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Money For Nothing (Labor union sickness on an unimaginable scale)
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 2006 | Jeffrey McCracken

Posted on 11/13/2008 7:25:40 AM PST by Monsieur Poirot

In his 34 years working for General Motors, one of Jerry Mellon's toughest assignments came this January.

He spent a week in the "rubber room."

The room is a windowless old storage shed in Flint, Mich. It is filled with long tables, Mr. Mellon says, and has space for about 400 employees. They must arrive at 6 a.m. each day and stay until 2:30 p.m., with 45 minutes off for lunch. A supervisor roams the aisles, signing people out when they want to use the bathroom.

Their job: to do nothing.

This is the Jobs Bank, a two-decade-old program in which nearly 15,000 auto workers continue to get paid after their companies stop needing them. To earn wages and benefits that often top $100,000 a year, the workers must perform some company-approved activity. Many volunteer or go back to school. The rest clock time in the rubber room or something like it.

It is called the rubber room, Mr. Mellon says, because "a few days in there makes you go crazy."

The Jobs Bank at GM and other U.S. auto companies including Ford Motor is likely to cost around $1.4 billion to $2 billion this year. The programs, which are up for renewal next year when union contracts expire, have become a symbol of why Detroit struggles even as Japanese auto makers with big U.S. operations prosper.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: bailout; generalmotors; unioncorruption; unions
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Tried to post this yesterday but I blew it. This is really and truly one of the most amazing things I have EVER read. If it wasn't the WSJ, I'd be convinced it was pure fiction. Science fiction maybe. A MUST READ.
1 posted on 11/13/2008 7:25:40 AM PST by Monsieur Poirot
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To: Monsieur Poirot

I’ve heard of union workers getting “laid off” for weeks at a time, at 95% pay!


2 posted on 11/13/2008 7:28:10 AM PST by Joann37
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To: Monsieur Poirot

Is there a Wifi connection for my iPod Touch? Can I bring some books and magazines?


3 posted on 11/13/2008 7:28:52 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: Monsieur Poirot

I heard they even watch TV and play video games too. This has to be stopped. I can hear it now, “what did you do at work today, Dad?” “Well, I became Bowling Champ on the Wii we have at work.” B-P


4 posted on 11/13/2008 7:29:01 AM PST by Nowhere Man (Is Barak HUSSEIN Obama an Anti-Christ? - B.O. Stinks! (Robert Riddle))
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To: Monsieur Poirot

Actually, this has been out for a long time. Jim Quinn (of the Quinn & Rose show) has been talking about it for several years now.

True and outrageous.


5 posted on 11/13/2008 7:30:00 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
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To: Monsieur Poirot
Bingo!

Labor unions are barnacles on the ship of commerce.

6 posted on 11/13/2008 7:30:17 AM PST by TChris (So many useful idiots...)
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To: Joann37

The cost of the program was 1.4 - 2 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in 2006. I fantasize on a daily basis of what this country could be w/out liberalism, unions, welfare spending, etc. Oh the riches I would have.


7 posted on 11/13/2008 7:30:25 AM PST by Monsieur Poirot
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To: Monsieur Poirot

Only a Union and sick management could come up with this.

NO BAILOUT!!!

I’m not going to pay for this crap.


8 posted on 11/13/2008 7:31:09 AM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: Monsieur Poirot

Why have I never heard of this? I hope this goes mainstream. As union-dominated industry goes further down the tubes, stories like this will get more attention.


9 posted on 11/13/2008 7:32:41 AM PST by scottinoc (If it's not Scottish, it's crap!)
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To: Monsieur Poirot

There was an article posted on FR about this topic a couple of years ago. Nothing these people do surprises me anymore.


10 posted on 11/13/2008 7:33:07 AM PST by johniegrad
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To: Monsieur Poirot
"It is called the rubber room, Mr. Mellon says, because "a few days in there makes you go crazy."

They should at least give them all pacifiers like maggie simpsons.

11 posted on 11/13/2008 7:33:07 AM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: Monsieur Poirot

That’s nuts! They should at least provide them cots to lie down on.


12 posted on 11/13/2008 7:33:16 AM PST by AU72
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To: Monsieur Poirot

The unions were aided in taking over the auto companies so now they same thuggery which is at the heart of the unions has destroyed the U.S. auto industry. Union members are too stupid to realize how their mobster ledership have destroyed the golden goose so the members will be herded into marching for more rights, more ‘benefits’, more demands to be met ... the extortion continues because unions are criminal enterprises. Small wonder they’re so closely aligned with the other massive criminal enterprise, the Democrat Party.


13 posted on 11/13/2008 7:33:37 AM PST by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
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To: Monsieur Poirot
Many volunteer or go back to school.

Why bother?

14 posted on 11/13/2008 7:33:47 AM PST by randog (What the...?!)
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To: Monsieur Poirot

How demeaning to the human spirit. The auto industry is bankrupt on many levels.


15 posted on 11/13/2008 7:34:09 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Monsieur Poirot

Just watch as we the taxpayers will pay for this crap with yet-another-bailout. If they give you the option to go back to school and be paid that kind of money, why not do it? At least you can learn something and improve your marketability for the future. These bums have no self-motivation, and we’re going to be paying for it.


16 posted on 11/13/2008 7:34:53 AM PST by messierhunter
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To: AU72

and a hot tub.


17 posted on 11/13/2008 7:34:55 AM PST by gussiefinknottle (woof!woof!woof!)
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To: Joann37

I heard that teh big 3 lose $1000 on each car they sell because of legacy costs. Let them go bankrupt and reorganize!


18 posted on 11/13/2008 7:35:20 AM PST by Holicheese (Get up Tom Brady, get up! PLEASE!!)
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To: Monsieur Poirot
The Jobs Bank at GM and other U.S. auto companies including Ford Motor is likely to cost around $1.4 billion to $2 billion this year. The programs, which are up for renewal next year when union contracts expire, have become a symbol of why Detroit struggles even as Japanese auto makers with big U.S. operations prosper.

Just Damn!!!! But then they probably accomplish a whole lot more than those federal people rounding up illegals.

19 posted on 11/13/2008 7:35:55 AM PST by org.whodat ( "the Whipped Dog Party" , what was formally the republicans.)
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To: randog
"Many volunteer or go back to school.

Why bother?

To become ACLU lawyers.

20 posted on 11/13/2008 7:36:23 AM PST by Nathan Zachary
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