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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
I am concerned what will happen when those who believed what was promised to be elected and even beleived past that realize it is not true. The prospect of their rioting concerns me.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
I realize I'm the odd-man-out here, but unions DID have a place in the recent employment climate. The reason is simple: historically the corporate culture in this region of Detroit, Management including Owners and even indirectly Shareholders unfairly place all the profit earning capacity on the workers. It's an adversarial relationship. It's every man for himself. (Granted unions have gotten out of control, but I'm reflectng on the unions when they in their infantcy and what precipatated them.) That said, if Detroit had treated workers with due respect there would not be a need for unions--period.
In my early 20's I worked in privately-held manufacturing shop as a so-called design engineer--only to be shoved into doing everything BUT at the owner's whim. Why? Several reasons: he got my as-needed design services and more because the 1980's recession was on and jobs were hard to find, just like now. So he took advantage of it, and boasted how he could manipulate workers. Or so he thought. And since I was classified as an engineer, that drastically lowered his workmens comp premiums. (Incidentally I got severely injured on the job lifting metal stamping dies--I didn't have a case because no one believed I got hurt like that as designer) I fought back and I petitioned a union with about 30 or so others. The owner having been a student of Henry Ford who treated his employees with distain---realized the he better change his ways, and did. I ended up voting the union down. The change didn't last I they forced me back into the shop and I got fired. But this is culture here in this region.
That adversarial relationship or culture doesn't stop or end on the shop floor. It carries into the region where the employees, Ford's in particular, treat others outside of work (contractors like myself) with disdain too. ("Sh--t flows down" is the theory) Chrysler employees not so much. I finally had it with one Ford employee who was dictating to me when I could take a break, when to show up and what I was to charge him for the work. I flat out told him that he isn't at "the plant" and that he will not treat me like he's treated. He thought about it, and aplogized.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
On a level playing field companies and employees would need to cooperate to prosper. Government first failed in their roll to maintain the level playfield which gave too much power to management. The fact that an adversarial relationship exists should cause failure. Propping up any endeavor that should rightly fail will also fail. Both management and unions are at fault, and both should suffer the consequences. As should government, but that seems a little unlikely unless the voters wise up (if there is even a right to vote in four years).
My problem with unions is collectivism. Individuals should not be required to turn over their individual rights to the collective in order to make a living.
BTW, the term "workers" is right out of the communist manifesto. The term "employee" seems to properly describe what the relationship should be, an individual agreeing to represent and perform functions on behalf of an employer.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a union member most of my life and in my last job sat on the union Executive Board, negotiated labor and retiree health contracts, staffed arbitrations and held the office of Vice-President.
That said, some of the political manipulations I had to participate in left a bad taste in my mouth. I was a very strange duck those circles being a Conservative Republican.
Having been on the "inside" I can tell you that in my view the UAW has run a bit amok in its latter years because of the national political clout it carries due to hefty contributions to unsavory politicians. Management abrogated their right to effectively manage the company and let the inmates run the asylum.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
I was very fortunate, I learned management in two places, each had very different ideas of how to 'Direct & Delegate'.
The first was our family farm, for many generations now a large enough enterprise that it needed many 'hired hands', the treatment of them was always the same, they were not family, but may as well have been. When times were good they shared in that, when times were bad they shared in that too, usually voluntarily.
The second was courtesy of Uncle Sam. 'Direct & Delegate' meant orders, but it came with absolute responsibility for same. 'Nuff said.
When I started building my own business both of those styles came into it.
My employees have always shared in the business' bottom line, good or bad. A few years back after some medical problems they (as a group) were offered 49% ownership, they took me up on it and purchased the shares with my assistance.
I'm proud to say they have built the business even further.
I'm firm believer in do unto others.......
Best of luck.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
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Murf will they let me bring my safe? Several large cal handguns several Bolt rifles many shotguns and several AR's plus 1500+ lbs of ammo, bullets, primers, powder. I'll leave tools tractor and rest of stuff here. I'm only moving with the important stuff. Maybe I'll squeeze in my reloading stuff also.
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Harvey, I take it that is just what you keep in your bug out bag?  !
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
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If the objective intent is to fix the problem, and "firing" the CEO was a legitimate repair, then firing the unions should also have been a legitimate repair since they clearly are a big part of the problem.Mark is right, unions are off-limits.Communist-Americans are running the country now, and soon the poor, middle and upper classes will be reduced to two - the government class and the proles.BTW, what's the difference between Socialism and Communism? Two months.
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Ken, you are close. These are NOT Socialists or Communists.....they are Fascists.
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GM CEO Rick Wagoner Resigns -- US Govt Presses On
Harvey, this is Cannuckistan, you won't need any of those things.
Ok, well maybe a few shotguns and a rifle or two, this place is loaded with deer, turkey and birds of all description. 
Best of luck.
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