THIS IS “WATCHING OUT FOR WORKERS?”
|| By FITSNEWS || This website is no fan of Big Labor … as we’ve made abundantly clear over the years. Unions are cancers … and we view ongoing efforts by the administration of Barack Obama to prop them up as being fundamentally harmful to the economy, and to workers.
That’s because Big Labor doesn’t care about workers … as evidenced by this report from Bloomberg.
The Bloomberg report exposes a glorified caste system imposed by the United Auto Workers (UAW) in 2007 as part of its negotiations with Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors (a.k.a. “Government Motors”). Under the terms of the deal, 50,000 workers already employed at automotive manufacturing facilities got to keep their $28 per hour wages (amounting to $58,000 a year, not counting benefits) – while wages for new workers were slashed.
“In 2010, Sharron Chambers was a member of the middle class, earning between $40,000 and $50,000 a year at Chrysler’s sedan plant in Sterling Heights, (Michigan),” the Bloomberg report begins. “Since then she’s had her pay cut in half while doing the same work. She’s been unable to make the monthly payments on her car and house and has lost both. She had to move with her two children into her sister’s town house in suburban Detroit. They had to sleep on a mattress on the floor.”
How many union workers are facing Chambers’ plight? An estimated 30,000 … and it’s about to get worse for them as the big three automakers begin contract renegotiations.
In addition to creating an inherently unequal caste system within the union, the deal has also driven wages down for non-union workers in the auto parts industry, Bloomberg reported.
“A quarter of auto parts employees make less than $13 an hour for jobs that once paid $18,” the wire service noted, referencing data from the National Employment Law Project.
Gotta love how those unions love the “working man,” right?
Anyway … something worth considering as Big Labor makes a big push in the Palmetto State.
84 comments
That is a bit harsh.
The vast majority of the Membership of unions of any stripe are hard working, honest and loyal to the American ideals.
As past and current member of several trade unions I might take umbrage…
However, you have every right to be very concerned about the character of Union leadership, especially government Union leadership. Of Them way too many are following the “progressive” Fascist agenda of demonizing business with the covert plan of ultimate takeover.
See my comment to Rogue (above)…
The vast majority of the Membership of unions of any stripe are hard working, honest and loyal to the American ideals
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I’ve heard the same thing about the NRA. :)
It’s true about the NRA. I am proudly a Patron Life Member. Took a long time to get there.
The NRA was probably a nice organization until the drunken, knuckle-dragging wing of the Republican party started pouring in, waddling and swaggering around talking up “the revolution” and “race war” and “the end of days….” and “I’ve got more guns than sense, and I’ll prove it if I can just get someone to sneak around my house at night!”
Forgot to take your lithium again, euwe?
forgot to innovate, and improve your material again, truthmonger?
NRA? An outsized percentage of NRA membership is also Union membership. Go to any meeting of either and ask ’em. The U.S. Constitution protects the Rights To Organize, too.
And it’s true. I’m NRA, and I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. I work very hard every day to do that for not a lot of money. Your point is????
good for you! We never run out of admiration for flag standers.
It’s safer to sleep on a mattress on the floor in Michigan that it is to sleep on the bed.
Same is true in SC if your girl is fat.
This is a stupid report. The “cast system” is called seniority. IN 2007 the auto industry was in deep trouble. The union was in contract negotiations. They agreed to cut the cost of new hires, so that those with seniority would not lose their jobs. If there is limited money to go around, more experienced workers get raises first. Tell me how you would feel if the person representing you in your job negotiation came to you and said. I know you have 20 years experience, but I am negotiating to cut your pay so that we can pay someone with zero experience more.
Of course I guess we all know from history that employees who negotiate for themselves in a non-union environment make the most money and get the best benefits. Right? I mean just look at all those textile workers living high on the hog out there.
As for the lady who took the pay cut, let me understand your point. She was cut because of the union, not because the employer wanted to cut wages? The employer wanted to pay her more and the Union said no? I call BS. You have love the nutty right. The company cuts compensation and its the union’s fault.
By the way, why didn’t you mention the union will be pushing for higher wages for new hires in the next round of negotiations.
Please don’t confuse FITS with all those facts.
Having worked both union and non union I can tell you from personal experience that the seniority system sucks except for the top few percent. The workers that need the job the worst are the first ones cut. I also worked for a non union co. when we had a slow down. We all took a 10% cut. everyone tightened our belts but everyone kept working. Much better way to go about it. Unions help sorry workers keep a job many of them don’t deserve and are nothing more than another set of bosses that you are paying to sell you out. Not to mention the union dues that are taken from hard working people and given to liberal politicians to defeat the purpose of working for the future. Nothing good about a union.
Bull Shit
Must be a union man to have such a thoughtful retort. HAHAHAHAHAHA
It was all the response your comment deserved, and I am not in a union.
So what you’re saying is that you’re just an idiot.
No, what I am saying is that you and GOP man are either stupid or lying. Probably both.
My country cousin explained the seniority system with IBEW to me this way: His job assignments were mostly ones that took him away from his home, sometimes for 6-12 months. The more seniority you had the better assignments you got. But you don’t have to accept any particular one, but you would be put on the tail end of the availability list. The union chose assignments based on the ability and experience to do the job, together with seniority. But work was not always available. He had bad periods and he had good periods. He was fortunate to be able to stick it out and it worked out very well for him, even though several times he was on the verge of personal bankruptcy.
Having worked both union and non union I can tell you from personal experience that the seniority system sucks except for the top few percent.
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FTA… .Fuck the Army! :)
One of my favorite abbreviations while in the Army. Hadn’t heard it in a while.
Happens all the time in the non-union world. Raises shouldn’t be determined by seniority, it should be determined by an annual evaluation. If you’re a shitty, lazy, fat-ass worker who has 30 years in and have someone with 5 years in who busts their ass, you’re saying the 30 year person deserves a raise first?
Mack sounds like your typical dumb-ass union employee who can’t negotiate for himself and feels once he has a job that he’s entitled to it until it’s time to retire.
If it weren’t for the unions, the 50,000 worker would have also had their wages slashed and Ms. Chambers job would have been shipped overseas.
And those crappy $13 hr jobs sound great for a state like SC.
They say the same about Communism, and the Democrat Party…You always take credit for PREVENTING bad things, and nothing good would happen except for you…so it’s funny that all you ever really do is fail…
To hear you tell it: you invented clean air, the Internet, Bob Dylan and baby kittens…
But the truth is, all you really ever do is TAX the H#!! out of everything good, so it makes it more scarce….
PS: $13 and the integrity of a job beats the F*#k out of begging for a welfare check, food stamps and an ObamaPhone…
Quick question. Have you ever said anything that made sense or was remotely true. Maybe after the meds have kicked in??? Just curious.
STFU, you Vapid liberal Piece of S#!t….does that make sense???…LMAO…
From you, perfect sense.
Joining liberals on their level, huh?
No, just honestly expressing myself, Dumb@$$…
Yes and, in so doing, joining the likes of vermin that express themselves on the Daily Kos and other hack sites. You should just go over there.
There are some on this site that are not worth your time. If we could buy them for what they’re worth and sell them for what they think they’re worth we could pay off the National Debt.
Every day in America 16,500 people get a job. That’s right, every day in America enough people to fill a good sized town, gets a job. That’s how bad the Obama depression is. Let’s compare that to say Q4 2008 under Mr. Bush – Tango’s hero. Everyday in those last three months 25,000 peple LOST a job. And in the 9 months prior to that – every day 7,000 people loss their jobs, while paying $4.25 a gallon for gasoline, $4.89 for a gallon of milk, $2.89 for a dozen eggs. Everyone across America is afraid your party will win and try and Fix the mess. Under Republican control – 2001 through 2008 – on average, 1,000 people got a job every business day. Under Obama, through December 2014, that figure was 4,000 a day (and that includes the mess he was handed in 2009). With the run rate we have for this year, at the end of 2015, it will average out over Obama’s 7 years, 5,400 people got a job every business day. So I don’t care what you say. Apples to apples, Bush and the GOP nearly destroyed this country. Under Obama, we’re now getting back to Clinton years of growth. You and your party nearly destroyed this nation – and it’s time you admit it. The fact is this – every year for the past 6 years the US economy has added more jobs, than in the entire Bush presidency. So suck eggs. And a number of those jobs – probably union.
Don’t confuse GT with facts. He will be forced to respond with $@$@# and ##%$, mixed in lies, hysteria, nonsensical garbage.
In this case, we disagree. Obama is as bad (or worse) than Haley. We are NOT getting back to “Clinton years of prosperity”, but rather getting ready for the kick in the nuts his overspending has set us up for. And what jobs are people getting? McDonald’s? He’s run manufacturing overseas, and failed to provide protection to our industries equal to what our “economic partners” provide to their industries. In fact, Obama and his policies helped CAUSE the fall of our economy.
They wouldn’t have needed to be “slashed” because they never would have been that high to begin with and we’re talking about auto assembly line workers here. I make $10k less a year and I’m a SQL DBA with almost five years experience. No one would consider these workers more highly skilled than I am. Your trying to show a rosy picture with a faulty starting point. You can’t defend this if you can’t address the arbitrary disparity between supposedly “equal” workers.
I know plenty of SQL DBA’s. Don’t flatter yourself.
Move to India. You have been screwed.
I’m sorry, did I say I was a rare commodity or a technological revolutionary? Was I trying to upsell my value? No, I was merely being descriptive. Since you intentionally miss my point (something I’ve come to expect from GrandTango), let me ask you this. Do you think assembly line workers are more skilled than I? If so, I sure did waste a lot of time and money on education and certifications. And you don’t know “plenty”. You may know some and it may be a growing profession, but it’s not like we are a dime a dozen. It’s still considered a highly skilled position. Not that that’s what this is even about. It’s about your tortured attempt to defend the unions.
SQL DBA’s —- what is this, please.
Isn’t the first $ 2,000 cost of a new vehicle to cover insurance and retirement benefits for union workers?
That’s a useless statistic without knowing what insurance and retirement benefits cost for non union workers.
You are correct — that was posted late last night and now edited……thanks!
I thought the first 2,000 was to pay for executive office furnishings and art.
Is it really necessary to pay someone $28/hr. to put lugnuts on wheels? Is it really necessary for workers to be paid for years to sit in union halls doing nothing, because there is no work for them but they are union members? Is it okay for workers to go out on strike and retain their jobs?
Is it really necessary to pay a CEO 4 billion a year?
Nope…..
you have earned a shitload of passes for being clever and sane at the same time! :)
Thanks, but right now not so much. I’m thinking that Adorabella from Amarillo is outdoing me in those areas.
You old dog!
She has two rescue dogs who immediately took to me like a long lost pal, which really got her attention. Her face glowed like a mountain sunrise and I knew I had a chance with her. I need to know more about her, but right now I am holding back on my joking and hee-hawing around. Even my dearly departed mother wouldn’t recognize me when I’m with this little prairie flower. (In fact, I don’t even recognize myself!)
Not entirely, but let’s clean up the whole spectrum of wrongdoing. Call it out wherever, whenever it occurs…not just those incidents that fit your talking points.
4 billion a year, really? CEOs pay taxes, and are tremendous (usually) philanthropists. Plus they can be role models to those who aspire to better in life. Is there not any upside in your view?
Look how Soros spreads his wealth to the good. I just threw up in my mouth.
I agree with you about cleaning up the whole spectrum… it’s important for us all to be able to make a living wage… there’s no reason we can’t work *and* make a comfortable living.. without owning a successful company.
There’s no reason that executives can’t make millions in that world, either… both things should be able to exist simultaneously.
But the thing is – selfishness exists everywhere, not jut in the hearts of private jet owners.. we need to admit that, and try to restrain the damage done by all from greed and abuse of power… for the benefit of everyone, not just a few.
Boeing builds private jets. You got a problem with that?
Not at all….but what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Fat Cats also spend their wads of cash on works of art, expensive trinkets like Tesla cars, flashy babes and big parties, etc. … All of which provides higher paying jobs for artists and artisans, engineers, inventors … and flashy babes.
Soros? For every dollar He spends on liberal, political whoohaaa, He makes twenty in the commodities markets.
How IS that Hope and Change working for the rest of you?
high paid union workers spend their money here, and rarely stash their money in Cayman Island tax-free accounts. Unlike Fat Cats, whose money represents a “score,” and is kept out of circulation in vaults, rather than being used to buy things.
I’d be a tremendous philanthropist if I had more money than I could spend on myself and my buddies were making sure I stayed employed no matter how badly I screwed up. I could get my name on a few buildings…..
Name me this 4 billion dollar a year CEO.
..so it’s not necessary?
I know the CEO at Boeing brings in over 22 million a year. Incidentally, that is more than the entire union payroll at the Washington plant he claimed was crippling the company because of the union payroll. Go figure….
Yes, if it is His money one the line, too. Example: Steve Jobs, who took several Billion in Apple stock instead of cash … and thus paid insignificant income taxes. (One year His tax payments were so small He was eligible for food stamps.)
why is it necessary?
My country cousin is a master electrician with the IBEW. For one job assignment he worked nights at the power plant in Rome, GA which was a 50 mile trip (one way) over the mountain. Three guys were on that job. He and another guy did ALL the work, while the third guy did nothing but read magazines, eat, smoke and mostly sleep! This was about three years ago. But that was the contract with the union – 3 men on salary but only 2 men required to work. The third guy accrued all of his benefits including insurance, retirement, seniority, the entire bucket-load.
You don’t know how many times I’ve seen this and the abuse the apprentices get from lazy fat aholes who can’t hack it in a competitive environment. IMO, if your the “senior” and your not running the show by leading the way you need to go. IBLOW tried to recruit me on a salted job and said I could start at a high level because the good ole boys liked me. I was to start paying but they had no jobs. WTF is that all about?
What s a “salted job”..?
Its when the union sends people to work on jobs in right to work states to foment discontent and try to bring in a union vote, thus more union dues. They spend way more time talking about how crappy the job is than actually working at it. The union is really doing it because they don’t have enough work to support themselves so they send ones that they feel are still dopey enough to pay dues while they work these recruitment jobs to relieve some of the pressure on the book. I’ve seen it backfire on the local because when the guy’s see the “bad” job has benefits they let their dues slide and quit showing up at the hall. PS the book is the hall’s list of available jobs.
Thanks, I’ve not heard that term before …..
You are talk in’ g’ment jobs. “Salting” is always SOP on g’ment jobs. That’s why economists
why can’t workers be lazy and useless like company executives?
They can, they do, they are. Goldman Sacks Of It IS this current Gruberment. Who installed the past two Secs. Of Treasury? Who installed the five most recent newbies at the NY fed reserve? Who paid more than a $100 Million to get the current president elected? Oh Bummer.
It’s the American way.
And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “special relationships” in a so-called “competitive” environment result in the same thing. Manager’s cousin? You can be completely inept, and get PAID for screwing things up if you have the right connections. Shady dealings can occur any time or place, in any organization. Business just gets pissy when they don’t control or profit enough from the shady dealings.
Me too. Me and six guys wired several power plants while two other guy stood around and watched. … I never had any problems with that, one of the guys was just making sure we workers followed the plans to the letter. The other was there to catch us and to take us to the hospital if we fell off of the fourth floor, even though all most all of the work was on the ground.
… Is it really necessary for an experienced Union member to install the wiring in your new house? … If you don’ want it to burn down? Is it really necessary for an experienced Union member to operated that backhoe close to your children’s playground? …
I lived in an apartment complex that was constructed a few years ago, supposedly high-end. I was one of the first residents, and in before all the construction was completed. They used Mexicans (no English, questionable legality) to wire the buildings. I had to have them redo much of the wiring due to some of it being run incorrectly, substantial sparking (fire hazard), and continuously popping breakers. They ended up moving me to a new apartment while they repaired the wiring.
Remember, this is South Carolina, where we are Right-to-Work/ be paid dirt, and where the Labor Board is staffed with pro-business political appointees.
white trash hired unqualified immigrants to make a profit.
unions are simply a bargaining unit, securing rights for workers in a world run by “the best and the brightest” accountable only to shareholders for their 4 million dollar bonuses “earned” by going tits up and bailed out with the nation’s retirement funds.
Douche Max, maybe if you were saving for your future you would be one of those shareholders.
when you finally get to go to school, they’ll teach you that you can appreciate the usefulness of unions, and be a shareholder at the same time.
I live in a “right-to-work” state….. I don’t make enough to save any meaningful amount, and Nikki cut police retirement after lying and saying she wouldn’t. How about we renegotiate my pay when you’re trapped in a burning car??? FREE MARKET RtW!!!!
All you have done is argue against government-run emergency services.
Slick….. If unions are, as you say, a cancer, then you are a virus. Hmmm… Sic Willie is economic AIDS….