Hershey Restarts Plant with Temp Workers

"the problem is with the lawyers hitting up insurance companies and doctors with frivolous lawsuits "

Oh baloney! You don't know what you're talking about. malpractice suits are not easy to win. Doctors and hospitals tend to act like Catholic priests. Even when they get caught with their pants down, they circle the wagons and protect each other. And start hollering how it ain't their fault. You will understand this if you or someone close to you gets screwed up by a doctor thru negligence. parsy.

I used to be sort of pro-union. I didn't like their politcs but figured that they were skilled guys at least. Then I started working in the construction industry and came into contact with union workers all the time. Around here (CT) the only people in unions are fat and lazy losers who can only get paid if the union crooks shake somebody down to get them jobs. This is, of course, reflected by the fact that my company pays non-union guys 4 dollars more per hour then they would make in the union. Oh, we have better health care and a better retirement plan to boot.

Now, having already had this opinion of government unions, and since coming in to contact with the various construction unions, I can only assume that they are all fat and lazy losers whose soul goal in life is to sit around on their asses and then bitch and moan when they are expected to work for their paycheck.

I think I will go and buy a Hershey Bar.

You speak the truth. I don't agree, however, with the phrasing. If 'labor management' weren't so reflexively 'dictatorial and anti-business'; then, business would not be so reflexively anti-labor.
IMHO, the 'BIG' problems(or the BIG problem solvers) lie with top management of both the 'white collar and blue collar' workers.

I will agree with your second statement. Each group (as a group) seeks to have government give them what they can not get at the bargaining table. Both are equally guilty of this.

Your first statement is a bit trickier. In order for labor to flourish, they must work for healthy businesses. However, it is not labor's job to compensate for mismanagement of the business. The two sides come together for a mutually beneficial agreement - the contract. The contract contains provisions which are agreeable (in whole) to both sides, albiet not every provision is one that both sides want. Labor wants to build in costs to the business that it converts to benefits. Management wants concessions from labor that it converts to savings. On the whole, the labor contract can not be one which is out of whack with prevailing costs of labor. This is not reflexively 'dictatorial and anti-business'. This is part of doing business.

Each side should be allowed to hammer out an agreement, without gov't intervention. The economic realities should prevail. In the case of Hershey workers, they have to deal with the fact they can be relatively easily replaced before the company goes broke. In the case of an airline and its pilots, the airline has to deal with the fact that labor has the upper hand in negotiations.

This is free-market labor negotiations. Labor consolidates into unions for maximum leverage, and owners consolidate into corporations for maximum leverage. They should let it all hang out and find where they can meet. Brinksmanship breeds agreeable minds on both sides.

In light of the present economic situation, it might be wise to pay 12% and go back to work. Just a thought. Consider Argentina...

"I'm not eating Hershey's for a while"

No problem there:

mmmmmmm ... expensiv-e-licious

"On the whole, the labor contract can not be one which is out of whack with prevailing costs of labor."

I think in the 'global economy', the 'prevailing costs' of labor are causing a much greater 'rift' than they used to--hence the 'living wage' arguments in America. If we must pay a 'living wage' with benefits here in the USA, we lose our 'entry level'(unskilled) opportunities to produce here in the USA. Our 'prevailing costs' are much too high in light of the current competition. All of us have to have lower costs of production in mind, and must compare our costs in total(incl the health care and other 'bennies') to the totalitarian regimes with which we continue to do business without regard to their 'treatment' of workers.

If we are going to pay the price of goods 'Made in China' and 'Assembled in Mexico', we have to produce at that price if we want to make them here. A 'competitive difference' in wage and costs is acceptable, non-competitive differences drive business away.

Thank you for your detailed response, I think we could work out a contract, unless our 'bosses' MANDATED positions from which we could not negotiate.

"Oh baloney! You don't know what you're talking about."

I know that 30 people lost their jobs because 21 other people filed 'fraudulent' injury claims, and nobody got significant $$$$ other than lawyers(ambulance chasers)

'Bad law' is expensive law, and it is not the answer to the real 'malpractice' case that strikes close to home.

'Doctor terrorists' are no easier to stop than Al-Queda ones--we've got to STOP them from getting to a point where they can do damage.

Please provide the details of the 30 and 21. It is hard to stop some malpractice from happening in advance because that costs money. Many hospitals and clinics do not want to spend the time and money to properly train and supervise people. They would rather gamble on the odds of not getting caught.

Other malpractice is simply mistakes and negligence and not the result of bad training. Some doctors might try to schedule more surgeries in one day than they should to make some extra money. Again, they bet on the odds of not having anything major happen.

More malpractice goes "un-sued" than gets sued. parsy

Yep, someone should tell them that self employed workers pay 100% of health insurance, not 6% or 12%

And, if I remember correctly, self-employed people pay ALL of their Social Security, not just 7.5 percent. I get a bit upset at those who think that an employer owes them anything but what that employer is willing to pay and they are willing to accept. No more--no less.

I have an autographed picture of Ronald Reagan on prominent display and she refuses to enter (which is fine by me).

LOL, I also display photos of conservatives just to tweak the liberals.

I'd be great if this destroyed their union. Unions are government-subsidized extortion rackets, and must die.