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Mercury Marine union in Wis. rejects concessions (8000 jobs lost) Mercury Marine moving to OK
AP ^ | 8-23-09 | AP

Posted on 08/23/2009 3:10:52 PM PDT by Indy Pendance

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Union workers at Mercury Marine put their jobs at risk Sunday when they rejected a package of wage and benefit concessions the boat engine maker said it needed or it would move their work to a nonunion plant in Oklahoma.

Union leaders did not immediately release Sunday's tally but said the vote was "overwhelming" to reject what the company called its final offer.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 1947, represents 850 workers at Mercury Marine, the largest employer in the eastern Wisconsin city of Fond du Lac and the world's largest manufacturer of boat and recreational marine engines.

Mercury Marine issued a statement after the vote saying it will move many of its Fond du Lac manufacturing operations to its facility in Stillwater, Okla., over the next two to three years. The company said it would continue to operate the Fond du Lac facility for now under the terms and conditions of the existing contract, which expires in 2012.

"This has been a very difficult and stressful process for all involved," Mark Schwabero, president of Mercury Marine, said in a statement. "We will work closely with our team in Fond du Lac to develop and communicate a transition plan for this 24-36 month process."

Mercury Marine spokesman Steve Fleming had said last week that if the offer was rejected, the union and company could resume talks and hold another vote this coming Saturday, but its offer would not change.

Local 1947 President Mark Zillges said Friday there would be no further negotiations. He did not immediately return a phone call Sunday seeking comment.

Fond du Lac city manager Thomas Herre called the vote "a huge disappointment."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Oklahoma; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugged; doyle; manufacturing; mercurymarine; obamafailurer; ok; oklahoma; unions; wi; wisconsin
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To: albie

In college I obtained summer employment as a machinist in a California plant. The IAM struck two time in three years. The company stated if the IAM pulled another walk-out they would close the plant and move to Illinois. The IAM struck, the plant closed, I lost a job I badly needed.


201 posted on 08/23/2009 6:25:49 PM PDT by Melchior
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To: Secret Agent Man
"The union people will wish they voted the other way soon."

Naw! They'll just wait'll their kids starve to death and blame the company.

202 posted on 08/23/2009 6:27:16 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
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To: MediaMole
No, you said, “If the concessions are deep enough, you probably make more on unemployment than if you worked.”

Upon further review, I did say that and it could be true, but is probably not. It depends on the depth of the concessions, the fringe benefits vs. medicaid, and food stamps and unemployment.

However, it is unlikely concessions would force wages below 20,000 on an after tax basis and I am likely in error for saying the above quotation.

I will stand by my other statement which is "depending on the concessions, you are probably a chump for working"

203 posted on 08/23/2009 6:31:16 PM PDT by staytrue
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To: Indy Pendance

Price comes sown, quality goes up!!


204 posted on 08/23/2009 6:31:24 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: kcvl

With Card Check the jobs would have gone to China....


205 posted on 08/23/2009 6:31:32 PM PDT by Shady (The Fairness Doctrine is ANYTHING but fair!!!!)
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To: Eaker; Joe Boucher
If the good folks of Wisconsin want to work the fry line at Wendys instead of having a great manufacturing job, so be it.

Please allow me to offer a point of view from someone who lives 30 min. from Fond du Lac. These poor morons will not be working at Wendy's. Wendy's will be closing their Fond du Lac store as NO ONE in Fond du Lac will be able to afford to eat at Wendy's. Just about every other major employer in that area has already left. Mercury was holding the town together.

206 posted on 08/23/2009 6:32:40 PM PDT by Blackhawk (God said it, I believe it, That settles it.)
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To: Joe Boucher

Families in Oklahoma will appreciate the jobs.


207 posted on 08/23/2009 6:35:54 PM PDT by Tulsa Ramjet ("If not now, when?" "Because it's judgment that defeats us.")
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To: Charles Martel
Well, what color are Mercury outboards, hmm?

Well I'm guessing black, but the only reason I'm guessing black is because back in the early 80's my dad bought a old boat with a old mercury and it was white and many people back then said it most be a really old one cause they had never seen a white one before. I know that wasn't what you were thinking but I just had to throw that into this thread.

208 posted on 08/23/2009 6:36:15 PM PDT by ReformedBeckite
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To: Indy Pendance

What is happening? Yankees in Wisconcon. Lost their jobs to willing native americans in Oklahoma. But at least they did not go to China..Yet. It is a good thing Merc is not such evil Capitalist they went to China.


209 posted on 08/23/2009 6:36:17 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (!!)
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To: LibraTango

210 posted on 08/23/2009 6:39:23 PM PDT by blam
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To: Indy Pendance; TheConservativeParty

Thanks for the replies.

Have Belling and/or McKenna talked about this?!! This is absolutely insane.

I know they have both talked about Doyle and Mercury Marine, but since I don’t hear their shows everyday (I am south of the Cheddar Curtain in SSC—the Soviet State of Chicago), I don’t hear them daily.


211 posted on 08/23/2009 6:40:01 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 ("If you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait till it is free! "~ PJ O'Rourke)
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To: All
The soon to be unemployed:

Photo from press conference with union representatives at the union hall in Fond du Lac, Wis., after Mercury Marine union employees voted no, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, on the issue of accepting the company's final negotiated offer of reduced wages and benefits. Mercury announced today it will shut down manufacturing in Fond du Lac and consolidate operations at it's Stillwater, Okla., plant in the next 24-36 months.
212 posted on 08/23/2009 6:41:19 PM PDT by TSgt (I long for Norman Rockwell's America.)
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To: Indy Pendance
Union leaders did not immediately release Sunday's tally but said the vote was "overwhelming" to reject what the company called its final offer.

Nose: meet face...

213 posted on 08/23/2009 6:44:36 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Indy Pendance
The scene in Nat’l Lampoon's Vegas vacation comes to mind.

The Dealer tells Clark Griswald that he can split the $$$, and he will go out back and beat him over the head with a baseball bat. The result would be the same, only better for Clark.

214 posted on 08/23/2009 6:49:21 PM PDT by Radix (Obama represents CHAINS for posterity.)
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To: albie
"Union thugs putting yet another company out of business."

Pardon me while I correct that statement, since I read the post:

"Union thugs putting yet another company in the South."

LOL!

215 posted on 08/23/2009 6:49:22 PM PDT by Redbob (W.W.J.B.D.: "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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To: Indy Pendance

Yeah, but the problem is those people migrate to non-Union states like VA and try to change it to what they left. Stay in Wisconsin, Mercury workers!


216 posted on 08/23/2009 6:49:33 PM PDT by EDINVA (A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul -- G. B. Shaw)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...

Looks like it’s not just the wind that’s sweeping down the Plains.


217 posted on 08/23/2009 6:50:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: Jean S

The headline and story don’t match .. headling says 8000 jobs lost; story says union represents 850 workers .. could 7K at that plant be non-union ?? Hard to imagine.


218 posted on 08/23/2009 6:51:24 PM PDT by EDINVA (A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul -- G. B. Shaw)
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To: MikeWUSAF

Hope those union idiots are staying in Wisconsin and aren’t allowed to transfer. Let ‘em wallow in what they’ve created for themselves.


219 posted on 08/23/2009 6:51:58 PM PDT by RasterMaster (The only way to open a LIEberal mind is with a brick!)
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To: MikeWUSAF
"The soon to be unemployed:"

Do you see ANYone in that picture that's less than 20% over what you might call their ideal weight?

Does this suggest a mind-set amongst them?

220 posted on 08/23/2009 6:52:15 PM PDT by Redbob (W.W.J.B.D.: "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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