Thread: Oh, the irony of it all!!!!!!
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07-31-2008 08:43 AM #1
Amongst other things the union contracts, especially for retirees, are killing them.
Originally Posted by flh4speed
Ken Thomas
NoT FaDe AwaY and the music didn't die
The simplest road is usually the last one sought
Wild Willie & AA/FA's The greatest show in drag racing
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07-31-2008 10:21 AM #2
It greives me to no end to see this country starting to look like a third world country.
In my life time I have seen this country go from a (work together to get it done) to a care less attitude.
The politicians only want to fill their pockets and the heck with the system that we have built and enjoyed for so many years.
I'll say it again and again "Wake Up America". Whew, am I getting old or what?????Don D
www.myspace.com/mylil34
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07-31-2008 11:55 AM #3
Originally Posted by Don Dalton
You and me both, Don. And I agree with Gassersrule, people are just happy to have a job now and their raises are not even keeping pace with inflation. Things are so bad that Bush signed a bill extending unemployment benefits for 13 additional weeks, on top of the normal 26 weeks.
On another forum one guy said he works for the company that makes all of Sears Craftsman tools. Things are so slow they are working 4 day weeks, and are not working at all the last week of each month. Some workers are being sent home early due to no work.
Like a reporter on TV said the other night "if this isn't officially a recession, it sure FEELS LIKE ONE." Amen.
Don
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07-31-2008 01:26 PM #4
Don I know what you mean. Where I work I have excellent benefits. As a Nurse, we get a pension plan, good salary, and health benefits. For the last year, I have been working without a contract, because our Union and our Hospital chain are at war. The union is trying to expand nation wide, and has chosen this contract negotiation, to stick it to the Hospital corperation. It really pissed me off. I was happy with my current benefits and wages, and feel dambed lucky to be getting what I get. I have been very outspoken for the last year at meetings, and as a result, was patronized by coworkers when I pointed out how good they have it. I keep saying that their go for broke attitude is selfish, and the root cause of why health care is so outragious and that they need to learn from GM, that benefits kill companies. One nurse I worked with who works a fully benefited position 3 days a week (24 hours) wants a retirement health plan that will pay for 80% of her health care for life, that she could draw on and retire at 55 years old. She insists this is only fair. She also wants an increase in pension so she can retire at 55! People have become so greedy, that they seem to have a false sense of intitlement, that is ruining this country. It's funny, a year later(today) those same people who gave me a hard time, are now saying to me your right, we do have it good and I wish we'd settle a contract so we could get our cost of living raise, you should tell them this! It makes me laugh. I should.... not we should! Nobody likes to admit they were wrong!
I repect unions for advances in patient safety, and employer exploitation, but now days, it's the employees in health care here, that are going too far! I just hope I have a job, and the hospital doesn't go bankrupt!
Last edited by stovens; 07-31-2008 at 08:38 PM.
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"No matter where you go, there you are!" Steve.
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07-31-2008 01:51 PM #5
I'm sure there are a lot of union and ex-union guys on here, and I certainly don't want to insult any of them. There was a time in America when the unions were really needed, sweat shop conditions and all that stuff. But sometimes they go too far.
Years ago I worked for a company that two guys started and it ended up being a big company. They took very good care of everybody, our wages were good, as were the benefits. Somebody got a hair and decided they needed a union in the plant. From that time on things were never the same. As an example, every year the company not only gave a Xmas bonus, but a turkey too. The union insisted that the turkey be put in the contract. The President said, we do that anyway, but they kept pushing. Finally he said "Ok, I'll put that in there, but you better specify if it is alive, dead, feathered, cleaned, how big, etc. because you won't like the turkey you are getting next Xmas!!"
Having a union there killed any team playership we had, the friendly atmosphere was gone. I used to be able to go into the plant and get stuff I needed, but suddenly they would stop me and tell me a "union" guy had to go get that for me. It became intolerable. I am the kind of guy who just goes and does stuff to get it done, and my hands, and everybody else's hands were tied and couldn't do anything because it might upset the union.
Don
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07-31-2008 02:35 PM #6
Don Dalton wrote:It greives me to no end to see this country starting to look like a third world country.
Actually I am of the opinion that we began looking like a third world country back in the 70's when they started dumbing down education.
Where I work we are required to only hire college graduates. You would be surprised how many of the ones we interview can not write a well constructed sentence or add a horizontal row (sometimes a vertical column) of numbers and get the same answer twice. We might as well hire high school graduates, because many of them are equal to or better than their collegiate counterparts.
It's just sad. I can only hope that the next generation is much better.Bob
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail....but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying..."Damn....that was fun!
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07-31-2008 02:48 PM #7
Don, I tend to agree with you. As to unions, many have past their prime. I know of several small auto body shops who treated their employees wonderfully. Then when the employees started a union, things when downhill. Within 2 to 3 years the shops had closed and the employees were out of work. Just to many union demands that drove business costs thru the roof.
Last year, the Union representing employees where I work (I'm not union elligible), wanted everone to pay union dues, even those who were not in the union.
As far as I'm concern that was simply taxation with out representation.
One of the reasons this country went to war with England in 1783.
The effort failed.
Bob
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail....but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying..."Damn....that was fun!
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08-01-2008 07:38 AM #8
Here's how you build a third world nation from a first world nation, and if polls are correct you'll reward them with a stronger majority in November;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1217...w_and_outlooksYour Uncle Bob, Senior Geezer Curmudgeon
It's much easier to promise someone a "free" ride on the wagon than to urge them to pull it.
Luck occurs when preparation and opportunity converge.
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08-01-2008 01:08 PM #9
Bob,you are so right.I guess my question is why can't the younger generation see what is going on????
Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter
Don D
www.myspace.com/mylil34
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08-01-2008 02:10 PM #10
some do, but we are INSTANTLY silenced as crazys, nutjobs, or young and dumb.
Originally Posted by Don Dalton
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08-01-2008 02:21 PM #11
Some of us can see it, but like the rest of us there is not much i can do about it!
Originally Posted by Don Dalton
Its kinda funny to me , that 15 years ago, when i was a full fledge white power skinhead, all the propaganda i used to preach about the goverment, and immigration, is now coming true! All the common folks who snubbed me off as a stupid nazi bigot (which i was) are now getting what they deserve!
It really sucks for the honest hard working proud americans that bled and died for this once superb nation to watch it die like this, but in my small amount of knowledge, i see no way it could have been different. Look at all the small civil wars we have had thru the years, the honest man fought tooth and nail to keep the american standards up, but in the end greed wins!
As gasser said, grab your guns and mre`s, were gonna need em fella`s!
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08-01-2008 01:12 PM #12
37Caddy - I have two Gold Wings in storage in the garage, but the way people drive these days I think I'm going to leave them there. Not so much worried about me getting sideways on them, more worried about being run over by a cell phone talking person who doesn't know what a mirror is used for.
Bob
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail....but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying..."Damn....that was fun!






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Right after I posted yesterday it was down again, I don't think it's getting better.
Where is everybody?