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 ...
Just the year I moved. It was a pain.
Or have they quit and therefore forfeited unemployment?
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We’ll foot their bills, I’m sure. Still an important point, after we come back from the abyss and again talk about such things.
I want Florida in that exodus (it already is)...I’ve lived in FL before...Does FL have ‘right to work’?
It’s called ‘combined reporting’, passed in the last budget, that’s why Harley just lost 22 million. Doyle is a disgrace.
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Brilliant, that oughtta drive plenty more sizable businesses outta state. We’re doing similarly stupid things in WA State to stick it in the eye of businesses. Boeing is one example.
Who is John Galt? And can we build a rail there with some Rearden metal?
Actually it is good for union jobs to be lost.
Now free people can take those jobs,
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They will still have a Union in OK, correct? Just under different rules, right?
Better be some drastic changes in 2010 and 2012. I’m considering a move to more friendly territory...
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I think you’re hardly alone.
A lot of angry workers who listened to there union bosses really got the shaft.
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What? The union bosses don’t ultimately have the best interests of their workers in mind? Gaaaaaawsh.
The reason he called you a right wing nut job is because he didn’t have any other reply so it was a way to get out of the debate and still save face.
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When someone attacks me like that, my response is: “Thank your for admitting I’m right.”
Getting hard to do business in Pa and make a decent profit.
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This is what is ultimately is making the D states welfare colonies...will the Ds figure it out before the secession? (I’m half kidding). They sure are acting moronic though. As if their fierce actions disregarding consequence can be economically sustained. They can’t. The problem is, as someone pointed out above, these actions make no business sense. Until the unions realize that they actually MUST help businesses succeed - they will continue to commit slow suicide.
No amount of frothing at the mouth about ‘obscene CEO pay’ (which simultaneously avoiding conversation about obscene union boss pay (both legal and illegal)) will bring jobs back to towns and states where businesses have been poked and prodded so much they are FORCED to leave. The CEO and all managers could make $1, you union thugs, and the same story would be in place.
The reason he called you a right wing nut job is because he didn’t have any other reply so it was a way to get out of the debate and still save face.
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When someone attacks me like that, my response is: “Thank your for admitting I’m right.”
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This is happening at the national level too - this is the D’s rule 5 strategy on the health care ‘debate’ (they don’t want debate) - and it’s BACKFIRING in a HUGE way!
**Union leaders did not immediately release Sunday’s tally but said the vote was “overwhelming” to reject what the company called its final offer.
—I do wonder, however, who counted the votes.
Was it really “overwhelming”?
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—Hey Johnny, we got 47% here, can we call it ‘overwhelmin’?
—Sure Jimmy, it’s overwhelmin’..call Joey at the paper..then we’ll have beers...
but those two counties ruin our state
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Similar to King, Pierce and perhaps Whatcom counties in Washington State. They ruin the other 36 counties! Unbelievable arrogance.
yep.
Wisconsin is the fed gov just smaller area. We are seeing here what zero is going to do to the country.
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Which states are doing this in the worst way:
CA
MI
OR
WI
WA
Which other states are imploding like this? There are actually 47 states that are in the red. I’d like to see a reverse list by percentage of their deficit to their budget - that would be an interesting list.
I did see a list of highest UR, and surpisingly, there were a number of conservative states on there - telling you something about the interconnectivity of the economy.
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.
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They probably figure each job at the plant supports about 9 other jobs in the community (grocery, gas stations, clothing stores, barbers, hardwarestores, etc...) These jobs will be lost due to the plant closing.
I’m guessing the business at liquor stores will go up as that is what usually happens during hard times.
In this instance, they lose all.
Just watch out for poor quality engines over the near term.
I knew union guys on the assembly line at our local Chevy plant who would purposely not tighten nuts down, etc, etc..... when they were angry or knew they were going to be fired...
Hadn’t thought of that .. but yeah, liquor sales will flourish, if nothing else. Others have mentioned that the 8k figure reflects the effects of the closing v. those directly fired.
My fear is that the very same morons who voted with the union against their employer (not to mention self interest), and who can be counted on to vote a straight D ticket, will migrate south and alter the landscape in right-to-work states.
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