Great news on the Union front locally...

[Left Seater]

not that we have much union news thankfully, since they are few and far between here in Texas, but the news lately has been great.

The first story involved a local rock quarry that had union workers. A few months ago the workers striked over hourly pay and an extra week of vacation. The union thought that with all the building going on in Ft Bend County the quarry would quickly cave to their demands and they would be back to work. Turns out they thought wrong. In fact much of the machinery used there was in need of 10 year maintenance and other pieces were in need of replacement. So the company increased production at another quarry in Central Texas and used the down time to have the maint performed. This was four months ago and the quarry is about ready to resume production.

During the past four months the quarry has had little need to negotiate with the union because they had no need for the workers while the maint was being performed. As such most of the workers are hurting having had little income the past 4 months, and to top it off the money the union promised to dispurse during the stike has dwindled to almost nothing the past few weeks. Fully 60% of the workers have indicated they will cross the picket line next week when the quarry resumes production. Also next week a vote is scheduled to drop the union representation. It is expected to pass by about 65% to 35%.

In other union news much closer to home for me the ramp workers at the regional airport where I fly in and out of rejected unionization by a vote of 14 to 0.

While many parts of the country struggle under union control business and workers in Texas show they can work together. That along with not having a state income tax continues to bring more business to our state.

[Diogenes]

God Bless Texas.


When unions lose, everyone else wins.

[mothster]

i think hoffa just rolled over underneath the mall parking lot

[Hapday]

How much were they getting paid, and how much were they asking for?

Normally I am against unions, but only the ones that don't realize they are making pretty good money for what they do.

i.e. Bus drivers. They are unionized here and go on strike every 3-5 years for better wages. The starting wage here for a bus driver is $35,000 a year, but within 10 years you are easily making over $50,000........and you drive a bus. With overtime you can easily make $65-70,000 a year, and it only goes up if you work there longer. For driving a bus and not needing more than a high school diploma, that's pretty good freakin' money. They also get amazing benefits for themselves and their families.

[BSmack]

How much were they getting paid, and how much were they asking for?

Normally I am against unions, but only the ones that don't realize they are making pretty good money for what they do.

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

[Variable]

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

Just imagine how much they'd make if they organized and bargained collectively... :D

Shareholders and lawsuits are the only protection against golden parachutes for losers and ridiculous compensation.

[Hapday]

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

The next time overpaid executives are the reason public transportation grinds to a halt, let me know.

[BSmack]

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

Just imagine how much they'd make if they organized and bargained collectively... :D

Shareholders and lawsuits are the only protection against golden parachutes for losers and ridiculous compensation.

I'd hardly call it protection. Case in point, when former Xerox CEOs G. Richard Thoman and Paul Allaire left the company in ruins, all they got was a slap on the wrist from the SEC and a couple of golden parachutes. What we got here in Rochester was a serious kick in the ass as even more jobs went up in smoke and the bottom fell out of the artificialy high stock prices.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2003-70.htm

[BSmack]

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

The next time overpaid executives are the reason public transportation grinds to a halt, let me know.

What is public transportation?

sin

Most Americans

[DrDetroit]

How much were they getting paid, and how much were they asking for?

Normally I am against unions, but only the ones that don't realize they are making pretty good money for what they do.

If only we could adopt the same attitude towards overpaid executives.

You can. Buy stock. Otherwise, stfu, loser.

Your envy and emotional please are pathetic.

[BSmack]

You can. Buy stock.

That really helped those Enron employees. :roll:

[Hapday]

You can. Buy stock.

That really helped those Enron employees. :roll:

CEO's like the assholes who ran Enron to the ground should be in jail. So what does that have to do with unions striking? Or the price of tea in China for that matter?

[BSmack]

You can. Buy stock.

That really helped those Enron employees. :roll:

CEO's like the assholes who ran Enron to the ground should be in jail. So what does that have to do with unions striking? Or the price of tea in China for that matter?

My point was that if we had the same collective attitude towards the Ken Lay's of the world that we do towards the bus drivers of the world, this world would be a better place.

And ask yourself, why did those Enron execs lie? It was to make it appear that Enron was doing better than it realy was so they would...

Say it with me...

GET PAID MORE.

Yep, those Enron execs were acting just like those union bus drivers. They took their lucky break and broke it in two.

[Hapday]

That really helped those Enron employees. :roll:

CEO's like the assholes who ran Enron to the ground should be in jail. So what does that have to do with unions striking? Or the price of tea in China for that matter?

My point was that if we had the same collective attitude towards the Ken Lay's of the world that we do towards the bus drivers of the world, this world would be a better place.

And ask yourself, why did those Enron execs lie? It was to make it appear that Enron was doing better than it realy was so they would...

Say it with me...

GET PAID MORE.

Yep, those Enron execs were acting just like those union bus drivers. They took their lucky break and broke it in two.

...and I agreed the Enron executives are pieces of shit.

What does that have to do with Grade 12-educated bus drivers wanting the squeeze more and more from the taxpayers of the city?

[Mister Bushice]

Yep, those Enron execs were acting just like those union bus drivers. They took their lucky break and broke it in two.

That has to be the first "Too many people" reset on the internet - ever. :)

Normally I am against unions, but only the ones that don't realize they are making pretty good money for what they do.

The Grocery store workers union got screwed over big time here in so cal. Because soaring costs and undercutting giant Walmart planning on entering the grocery store biz, The store chain wanted to cut health benefits for union workers big time. They were on strike for nearly 6 months. The stores just hired a bunch of non union workers, and toughed it out. They're nationwide, so a little so cal down turn didnt' hurt them at all. The union had to make concessions in the end, and the workers got so screwed over by making virtually nothing during the strike and ending up losing pretty much what would have been expected had the union negotiated at all from the start.

Unions may have been beneficial at some point in the past, and there may be some unions that are beneficial, but all in all they usually more a part of the problem, not the solution.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

"Unions may have been beneficial at some point in the past, and there may be some unions that are beneficial, but all in all they usually more a part of the problem, not the solution."


Your lack of labour history knowledge is appaling. And your own country's history at that.

For all those workers that broke their backs building your country as greedy plutocrats tried
to bleed the life out of them, you should consider deleting that shameful post.

[Mister Bushice]

"Unions may have been beneficial at some point in the past, and there may be some unions that are beneficial, but all in all they usually more a part of the problem, not the solution."


Your lack of labour history knowledge is appaling. And your own country's history at that.

For all those workers that broke their backs building your country as greedy plutocrats tried
to bleed the life out of them, you should consider deleting that shameful post.

You guys are waaaay too anal with these "You need to pinpoint the exact day and time using the exact words in the exact order or else I'll call you on it" type of posts.

At some point in the past, what decade I do not know nor do I care, most labor unions ceased to represent workers needs more than they represented their own existence. True, working conditions in America prior to WWII were appalling in many areas, and in some places in this country even after that time and worker solidarity were the main reasons why conditions improved, but the majority of unions are no longer necessary, and in fact they're the ones that are now doing the bloodletting.

Just take "may have been" out of my sentence and replace it with "were", Dr Anal. It wasn't what I meant, ok? I'll go sit in the corner until recess is over.

sheesh. And while you're playing hall monitor, did I misspell anything? :roll:

[Variable]

You guys are waaaay too anal with these "You need to pinpoint the exact day and time using the exact words in the exact order or else I'll call you on it" type of posts.

RACK.

BTW, regarding the SoCal grocery workers' strike, that, like the NHL strike and most of today's strikes in whatever field, are less about the demands being made then they are about showing the other party who's in control. The dumbest part about the grocery strike is that the union screwed the employees so badly that they ended up signing a contract that was worse than the one originally put on the table by the company.

[Mister Bushice]

The Grocery store workers union got screwed over big time here in so cal.

If you can be replaced by a trained pigeon, it's probably not a very good idea to go on strike.

Except I don't want birdshit all over my groceries. :)

most of today's strikes in whatever field, are less about the demands being made then they are about showing the other party who's in control.

Ain't it the truth? The exception to the rule being the MLB players union, which is more about showing management just exactly how much they can screw them over. :)

[Dinsdale]

did I misspell anything?

There's an apostrophe in "worker's union."

[Mister Bushice]

did I misspell anything?

There's an apostrophe in "worker's union."

If I'd wanted the grammar police to intervene I would have asked. :)

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

did I misspell anything?

There's an apostrophe in "worker's union."

If I'd wanted the grammar police to intervene I would have asked. :)

The grammar police are on strike. Benefits, pension plan, profit sharing....

[Diogenes]

"Unions may have been beneficial at some point in the past, and there may be some unions that are beneficial, but all in all they usually more a part of the problem, not the solution."


Your lack of labour history knowledge is appaling. And your own country's history at that.

So what were the philisophical differances between John Lewis and Sam Gomphers?

How about the differances in membership composition between the AFL and CIO before their merger?








Canadian dipshit.

The grocery workers fucking themselves in the ass is nobody's fault but their own.

By definition a "scab" is something that covers an healing wound.

Fuck the union wound and rack the scabs.


And as far as for public employee unions.....

They are material differant in that they are monopolies.

They need to get the PATCO treatment at the first mention of strike.

[Dinsdale]

Diogenerate --

I appreciate the bold text, since it helps me scroll by your posts more easily.

But today I'm bored, so I decided to break tradition.

My question is(and I think Bace pointed this out, which I only saw because it was quoted....you're really that lame) -- where the fuck do you get off even trying to insult anyone's intelligence, when you routinely misspell everyday words?

"Experiance".....multiple examples in that post. I mean, typos happen, and everyone does it on an occasion. But doing it more than once isn't an excusable aberration, it's ignorance. And who the fuck told you that "an" precedes a word that starts with "h" ? "Philisophical"... ? Where the fuck did you come up with that? "Differances"(also multiple examples, or excuse me, that's "examapals" in Dioese).....are you reatarded? If you got out of high school with a diploma, then our educational system is in big trouble.

I hate to go all grammarnazi, but really........you're a fucking uneducated retard. And if you want to shirk that image, you need to stop acting the part of an ignorant, uneducated douche. But until then, expect to be treated like an ignorant douche, since that's what you've asked for.

Save your compare/contrast bullshit about the AFL and CIO, since it's very doubtful that you made it past 7th grade. Don't try to tout yourself as being of any higher educational level than that.

OK, back to my former and vastly superior policy of scrolling by your idiocy.

[Diego in Seattle]

How much were they getting paid, and how much were they asking for?

Normally I am against unions, but only the ones that don't realize they are making pretty good money for what they do.

i.e. Bus drivers. They are unionized here and go on strike every 3-5 years for better wages. The starting wage here for a bus driver is $35,000 a year, but within 10 years you are easily making over $50,000........and you drive a bus. With overtime you can easily make $65-70,000 a year, and it only goes up if you work there longer. For driving a bus and not needing more than a high school diploma, that's pretty good freakin' money. They also get amazing benefits for themselves and their families.

Link?

In this area one can only start as a part-time bus driver. And it's at $12.00/hour, after completing training.

Any other false information you want to spew?

[Dinsdale]

Call me a liberal, but public employees are MY employees. And if someone is going to dedicate themself to performing public service, the least I can do is offer them an opportunity to feed their family.

I also punished myself with another Dio "take." It will be my last. I was shocked to see that he didn't misspell "usual," what with all of the vowels and all. Of course it was mispunctuated, but that was to be expected. Lack of education will do that.

[Dinsdale]

$35K.....canadian.....is "good money?" Are you fucking serious?

Stop comparing canadian apples with American oranges.

Damn. I read both a Haplessday and a Dio "take" in the same day. Painful.

[Diogenes]

[quote="Dimsdale"][/quote]


Again.


I'm glad to see the semi-literite high school grad working for the city of Seattle is only starting at 12.00/hr.

And actually, I could give a shit until the cocksucker decide to strike.


What part of public employee unions being a monopoly do you not get?


Glad to see the left is finallly over the whole anti-trust thing.





At least when they give $$$$$$ and votes to the dems, that is.


Way past time to shitcan the anti-trust exemption for unions.


And cover them in John McCancer's campaign finance "reform" while were at it.

[Diego in Seattle]

Way past time to shitcan the anti-trust exemption for unions.


And cover them in John McCancer's campaign finance "reform" while were at it.[/b]

This from the party that thinks that political donations = free speech.

[Diogenes]

Way past time to shitcan the anti-trust exemption for unions.


And cover them in John McCancer's campaign finance "reform" while were at it.

This from the party that thinks that political donations = free speech.

They are, of course.

And cutting the parties out of the mix really elevated the debate in the last election, didn't it?

McCancer probably still doesn't get the connection.

At least with parties spending thew money, you could have accountability.

None of which has anything to do with the point I was making.

Take a hint from dimsy, if you've got shit for a take, stick to spellcheck smack.

[Diogenes]

I didn't understand the question.

Still waiting for your epic treatise on how the AFL/CIO merger transformed the labor movement.


Not really, twinkie.