____________________________________________________________________
Its not my life time goal to bash unions. You are hanging on by a thread and you know it. You use every scheme possible, every bit of political shenanigans possible, to get what you want - and to hell with everyone else.
Every benefit you get has a cost. That cost is passed on to the consumer. You get the benefit. The rest of us gets screwed. Because we have to pay for that cost.
Yes I will agree that unions had a place in manufacturing many years ago. I was a union member too, steel worker. Long time ago.
Yes I will admit unions have helped many people, helped the conditions in the work place.
But in many cases, they hurt many industries, and helped closed many plants. Pittsburgh once had a lot of steel plants.
Bethlehem Steel, PA was a major steel producer. Now the old steel mill is a new casino.
Several years ago, when the UAW were negotiating, and finally settled, here is some of what Ford "gave the membership."
Members with enough time working for Ford were given $2000 a years for college expenses for their kids - very noble. They were given money to purchase computers and internet service. Nice benefit. There were other goodies above and beyond what all the UAW settled for.
Ford Motor Company was so proud that they were able to give their employees such benefits. But this is untrue, it was not Ford or the union that gave these benefits - it was the guy who bought the cars who provided these benefits. No car sales - no benefits. Remember 2007 and 2008 when the auto companies were broke, bankrupt, and busted.
GM build car plants in China. More cars are made there than here. Does that tell you anything? Unions that push too hard, will push the the company to close the doors in America and go overseas.
Certain workers can benefit from labor unions. But everyone cannot be in a union. Its impossible. So the situation is one sided. The current members are the only ones that benefit. Its not balanced.
Car prices rise almost every year. Some of that cost can be associated with management greed and union demands. Instead of the unions and management working together to keep cost low, they continue a vicious cycle of greed and outlandish union demands.
This cycle never gets broken. So it is destine to fail. And fail it did. The government and taxpayer had to bail out GM and Chrysler. The great companies the the UAW works for.
Lately, unions have cried, and won unfair concessions against the health care provisions involving " Cadillac health care plans." The tax that was to be placed on these plans will not apply to certain labor unions. This is unfair to everyone else.
I think it is ironic that these plans are referred to as
"Cadillac Plans". Is it because Cadillac cars were so very expensive, and special, that only the rich could but them? They were not affordable for everyone. Just like these health care plans they reference, they are only for the rich, the elite, the privileged, the Congress. And now Unions.
This is an outrage.
I am as mad as hell - because every benefit a union member gets, I pay for some of that benefit if I buy your product. So do not thank Ford, GM or Chrysler for what you have, thank the guy who bought the car you make.
