Walmart - Good or Bad? (Chicago, Orland Park: appointed, employment, neighborhood)

[thompson84606]

Total Drivel: Toyota Opens 9th Manufacturing Plant, Hires Non-Union Workers
NPR : Toyota Powers Ahead at Kentucky Plant

[thompson84606]

Two workers - one from Ford, one from Honda, both American - Plain Dealer Extra

[aragx6]

I actually am very surprised they are not union, well really more surprised they've been able to stay non-union, but I'm not sure exactly what this proves in relation to what we were debating.

Pensions are a huge problem for GM and Ford, yes, and the union costs them a fortune (the union forced Ford to pay for my step brother in law to go to HVAC school after something like the 6th time he'd been laid off in a decade), but another major problem they're dealing with: No one wants their big, wasteful, "my tranny went out at 45k", cars anymore. They were way too slow to get on board with the hybrid trend and thats what they (and their employees) are really paying the price for now.

Anyway- point being, even non-union Toyota still pays those employees over 20/hour - not exactly the slave wages of Nike and Sony plants in China and other places.

[thompson84606]

But if you ask an unemployed worker in Buffalo if they'd work for that wage with half the benefits you'd hear "slave labor" used in a lot of arguments. That's why the economy is growing in places that don't drive labor laws down the throats of companies and instead give incentives to do business there. That's the difference between the sagging, sad economy of Michigan, and the thriving, growing economy of Phoenix.

[Steve Bagu]

AVENGORFIRE: NO I am not ELITE. I worked in a Grocery store years ago and quit because I was accused of being a SQUEALER to the union and not a COMPANY MAN. Later found out that I had no future with the Grocery Chain because of the alligation. I went into business on my own and made more money in the 2 wks after quitting then what I would have made in 3 months at Union scale. Had the business 15 yrs (Grocery Inventory). Took 4 day vacations every 3 months (mostly to Vegas). Had 4 other businesses (all started at scratch) during a 35 yr span. Most owner operated business owners who start out at scratch work 12-15 hr days to get it going. They make LESS then MINIMUM WAGES that people complain about making. I am only one month new on these different posts and have reached a modest reputation of 36. If you have any B****, get up off your duff and start your own business. Steve

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Anyway- point being, even non-union Toyota still pays those employees over 20/hour - not exactly the slave wages of Nike and Sony plants in China and other places.

Several questions:
1. Are you proposing that wages not be linked to productivity? Perhaps a world wide minimum wage?
2. Who decides what is a "fair" minimum wage?
3. Similarly, who decides what is an "adequate profit"?
4. Does the UN get to make this decision?
5. If a company can't make a profit in 3rd world country "X" paying the minimum wage due to the illiterate, low-skill workforce are they FORCED to keep their money-losing factory open?

Yes, minimum wage laws work in the US, and I'm all in favor of that, but it doesn't seem like there is a way to make it work world-wide.

I'm all for charity. I'm fairly bleeding heart in my political sympathies, but at the same time I understand that businesses need to be profitable.

[thompson84606]

GM is actually at the forefront of the alternative fuel push, they are the main developers of 100% electric and hydrogen cars. Unfortunately the customers they appeal to aren't interested in this. The Press loves to give lots of praise to foreign cars because it's fashionable. Their real demise is the labor issues they have.
GM'S Race To The Future THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AUTOMAKER CAME TO SEE THE HYDROGEN CAR AS ITS SALVATION--AND TOOK THE LEAD IN THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY - October 1, 2003
GM General Motors: Fuel Economy, Hybrid Vehicles & Advanced Vehicles Info (broken link)
From consumer reports:
V-6 versions of Toyota's top-selling Camry sedan earned "below average" ratings as did some versions of its new Tundra pickup. More than just an embarrassment for the company, the reliability drop will mean more scrutiny from the magazine in the future.

Because of its stellar quality track record, Consumers Reports' has automatically granted new Toyota models "above average" rankings and buy recommendations for new models. For other manufacturers, new models don't receive a reliability ranking because they haven't been around long enough to generate repair data.

"(We) will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design," the magazine said in its news release.

[bungalowbob]

The market overrides any political movement. If a person will work somewhere for 10 cents a day someone will put them to work regardless of what some dogooder says.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by thompson84606

GM is actually at the forefront of the alternative fuel push, they are the main developers of 100% electric and hydrogen cars. Unfortunately the customers they appeal to aren't interested in this. The Press loves to give lots of praise to foreign cars because it's fashionable. Their real demise is the labor issues they have.
GM'S Race To The Future THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AUTOMAKER CAME TO SEE THE HYDROGEN CAR AS ITS SALVATION--AND TOOK THE LEAD IN THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY - October 1, 2003
GM General Motors: Fuel Economy, Hybrid Vehicles & Advanced Vehicles Info (broken link)
From consumer reports:
V-6 versions of Toyota's top-selling Camry sedan earned "below average" ratings as did some versions of its new Tundra pickup. More than just an embarrassment for the company, the reliability drop will mean more scrutiny from the magazine in the future.

Because of its stellar quality track record, Consumers Reports' has automatically granted new Toyota models "above average" rankings and buy recommendations for new models. For other manufacturers, new models don't receive a reliability ranking because they haven't been around long enough to generate repair data.

"(We) will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design," the magazine said in its news release.

If GM is on the forefront of this why did they only a couple of years ago dismiss hybrids as a fad?

I am so over this conversation. No company is perfect, but many do their best to do as little for the world as possible. This is not a business model I could give two s**ts about.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by thompson84606

GM is actually at the forefront of the alternative fuel push, they are the main developers of 100% electric and hydrogen cars. Unfortunately the customers they appeal to aren't interested in this. The Press loves to give lots of praise to foreign cars because it's fashionable. Their real demise is the labor issues they have.
GM'S Race To The Future THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AUTOMAKER CAME TO SEE THE HYDROGEN CAR AS ITS SALVATION--AND TOOK THE LEAD IN THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY - October 1, 2003
GM General Motors: Fuel Economy, Hybrid Vehicles & Advanced Vehicles Info (broken link)
From consumer reports:
V-6 versions of Toyota's top-selling Camry sedan earned "below average" ratings as did some versions of its new Tundra pickup. More than just an embarrassment for the company, the reliability drop will mean more scrutiny from the magazine in the future.

Because of its stellar quality track record, Consumers Reports' has automatically granted new Toyota models "above average" rankings and buy recommendations for new models. For other manufacturers, new models don't receive a reliability ranking because they haven't been around long enough to generate repair data.

"(We) will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design," the magazine said in its news release.

Watch "Who killed the Electric Car".