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American Axle to Close Plant in Blow to UAW (Unions strike again!)
The Wall Street Journal ^ | 08/18/11 | Jeff Bennett

Posted on 08/18/2011 2:05:10 PM PDT by TonyInOhio

DETROIT–American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. dealt the United Auto Workers a second blow Thursday by announcing the closure of its New York gear-making plant after union rank-and-file members failed to ratify a new contract late last month.

The Cheektowaga plant, employing about 100 hourly and salaried workers, will be shut sometime after Feb. 25, American Axle spokesman Christopher Son said. The announcement comes a month after the company said it will close its Detroit plant after workers there failed to agree to wage cuts. That closure will throw about 300 people out of work.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; US: Michigan; US: New York
KEYWORDS: barackalypse; bhoeconomy; manufacturing; uaw; union; unions
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To: nascarnation
In the “old days” that was “Chevrolet Gear and Axle” and had a couple thousand workers....

Yeah, for those who don't know Cheektowaga, it's a suburb of Buffalo. In the eighties, GM was Buffalo's largest employer with 10,000 employees. Today it has about 1,000. The largest employer today, of course, is the government.

The libs who run the place call that "diversifying" the economy. Their other funny one is that Buffalo is recession-proof -- probably because we're always in one.

41 posted on 08/18/2011 2:52:04 PM PDT by BfloGuy (Workers and consumers are, of course, identical.)
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To: cripplecreek

Look for the UNION Label ... NOT!


42 posted on 08/18/2011 2:52:31 PM PDT by wetgundog (" Extremism in the Defense of Liberty is no Vice")
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To: Java4Jay

screw the unions...but to compliment you....you wear your union suit well......


43 posted on 08/18/2011 2:52:39 PM PDT by advertising guy (if a politician from either party was to say hello to me, it should be law I can shoot em)
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To: Java4Jay
Yea buddy, it’s all about you isn’t it !

Nope.

It's all about me, and anyone else who believes in freedom.

So that leaves you out.

Is it beginning to sink in?

44 posted on 08/18/2011 2:54:16 PM PDT by Trailerpark Badass
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To: Java4Jay
gears are about the easiest machined part there is in the world to make, especially on CMC machines...

if i had to guess, i'd say very few of them are actually machinists and most of them are merely attendants feeding the CMC machines

and that is NOT worth $14.00 plus benefits

45 posted on 08/18/2011 2:56:22 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Java4Jay

No one holds a gun to make them work there. That is a lot more than a lot of people make. They either want a job or no job at all.


46 posted on 08/18/2011 2:56:57 PM PDT by MamaB
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To: papageo

Yep that’s the ticket, tax the crap out of corporations.

Increased taxes increase their prices because the govt forces corporations to be tax collectors. Then the corporation has to look to other cost savings because their sales are down due to increased prices. Largest expense is Labor. In order to stay solvent, the corporation has to cut the expenses they have control over.

Govt taxes corporations.
Corporations let workers go.
Govt taxes corporations again.
Corporations move to tax friendly states.
Govt taxes corporations again.
Corporations move overseas and don’t come back.

Then the govt bashes the corporation for leaving America for lower wage countries. Then says they have to raise taxes on corporations.

Picture a snake eating it’s tail.


47 posted on 08/18/2011 2:57:29 PM PDT by Texas resident (Hunkered Down)
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To: Java4Jay

Unions are anachronistic...not to mention thuggish, Socialist, and downright hostile to the industries and companies they consistently rape.

Spare us all your crocodile tears for these a**holes. You’re on the wrong forum for that, pal.


48 posted on 08/18/2011 2:58:07 PM PDT by RightOnline
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To: Java4Jay

Belong to shovellers union? Nice hole your digging.


49 posted on 08/18/2011 2:58:51 PM PDT by dusttoyou ("Progressives" are wee-weeing all over themselves, Foc nobama)
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To: Zathras

I’m not some pro-union guy; I’m Pro-American standing up for the guy trying to make an honest living.

‘Fat Cat’ greedy bastards are constantly trying to reap in the millions and billions on the backs of the working guy.

I thought slavery ended in 1865.


50 posted on 08/18/2011 3:00:21 PM PDT by Java4Jay
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To: RightOnline

You’re on the wrong forum for that, pal.

NO.. I’m at Free Republic standing my ground !


51 posted on 08/18/2011 3:02:13 PM PDT by Java4Jay
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To: Java4Jay

Do you understand that everyone brings something to the party....the employer and the employee....only union pukes think that the employee’s bring more to the party...


52 posted on 08/18/2011 3:03:59 PM PDT by RVN Airplane Driver
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To: Java4Jay
I buy clothes at a decent price. I was amazed recently to know that some clothes I had ordered online from well known companies were made in China, Vietnam, etc. It is not just WM. I do not see any sense in paying hundreds of dollars for something that I can get a whole lot cheaper and believe me, I look better than the first lady.
53 posted on 08/18/2011 3:04:58 PM PDT by MamaB
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To: Java4Jay
You people are clueless.

Who are these "you people"? Perhaps you refer to business owners (like myself) who create jobs and wealth from thin air by our labor and intellect. Businesses exist to create wealth, not provide jobs. When you start to understand that, you'll be well on your way to an objective vision of the world.

54 posted on 08/18/2011 3:05:21 PM PDT by numberonepal (Palin/Cain 2012)
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To: Java4Jay
After 3 years the company wants more, workers already gave back 50%.

If they can command more in the market place they are free to go work elsewhere.

55 posted on 08/18/2011 3:05:50 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: Java4Jay
I’m not some pro-union guy; I’m Pro-American standing up for the guy trying to make an honest living. ‘Fat Cat’ greedy bastards are constantly trying to reap in the millions and billions on the backs of the working guy.

If that isn't bull shitte straight out of the union playbook I don't know what is....you need to deal with reality...all of us are only worth what the marketplace deems our worth....not what some union puke declares.

56 posted on 08/18/2011 3:07:50 PM PDT by RVN Airplane Driver
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To: RC2

Shrug Atlas, shrug.


57 posted on 08/18/2011 3:08:47 PM PDT by AD from SpringBay (We deserve the government we allow.)
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To: Java4Jay

You do understand how a market works, right?

If a company can only afford to pay you 14 bucks an hour and you’re making $28, the company will either have to lay off as many as it takes to get their labor costs down to where they need to be to survive.

Do that one of two ways, cut staff by 50% or close up shop in that area and move to where labor costs are cheaper...either in a cheaper labor state or to an overseas location.

If the unions drive up the cost of labor, they drive up the cost of the product and soon customers go elsewhere for the product.

It’s the employer’s company. He does what he has to do to make a profit. If the employees want to keep their jobs, they could always make a bid to buy the assets and to make it employee owned. I wonder if the union would be kicked out at that time.


58 posted on 08/18/2011 3:12:55 PM PDT by hattend (The SEALs got Osama. The only thing Obama killed was our childrens future - NoLibZone)
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To: Java4Jay

Using the phrase “on the backs of” kinda puts you in the community activist camp.

Just sayin’


59 posted on 08/18/2011 3:13:03 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: Java4Jay
Slavery did end in 1865. You are now free to be a complaining employee working for a fat cat, or work to become one of the fat cats.

A lot of those 'fat cat' employers didn't start out that way. It wasn't a fat cat who started Google, or Costco, or FaceBook, or HP.

60 posted on 08/18/2011 3:14:24 PM PDT by slowhandluke (It's hard to be cynical enough in this age.)
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