[joey71]

If I had a product that I wanted to manufacture, and open a plant,

Umm no I would probably go to Mexico, pay those folks peanuts then sell it to the consumer back in the states -- and put FAT DOLLARS into my pocket and spend it somewhere else.

OH wait-- that is already happening -- damn it, now why are there unions???

Because I dont want to work for min. wage and live in a dang box!!!!

Yes, I do have a degree, graduated from high school and I have a Journeyman certificate w/ thousands of work hours on it.
Yes Iam a proud union member!!

If I was told to take a 50% pay cut --yea I wont even go there!!!

WAKE UP!!!! Your southern neighbors in mexico is taking everything from you and that is a FACT!!!! It is called labor trade and it is happening right now--

Enjoy and words from the famous ones-- "tah-tah"

[fritzie]

Originally Posted by One Thousand

That's a personal attack. You're accusing others of being irresponsible, possessing a sense of entitlement and being willing to take another person's property for ransom. Basically, you're calling him immoral.

personal attack on who? (didnt mean to offend anyone)
as for taking there property for ransom the company can hire outside the union other wise none as scabs.
the big 3 should have never let there wages get as high as what they are
but they did.
im shure the ceo of gm makes around 40 to 60 million a year

[goncnc]

well I work for Detroit Public Schools and the union is not as strong as it should be however without it the board with have not used vaseline.

[One Thousand]

Originally Posted by fritzie

personal attack on who? (didnt mean to offend anyone)
as for taking there property for ransom the company can hire outside the union other wise none as scabs.

"You would go on strike too." That's the attack. You're accusing others of being irresponsible, possessing a sense of entitlement and being willing to take another person's property for ransom.

Regarding hiring non-union workers during a strike: They have the right, but the union workers cripple the company in the meantime. They harass the non-union workers on the way in and out. It's sort of like me coming by your house in the middle of the night and blaring my radio. You still have the right to sleep, however, I set things up so it's very difficult.

I consider it immoral, but you can do it... and I'll just continue chuckling with every round of lay-offs becasue companies don't have to compromise with unions anymore.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by GeminiGal

Unions are very unpopular in the South. I was living in Charlotte, NC when Fieldcrest Cannon in Kannapolis was unionized (barely passed) in the 90's. Everyone predicted the company would shut it's doors, and it basically did. To the best of my memory, five years was about all it took and the company was in ruins. Now Clinton's NAFTA may have played a big role, but I'm sure that this was a prime example used by companys as ... "look what happens when the unions come in".

I personally know a union "leader" in MI - very distant relative. This person has a high school education and makes more than someone with a master's or doctorate degree. Their family lives "high on the hog" as the saying goes. The attitude is of this individual is pretty much "I know I'm better than you".
When I think union, this person is what I think of...

Cost of living in the South is lower as are wages. Now that I live in OH, where prices and COL are alot higher, I feel that unions do play a big part in the inflated prices I pay. Teachers, everyone seems to have a union here.

I think unions defininitely have an image problem to say the least...

I had an uncle who worked in a union shop, and I remember he was always angry at the union because every time he'd get ahead the union would call a strike and he was forced to stay home when he really preferred to work and he'd end up using up any savings so felt the extra wages didn't ultimately help much.

I think many of us would prefer top deal one on one and not as a collective.

[Paddington]

That cheap **** Granholm should have been doing something to resolve the UAW strike against American Axle, which in turn has brought much of GM to its knees, of course affecting Michigan a lot more than places like Texas. But once again, no brains, no leadership.

My family's not in the auto industry, but everyone's still taking a hit because of this.

[UpperPeninsulaRon]

Originally Posted by fritzie

im shure the ceo of gm makes around 40 to 60 million a year

I will not give you the answer, but I will help you find out what the real number is. Find the General Motors 10K SEC report, available on-line. You can then go through all of the financial information that is is there. You can find that out, and so much more.

[Cliffie]

Dude, Granholm has very little control over the outcome of a UAW strike. As in, no control at all. People keep expecting her to wave a wand and fix everything. 'Taint realistic.

One unexpectedly positive thing about the UAW's merciless grip on SE MI is the way non-union shops compensate for it by doing things like profit-sharing, extreme merit raises for people who make the most money for the company, and other perks not available from the UAW. Not all non-union shop owners have the brains to do this but the ones who do are very competitive, as in thriving and expanding while other businesses in the area go under for the third time.

[Cclass84]

OUR UNIONS HAVE PROBLEMS AND ARE FAR FROM PERFECT BUT THEY CREATED WEEKENDS, 8 HOUR WORK DAYS, HEALTH BENEFITS, AND SO ON. U will still have a billionaire business class in michigan with unions, so why are these business people shipping jobs over? because they want that extra 700k for a birthday party and then lie to you on the news WE ARE FRUGAL PEOPLE bull

[Dexterguy]

My family is built with the auto industry and the union (UAW) ever since they immigrated to Michigan in the 1960's, so the union and driving domestic (GM) autos is a must. The union has done a lot for poor families and immigrants that would have been a lot worse off today if it was not for them. In the end I am a union supporter, but I can admit that they can hold jobs back and cause problems at times. The American Axle Strike has turned into a big mess, it has gone on for weeks and all of those workers have now lost all of that pay. I also heard that if American Axle does not give into the strikes than they may close some or all of the plant and also look for another location, this would be just another hit to the already terriable Michigan and more so Metro Detroit economy.