Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Blue Collar Workers Turn Back on Unions
The Detroit News ^ | 12-19-2006 | Lois Aguilar

Posted on 12/19/2005 5:53:37 AM PST by nckerr

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: nckerr

Gee, no mention that maybe some Blue Collar types are sick and tired of their union dues going to support the Rats.


21 posted on 12/19/2005 6:52:40 AM PST by The South Texan (The Democrat Party and the leftist (ABCCBSNBCCNN NYLATIMES)media are a criminal enterprise!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The South Texan

Put a part made in China..and part made in Detroit side by side.....there will be no difference..just one of them costs 1/3 of the other.....which one would the CUSTOMER want...and I stress the word CUSTOMER


22 posted on 12/19/2005 6:57:45 AM PST by Youngman442002
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: yer gonna put yer eye out
They can never have enough power, control, or alcohol, or twinkies, or french fries, or gas guzzlers....
I have often mused about what this wonderful country could become if everyone rowed in the same direction since a well regulated bourgeoisie being necessary to the preservation of a command economy.

Thought I'd finish your thought out for you. Sheeesh. Free men in competition is characterized by different directions. Sorry pal.

23 posted on 12/19/2005 7:03:11 AM PST by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: nckerr

I grew up in WV with the UMW. They have done the very same thing to WV. And liberals like Byrd and Rockefeller are working hard to make it worse!!!


24 posted on 12/19/2005 7:03:43 AM PST by quikdrw (Life is tough....it's even tougher if you are stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: quikdrw

My husband is an electrician and once when he was hired into a company (in michigan) that was union, he single handedly got them to get rid of the union.

All it did was reward the lazy and take money from everyones pay checks.

My husband was actually getting paid More than union scale because he was worth it. The ones who weren't worth it were getting paid money they weren't earning and we couldn't see what the union was doing for us for the money they collected from his check!

After the union went away life was great!


25 posted on 12/19/2005 7:17:40 AM PST by annelizly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: nckerr
IMO, the problem with unions is not pay and benefits packages. Many companies pay similar wages for non union work. It is byzantine work rules that limit overtime, require a minimum number of workers for a job, let workers be 'idle' and still get paid, only certain employees can perform certain jobs, like requiring an electrician to change a light bulb, etc.

There is also the 'turf wars' among unions that have different unions fighting each other for the exclusive right to certain tasks, such as unloading a truck, instead of letting whoever the employeer has on hand to get the job done. Then the 'special' task worker gets a minimum days pay for a 2 hour job.

Finally, the unions destroy their own company by the antagonistic attitude they create against it. They create an 'us versus them' mentality with strikes, illegal sickouts, and other hissy fits like the United Pilots union in the summer of 2000, when they pulled this little stunt: 1. Call a mechanic and say something is wrong with the plane. 2. When so much time has passed that if they complete the flight, the last few minutes of flying time will be overtime, walk off the plane by saying you refuse to work overtime. 3. Plane load of suckers get to spend the night at Camp O'Hare.

Non-union employees also have an 'us vs. them' mentality; their 'us' is the employees and the company they work for, while their 'them' is competition. This results in better treatment of customers because they want their company to win, unlike unions, which always seem to be trying to do everything they can to 'get' their own company.

The sad thing is that all of the above problems with unions result in very little or no benefit for the actual workers, even though they cost the companies a great deal.

26 posted on 12/19/2005 7:24:00 AM PST by sportutegrl (People who say, "All I know is . . ." really mean, "All I want you to focus on is . . .")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sportutegrl

"Finally, the unions destroy their own company by the antagonistic attitude they create against it."

My cousin was union, with Schlitz Brewery, and was always going on about "breaking the company." I asked him what he would do for a job if they actually succeeded, and he gave me a blank stare, then got angry and then didn't speak to me for months.

Guess they finally succeeded. When was the last time you heard "Schlitz?" It was a major beer label at one time.


27 posted on 12/19/2005 7:42:54 AM PST by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Sybeck1

Only unions representing public employees have clout now.


I have news for you. The unions are not doing anything here in the public sector except taking our money.


28 posted on 12/19/2005 7:46:55 AM PST by Redcitizen (My tagline can beat up your honor tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: conservative barking moonbat

"your jobs are still heading to china, india and eventually kenya."

Without the Union constantly trying to squeeze every last penny out of the company to justify their existence the conpany has a much better chance to remain competitive with domestic labor.

It's not cheap shipping parts overseas. It also makes for a less reliable supply chain.

However, the companies do need to remain competitive, and the unions prevent that.

The tell the workers that the conpanies are exploiting them, and the push for more and more to justify the existence of the union. When the push for and get to much, it's not sustainable. then there has to be cuts or the company goes under.

The workers have been told over and over again that the employer is exploiting them and lying to them. They paid the Union to protect them from the exploitation of the company.

When cuts become necessary it's hard to get them passed by the workers because they done understand that the union has forced the employer to give more than they can afford to give and stay in business. They don't trust their employer, they don't understand the economic of the business, and the union doesn't want to help them understand, because it will show that the union screwed up.

Unions thrive on hate, distrust, and a lack of knowledge in the workforce. They also thrive off of greed.

They provide short term gains for their members at a cost of long term stability.

Will jobs still be lost to competitors? Of course some will be lost, that's the nature of competition. However, if we cease to be competitive many, many more jobs will be lost.


29 posted on 12/19/2005 7:50:57 AM PST by untrained skeptic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: annelizly
I had job with a defense contractor job, for awhile. It was union, so when lay-offs came, they laid-off the most junior people. Then, they were surprised that nothing got done until they brought back all of the lay-offs.

I thought about running for an office in the union, so I couldn't be laid-off. An engineer friend told me that I wouldn't like it. He said, "you have way too much integrity to fight for someone's job when you know they should be fired." The more I thought about the more I knew he was right.
30 posted on 12/19/2005 8:59:25 AM PST by quikdrw (Life is tough....it's even tougher if you are stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: AbeKrieger

Today, hiring a union person to do a job is synonymous for expensive, inflexible, sloppy work and belligerence.



And hiring an illegal is synonymous with cheap, flexible, efficient work with a smile.


31 posted on 12/19/2005 9:03:46 AM PST by durasell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: durasell
And hiring an illegal is synonymous with cheap, flexible, efficient work with a smile.

You mean with a wink and a nod. Businesses should be held accountable, criminally, for hiring illegals.

32 posted on 12/19/2005 11:38:46 AM PST by AbeKrieger (Islam is the virus that causes al-Qaeda.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine
Thanks for the "help"....Although the gibberish you've written makes me suspect too much dope, too many drinks, and far too great a belief in your ability to coherently communicate.....:0)
33 posted on 12/19/2005 11:42:44 AM PST by yer gonna put yer eye out (sayyy....this Al Qaida thing looks serious....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: yer gonna put yer eye out
far too great a belief in your ability to coherently communicate....

You are a fool! How's that? :o/

34 posted on 12/19/2005 12:01:55 PM PST by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine
"You are a fool! How's that? :o/"

Even if it WERE true, it'd be better than being union....:0)
35 posted on 12/19/2005 12:09:07 PM PST by yer gonna put yer eye out (sayyy....this Al Qaida thing looks serious....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Redcitizen
The unions are not doing anything here in the public sector except taking our money.

Oh, I don't know... take "property management," for example. Here in Hartford, there is a grand old building with a gilded dome on a hill overlooking a beautiful park. It's called the State Capitol.

They own it lock, stock and barrel.

36 posted on 12/19/2005 12:32:35 PM PST by Snickersnee (Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: yer gonna put yer eye out
Even if it WERE true, it'd be better than being union...

Correct!

37 posted on 12/19/2005 12:58:59 PM PST by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: conservative barking moonbat
"your jobs are still heading to china, india and eventually kenya."

I can easily see the unions rise up again. Soon after wages have been reduced to table-scraps by outsourceing and "guest workers".

38 posted on 12/19/2005 12:59:22 PM PST by moehoward
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: sam_paine
"Correct!"

MUCH better!
With practice you'll soon be able to string words into comprehensible sentences!
39 posted on 12/21/2005 5:51:35 AM PST by yer gonna put yer eye out (sayyy....this Al Qaida thing looks serious....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: nckerr

Not meaning to revive an old post, but it's funny that this story was posted right before the union in New York took a humiliating defeat. That there is funny...I don't care who you are. Getter-done!


40 posted on 12/25/2005 8:15:31 PM PST by rodeocowboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson