Union Car or Socialist Car?

[milogrim]

I've not had much positive experience myself with unions. My city is very unionized hardcore, chi-town. It's like a religion here, so its a touchy subject. I been a rat in this town for some time and seen and heard a lot. I'm glad people make a good living in the union but it just seems rigged to fail one day.

 

I was a scab bricklayer for about 6 years. We'd get picketed, they'd block the construction site, throw nails under our trucks and in our sand (breaks the mixer) They'd get leans and put pressure on builders with inspections getting the job further delayed, obviously they have friends in city hall (the expensive sort of friends) They'd always be layed off though and looking for work, we'd tell them we aren't union and they'd say I'd rather get paid to work then pay not to work. We'd laugh and say maybe they'll pay you to picket us.

 

Someone here said they are 3rd generation union, that seems to be the way it goes. It's who you know really. I got a buddy crane operator maken the bucks. One day he's showen off his new setup in his bronco, flatscreen, dvd, surroundsound, playstation. I said "Wow that's great but It seems like a waste to put in your truck." He said "Naw man I sit 4-5 hours a day in this truck maken 30 bucks an hour. Get's boring though," I want his job but he assured me unless he adopted me I had little chance. Inbreed hiring is rampant.

 

Funny story I remember a painter had to delay his work because he had to call a union electrician to remove the socket covers on the walls. GF worked in office building downtown, if you had any package even if it was as small as a bird nest a union porter HAD to carry. Once her desk was moved two cubicles over, she had to get a union electrician to "install" the phone for her. How many Union electricians does it take to unscrew a light bulb?

 

Now I work in telecommunication for the union phone companies as a scab contractor once again. At first they didn't like us. They would destroy the work we did after we left the building, steal tools, usual stuff. I understand why, we just about replaced half of them or more. I see them sit in the company trucks outside the CO's napping for hours. They used to go to the bar but they put gps tracker in the trucks and started cracking down on that. The inside techs work the first few years kinda hard, then they nap and chat and eat away about half of the day till retirement. We have to account for all our time. Work 8 hours basically but that's what they are paying me to do I'm happy to oblige.

 

I used to hate them, but I'd join them I guess. They do pretty decent work usually, it's not top-notch, but above average for sure. More benifits, more money, sure but it's kind of an illusion. The companies that pay these union workers arent gonna lose profits, they'll just increase the price of the product and pass it on to the consumer. If they can they'll go down south or out of the country first chance they get, leave the workers jobless. That's when politics usually interferes, politicians swoop on that cash cow. The fed's are eating it up. It's funny all these corporations are getting handed out billions and a pimply faced geek like Bill Gates can make a multi billion dollar industry with one garage, no degree, no training, and a few thousand bucks.

 

Before Unions, companies would routinely fire everyone and rehire them the next day for half there wages. You'd be on call for the company and just be lucky that they gave you 10 hours that week. Foreman would be 6'5 300lbs men, why? To bust your skull for stealing or not working hard enuff. And saying union or strike could get you killed by Pinkertons ( a private army that hired it self out to companies to bust unions, cant make this stuff up). So ya at first unions where a real breakthrough for Human civilization. But now it seems a little out of hand.

 

So to some it up Unions, great idea, but they need some reform. The rest of the world isn't playing by your rules, and its coming to bite ya in the butt. But best of luck to ya, sincerely. And be kind to us scabs 2/3 of us where union at one point you might just be next. Besides scabs built this country and always will, someones gotta do it. We are the American dream, don't tell us about hard work. Sorry for some of the cheap shots but I didn't even go off on unionized public school system, that'd be just way too low.

[dezdimona]

First your terminology calling yourself a "scab" is wrong.A scab is a union employee that crosses the picket line.So that you are not.I agree some unions need work,but not all are bad.All your pilots,attendants and contollers are union,police and fireman also.They risk their lives everyday and deserve little pay? Police officers buy their own uniforms,weapons and protective gear My father and grandfather were union electricians,my grandfather in chi-town.He worked his ass off and did great work.This man fell fron the standard oil bldg when it was being built,broke his back.the union paid his bills.He worked for over a year after he recovered with a metal brace on his back.He provided for my father and his brother even when in pain.

 

The union helps its own,never does it ask for help.The IBEW also donates hundreds of thousands to charieties every year.

My dad is now retired.he has no cussions left between the bones in his knees or shoulders all bone on bone.he finished up his career working with two plates in his pelvis and 5 herniated discs in his back. He lives in constant pain,did he get a free ride? no. Like my Grandfather he had a work ethic,not all have it and not all are honest,even when "rat"

 

But to say all unions are bad and are united is beyond ignorant.And I'm glad the one guy making 12dollars an hour living at home has no bills,get a life,move out and see how easy it is to live in the real world sweetie.

your eyes are closed,perhaps its time to open them!

[Rixirite]

The union helps its own,never does it ask for help.The IBEW also donates hundreds of thousands to charieties every year.

 

So does massive corporations, they donate tons to charities every year. The union is asking for help from the government to get more power. Of course the police and firefighters are unionized cause they are government and government jobs are very prone to unions. Air traffic controllers in the 80's went on strike saying they demanded more money and that they would stop operating on air traffic control if they didn't all get a increase in wage. Ronald Reagan fired the atcs cause when they went on strike airlines couldn't coordinate well with air traffic which usually leads to nasty accidents.

 

If they go on strike at the expense of danger just so they could get more money, they are playing with fire and I don't believe a union should exsist if they cause problems in the world like air traffic accidents or throwing nails under trucks etc they are total punks to vandalize other people in the name of thier union.. It is not right.

[dezdimona]

So does massive corporations, they donate tons to charities every year

your right all at the expense of their customers whom they raked over the coals.Banks and their credit card rates have soared,those who made a monthly payment now find that payment tripled or quadrupled.

 

Big Business is a thorn in the side of all"honest" and hard working people,nice to see you love them soooo much,says alot I think.

 

And now since you keep repeating everything you say I'll leave this topic,you've nothing to add other than your hate and closed mind to whats real and what isn't.Please don't take offense at this and its ok that you took away my kudo too, shows how right I am...lol bye,good luck in the real world,you'll need it I think! ta!

[Rixirite]

What does it say about me?

 

By the way, if you think about GM and how they give over 6 BILLION dollars a year to benefits like healthcare it is one of the most expensive in the industry. GM is dominated by the powerful UAW, and after a certain point it can do little but try to convince the union to give important concessions in order to keep the company afloat. Without the company how does the union get their "hard-earned" money? Obviously GM would shut down, especially if they can't make enough money from the sales they make..

 

Think about it.

[milogrim]

Well when I was bricklaying for the "evil big business boogymen" it was me the owner of the company and 3 other guys just trying to make our way threw this world not asking for anything we didn't earn, we sometimes felt like the union was the evil big business, trying to drive us outta town with bullying tactics and name calling, rats scabs whatever, I usually don't call anyone names but if I had to I guess I'd pick average American working person. One of them was named Crooked Eyes, people would call him names I can't say here, but basically tell him to go back to Mexico. Funny his family is from Illinois and have been for about 10,000 years.

 

The company owner, a long time friend, was an evil corporate genius, he paid us for health benifits and overtime. If we worked till 4:10 we'd get paid till 4:30. If material was late we still got paid. If job wasn't ready he'd pay us to help around his house or odd jobs. The "man" was keeping us down. Ya us corporate empire's are ruining whats good about America.

 

Now I work for another evil corporate empire, there's about 12 of us. Our goal, to destroy the American way of life. Company is based in the exquisite corporate headquarters of my friends garage, look out union! Better slash our tires and picket our jobs. Tear our work down when we leave, before America is in ruin.

 

Of coarse we are all just doing it for kicks. We don't have any bills and all live in our parents basements. Ya its alot of fun. So much fun sometimes I need to get a second job, not sure why really. Guess for more fun. That's why I'm so glad you guys explained how I wont ever be paying off the corporate bailouts, what a relief its all free. Only people that will be effected are the ones that employ us, or start new business. That certainly wont have any effect on our economy and standard of living for generations to come. I bet they learned there lesson too, something like that surely won't happen again.

 

Now I'm definitely gonna buy all union, no more petro, or pizza, walmart, or walgreens. No more Nikes or any thing they endorse, like that evil communist Chinese basketball game. All that stuff they ship in trucks across the country and put in our stores. Yep looks like we don't need any of them foreign corporations or unamerican non-union small business. I wouldn't want to support them because then I'd have my big fat foot in my mouth.

 

Wow thanks everyone having my head in the sand now is so refreshing, can't even remember what I was complaining about. Oh I remember one thing, the topic of this discussion is confusing, shouldn't it read "union or socialist car whats the difference?" After all in the former Soviet Russia, didn't the government pay it's factory workers to make parts that no one was using or buying. Kinda like we are paying ours now. Well I'm gonna call my boss tonight anyway and see if he'll pay me to sleep tonight or read the paper tomorrow. If I'm lucky maybe I'll get to install some light bulbs for big bucks. I'm sure he'll go for it, what do we have to lose, our jobs? The government will save us surely?

 

Well I probably said too much and expect a full virtual tire slashing, maybe even a digital molotov cocktail threw the screen, this topic might join the religious bane. I hope everyone here stays busy and gets what they want, union or not. In this life, there aren't any deserves, if you want it you gotta take it, just don't take my piece of the pie. I don't hate the unions, just the hypocrisy. I have a half of dozen friends in the union, plumber, machinist, sheet metalworker, sprinkler fitters. All you gotta do is admit it's all for the money and you aren't any better than anyone else. Like my friend the plumber who's crap is worth 65 dollars.

He asked me one day "how much is your crap worth?" I was confused and said "prolly nothing, why how much is yours worth?" "65 dollars, whenever I get overtime I take an hour crap on the clock" So if you can get paid for crap all the power to you, get it anyway you can take it.

[Rixirite]

Delete Duplicate thread please.

[Rixirite]

I have a balance where I like Corporations, but not where they trade and manufacture from. Sometimes I cannot blame them, they see cheaper means of labor they move to China without thinking about how immoral it is, some do think it is immoral but to keep the money flowing they have to. Unions are just an extra burden that can cause financial trouble in the long shot.

 

I was thinking of buying a Volkswagen New Beetle until I found out the original beetle was designed by Hitler, now I seem to back away from them. Every car company on the market has a union in them even the Japanese ones do.. I know it is wrong to take politics into consideration from buying a car, but I am trying to come to terms to figure out what the best car to get is with as little political ties as possible. Volkswagen is somewhat socialized, the German government owns 20% of Volkswagen's shares in the market. Volkswagen has a strong and powerful union in Germany and Mexico in the Pablo (sp?) plant in Mexico City. On the Other hand, you have GM along with it's Chevrolet branches which are completely unionized by the big bad UAW. So do I buy an American Car or a German car?

 

I think I would like to support American jobs rather than Germany, cause after all Germany is full of unions just like any other car company and some are bigger than others but in the long run they are all unionized at some degree so there is no such thing as escaping from unions in the car industry. I guess my best bet would be to just get a car in America that is fuel efficient and handles nicely. I am thinking of buying myself a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro for many reasons: It has 29 MPG for a sportscar which is rare in rear wheel drive, it accelerates real fast and has good safety ratings and I just love the look of that car. The Camaro also has a retro style tacometer and speedometer in the diver's seat with a mix of futuristic and modern car styles. To me this car is just the Cat's meow and unions aside it is still a great damn car and I would love to own one of those.

 

Again, I am sorry if I deeply offend people but this is my opinion and if you disagree then that is your problem, not mine because I have strong belief in how I see the world fit just as much as you do. I don't like unions from the reasons stated in this thread and I would like the future of this forum to be a little less political and heated.

[phoneyLogic]

[...] I found out the original beetle was designed by Hitler [...]

Developing: Ferdinand Porsche

Design of the 1st Beetle: Erwin Komenda

 

[... edit ...]

 

I think your decision has been made ...

[Rixirite]

Correction: But Hilter did have something to do with it at the time, here is a excerpt from wikipedia.

 

"In 1933, Adolf Hitler gave the order to Ferdinand Porsche to develop a "Volks-Wagen" . The concept may have been influenced by an earlier design of the same name, created by Josef Ganz, a Jewish engineer who had designed a "Volks-Wagen" in the 1920s.[5] The name means "people's car" in German, in which it is pronounced [ˈfolksvɑːgən]). Hitler required a basic vehicle capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h (62 mph). The "People's Car" would be available to citizens of the Third Reich through a savings scheme at 990 Reichsmark, about the price of a small motorcycle (an average income being around 32RM a week)"