to share some of the small wage,eh? #2
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008
Why is industry going offshore?
Hint! It ain't ALL Free Trade
Hint! It ain't ALL Free Trade
#3
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008
Most working people here would love to make that kind of dough per week. It just made me mad that these fools would protest their good luck!
#4
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by missile
The purpose of todays' Union is to bite the hand that feeds it.Most working people here would love to make that kind of dough per week. It just made me mad that these fools would protest their good luck!
#5
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008
The funniest part of all of this is, this was a cruise ship docking at the wharf which may become the site of an office building. This same union protested swapping two pieces of waterfront land, insisting that this wharf is critical to the future of the port.
As long as they don't have to report for work, that is.
What a bunch. The citizens will get quite a laugh out of this, and I wonder if our notorious MLA has an opinion....
As long as they don't have to report for work, that is.
What a bunch. The citizens will get quite a laugh out of this, and I wonder if our notorious MLA has an opinion....
#6
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf
In some cases yes and some no.The purpose of todays' Union is to bite the hand that feeds it.
#7
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by missile
I certainly have to shake my head at the Union's mentality sometimes.Our longshoremen had to work on Labour Day....sort of! 3 of the boys were needed to help tieup a visiting cruise ship, and for a measly 720 bucks apiece for 1 and a half hours work. naturally, the union had to place a group of information picketeers about the site to show their annoyance. Now, the ones who did the info picketing did so gratis
#8
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008
You know, I've been a union guy all my life.
We need unions....increasingly so, as the gap between rich and poor widens radically.
actually, I was never a initiated member of the Longshoremen's Association, but I did pay them dues, as a seasonal worker in the grain elevators here in Saint John. The same union under discussion. I remember once a rusted away steel stair let go under me when I was about 40 feet up heading for the gantries......I went to the union meeting to get some action on the issue of safety.....but they were too busy howling about the latest outrage from management to pay me any attention. The rumour (unfounded) was that management had hired a black man! The horror! This was in 1974.
The same union refused to handle heavy water for the Point LePreau Nuclear Station because it was radioactive...... (sigh).
NOT a bunch of rocket scientists, let me tell you.
We need unions....increasingly so, as the gap between rich and poor widens radically.
actually, I was never a initiated member of the Longshoremen's Association, but I did pay them dues, as a seasonal worker in the grain elevators here in Saint John. The same union under discussion. I remember once a rusted away steel stair let go under me when I was about 40 feet up heading for the gantries......I went to the union meeting to get some action on the issue of safety.....but they were too busy howling about the latest outrage from management to pay me any attention. The rumour (unfounded) was that management had hired a black man! The horror! This was in 1974.
The same union refused to handle heavy water for the Point LePreau Nuclear Station because it was radioactive...... (sigh).
NOT a bunch of rocket scientists, let me tell you.
Last edited by Colpy; Sep 2nd, 2008 at 07:13 PM..
#9
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy
Wrong! At one time we needed unions but not anymore. They have outlived their usefulness. Why do you think GM and Ford are in trouble? Because of the outrageous wages they have gotten. No wonder people are buying imports with the costs the big NA automakers have to charge for the cars they manufacture.You know, I've been a union guy all my life.
We need unions....increasingly so, as the gap between rich and poor widens radically.
#10
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Risus
Wrong! At one time we needed unions but not anymore. They have outlived their usefulness. Why do you think GM and Ford are in trouble? Because of the outrageous wages they have gotten. No wonder people are buying imports with the costs the big NA automakers have to charge for the cars they manufacture.
What a shock, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
GM and Ford are in trouble because of their crappy cars.
The GM palnt in Oshawa is consistantly rated as the most productive and efficient plant in North America yet it bleeds jobs.
Toyota in Cambridge pays about 5 dollars less an hour than GM, hardly enough to force bankruptcies and layoffs.
The real issue is North American manufactures can't compete with lower than minmum wage China and Mexico and a very competeive market which the domestics aragantly ingnored until it was to late.
#11
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Avro
Unions can be a problem. The reason no new plants want to open up anywhere near Chatham is that the Union in the area is far too "gimme gimme" for them. We could have had the new Toyota plant if that wasn't the case.What a shock, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
GM and Ford are in trouble because of their crappy cars.
The GM palnt in Oshawa is consistantly rated as the most productive and efficient plant in North America yet it bleeds jobs.
Toyota in Cambridge pays about 5 dollars less an hour than GM, hardly enough to force bankruptcies and layoffs.
The real issue is North American manufactures can't compete with lower than minmum wage China and Mexico and a very competeive market which the domestics aragantly ingnored until it was to late.
#12
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Avro
Would you prefer to invest the cost of a new car into a product where the worker cared about quality workmanship ... or one where the worker didn't give a damn because the union would cover his lazy ass?What a shock, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
GM and Ford are in trouble because of their crappy cars.
The GM palnt in Oshawa is consistantly rated as the most productive and efficient plant in North America yet it bleeds jobs.
Toyota in Cambridge pays about 5 dollars less an hour than GM, hardly enough to force bankruptcies and layoffs.
The real issue is North American manufactures can't compete with lower than minmum wage China and Mexico and a very competeive market which the domestics aragantly ingnored until it was to late.
#13
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Avro
LOL, look who doesn't have a clue what you are talking about. Crappy cars have nothing to do with it. You are right in part that North America cannot compete with the lower wages in Asia, and that is due in part to unions, so get over it. Do you realize the benefits GM are paying out to their retirees? That is part of the problem, too and that was brought about by the union. What a shock, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
GM and Ford are in trouble because of their crappy cars.
The GM palnt in Oshawa is consistantly rated as the most productive and efficient plant in North America yet it bleeds jobs.
Toyota in Cambridge pays about 5 dollars less an hour than GM, hardly enough to force bankruptcies and layoffs.
The real issue is North American manufactures can't compete with lower than minmum wage China and Mexico and a very competeive market which the domestics aragantly ingnored until it was to late.
Wake up and smell the coffee...
#14
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf
That would make sense if, like I said the GM plant in my hometown wasn't the most productive and efficient year after year.Would you prefer to invest the cost of a new car into a product where the worker cared about quality workmanship ... or one where the worker didn't give a damn because the union would cover his lazy ass?
Perhaps it was the dopey engineers who got it wrong, or perhaps it was the suits.
#15
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Risus
Minimum wage can't compete with labor in Asia, never mind good paying jobs. Crappy cars have something to do with it, just look at consumer reports on recommended vehicles and what isn't recommended. LOL, look who doesn't have a clue what you are talking about. Crappy cars have nothing to do with it. You are right in part that North America cannot compete with the lower wages in Asia, and that is due in part to unions, so get over it. Do you realize the benefits GM are paying out to their retirees? That is part of the problem, too and that was brought about by the union.
Wake up and smell the coffee...
Do you realize that many companies hand out benefits because of unions even if they don't have one.
Tell me, if high wages are the problem then how is Toyota able to produce cars in Canada while paying their employees virtually the same as GM and offering good benefits?
#16
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 2nd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Avro
Toyota's benefits are a mere pittance of GM's and Toyota doesn't have all the retirees that GM has, and these still receive full benefits.Minimum wage can't compete with labor in Asia, never mind good paying jobs. Crappy cars have something to do with it, just look at consumer reports on recommended vehicles and what isn't recommended.
Do you realize that many companies hand out benefits because of unions even if they don't have one.
Tell me, if high wages are the problem then how is Toyota able to produce cars in Canada while paying their employees virtually the same as GM and offering good benefits?
And I would sooner drive a GM truck compared to a crappy Toyota one. The Silverado received consumer reports top rating.
#17
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008
Meanwhile : back to the topic of the longshore unionists. Supposed to have a grand total of 123members as compared to the many thousands who used to work the port. The high wages were a factor in the extremely large number of jobs lost to the switch to container traffic, but the one nobody talks about was the amount of theft by the longshoremen. Industry likes to do their own thefts,thank you.
#18
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008
That's funny. I met a retired longshoreman, and he had some tales of breaking into crates and stealing...they loved crates, and hated the containers, as you couldn't 'drop' a container and pilfer the contents.
#19
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by missile
unions make people lazy sometimes.Our longshoremen had to work on Labour Day....sort of! 3 of the boys were needed to help tieup a visiting cruise ship, and for a measly 720 bucks apiece for 1 and a half hours work. naturally, the union had to place a group of information picketeers about the site to show their annoyance. Now, the ones who did the info picketing did so gratis
it's good to have them to protect your arse against being royally screwed by employers but sometimes they totally take the biscuit
#20
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by hermanntrude
I agree. Unions only function is too protect the lazy.unions make people lazy sometimes.
it's good to have them to protect your arse against being royally screwed by employers but sometimes they totally take the biscuit
#21
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Risus
not what i said at all.I agree. Unions only function is too protect the lazy.
A union's function is to protect workers from mistreatment. What a union often actually does is protect the lazy as well
#22
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 3rd, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by Risus
A mere pittance? Toyota's benefits are a mere pittance of GM's and Toyota doesn't have all the retirees that GM has, and these still receive full benefits.
And I would sooner drive a GM truck compared to a crappy Toyota one. The Silverado received consumer reports top rating.
I know four people who work for Toyota and two for GM, hate to tell ya but there isn't much difference. As for retired employees that is a given because GM has produced cars here far longer. Still, why can Toyota afford to pay high salaries and not GM?
Here's one answer, truck sales, which GM depends on have plummeted because of rising fuel costs. No good making a good truck if nobody wants one.
Hate to break it to you but the Sliverado is third on consumer reports list behind the Tundra and Avalanche, so GM does fair slightly better than the Tundra in this class with the Avalanche.....but lets look at the rest.
Best compact truck...Ridgeline by Honda.
Most recommended pick up is the Tacoma by Toyota.
Most reliable compact truck is the Tacoma by Toyota.
Most reliable full size pick up is the Tacoma by Toyota.
Lets go into SUV's....
Beat ones are...
Subaru, Toyota and Honda.....what a shock.
Shall I go on?
P.S. interesting that in your anti-union rant you choose to purchase a truck made by union members. I'm sure they thank you for your support hypocrite
#23
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 4th, 2008
It isn't the unionists who have nearly wiped out the Big 3 automakers: rather, it is the designers who have misread what the general buying public wanted. Built in DVD players and GPS units are nice extras, but these seemed to be the major selling points of the Majors
#24
Re: Union Protests Earning High Pay
Sep 4th, 2008Quote: Originally Posted by missile
That and the dopey over compensated execs who pushed the status quo while everyone else looked ahead.It isn't the unionists who have nearly wiped out the Big 3 automakers: rather, it is the designers who have misread what the general buying public wanted. Built in DVD players and GPS units are nice extras, but these seemed to be the major selling points of the Majors
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