Jobs moving to Mexico. Is jobs leaving your town?

[Bird]

Dan, of course we have the same thing, and I suppose everyone else does, too. The doctors, hospitals, labs, and clinics send an exorbitant bill to the insurance company, the insurance company cuts it in half, pays their part, and we pay the rest of what the insurance company says was "allowable". Now if you don't have insurance, they want you to pay the entire original exorbitant amount. The only justification I've heard for it is that many of those without insurance don't pay their bill, so they have to collect a lot more from those who do pay to make up for it. One way to look at that is that it isn't fair for them to charge you more if I don't pay. The other way to look at it is that retail stores have to raise their prices to cover the cost of the stuff shoplifters take without paying, so the medical professon is doing the same thing. Of course I guess the medical professon has more non-payers so they have to hit those who do pay much harder than Walmart does. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Sigarms]

Yeah the stories and learning about a union. It was funny when there was a "snow day" or some one called in sick (at this union place where I temped). I swear, the guy who had to call "replacement" workers to come in to replace those who could not make it in to work had an all day task of going down a list, calling each person, asking if they could come in and write down the respose he was given over the phone. All to protech himself becuase if someone wasn't called (either due to seniority or earliest hire date) could then file a complaint because they were not called to come in. The time wasted was mind blowing.

Funny thing is that at the time when I worked at this place and saw how much these guys made, I thought wow, this could be the ticket to making good money. I've learned along time ago I'm not an 8-5 worker, I don't need to be supervised, I actually have common sense and I can get things done/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seems like unions can smother independent, progressive thinkers in the workplace.

Have a cousin in law who works for a big plant down here in N.C. They are transfering jobs overseas, cutting the workplace almost to nothing. This cousin gets all the "crap shifts", cut in pay, you name it, they are doing it to him. Amazingly, he will not look for work anywehere else. He even went to another state to train workers in his job!

When I first met this cousin, I offered him a job working for my company. Had everything set up for him because I knew he was a good worker and dependable from his 20 years or so with his current company. He's "afraid" of leaving. He blew me off and my supervisor one time, made me look like an idiot, so I will never offer him help again. Like watching a guy drowning and trying to throw him a rope. No matter what you do, he won't grab it. He knows he will be gone in a short time, had his pay cut, getting all the crap shifts (rotating at that) and still he stays.

Some people are just afriad to take any type of risk and have no faith in themselves or abilities.

 

[CRJCaptain]

<font color="blue"> You can knock down the unions in this thread but what about the revolting slaries and bonuses of CEO's and Board members of publicly owned companies? Airline companies who go bankrupt but still pay the CEO who lead them into bankruptcy Millions and Millions of Dollars in bonuses. When union members see the unfathonable salareis that top management and the LAWYERS earn it is no wonder they don't feel guilty for wanting their own pickets lined.</font>


Absolutely, Rox...here's a link to a great article written by Ben Stein about this very topic of airline corporate idiocy:


When You Fly in First Class, It's Easy to Forget the Dots

Regards,

Dean

(Currently a union member at yet another bankrupt airline)

 

[Sigarms]

Rox, I happen to agree with you on the salaries of CEO's and board members of particular companies. Greed does not descriminate.

I do disagree with your comment about people "knocking" the unions per this thread though. Most comments that were made from personal experiences from people here who had worked in a union enviroment and were relating past experiences in that enviroment. Keep in mind, greed does not descriminate, and although you pointed out the fact about CEO's and board members, union leadership can also lead to greed as well (only my opinion).

I honestly do think that unions were "started" with good intentions, to protect the "common worker" and to make sure that the work enviroment was safe and to actually get workers decent salaries. Over time, I happen to think that the "ideals" of the union were lost however due to greed and "power trips" though.

Granted, I never had the gonads to start my own business (my hats off to all those who have taken that "leap", as well to you Rox for your olive oil business), but both my wife and myself work for two privately (family) owned businesses who reward thier own employess based on thier work performance, and we both (wife and I) know that we work for great companies. We also do things that are not asked of us, nor do we expect compensation, but realize that we "get back what we put into" the business so to speak.

My wife's company a couple of years ago had bought out another company which was union. Long story short, the "new" company that was formed with this aqusition (sp?) by law had to vote on weather (sp?) or not the service personal were going to form another union in this new company. Per my wife's account, it was a leap of faith by her company (and a good business decision) to buy this company, but it had always been family owned and some people where wondering what would happen if a union shop would of been formed. Bottom line is that the "old union employees" who "were taken in" voted no to the union, and there was also some "heavy pressure" exerted by the union officials to vote yes. To me, that tells you what type of organization (business) it is and what it does have to offer to it's emploees.

I could be wrong and misguided, but if you do a good job, you should be rewarded. I also realize that this is also not always the case.

On that note, it does seem that some Americans have become "lazy" so to speak on a "work ethic". My neighbor who I consider a friend (for the short time that I've lived here) recently lost his job. He asked me if there was any work he could do for me. At first I said no becuase most of everything I have to do around my place is pure labor and I tend to do it myself (I take more time than I'd like to admit though). Well, I have have 6 trees that came down on my property (next to his property as well) which is an eyesore (sp?). Per another thread here, my aunt died, and I'm going to be spending some weekends up in Pennsylvania to take care of her "estate". I told my neighbor to look at the trees and give me a price he would charge me to remove them (trees). Keep in mind, I really don't care if he does the work or not, just thought he could use the extra money. Well, I asked him some time ago and he still has not given me a price. Now, if it were me and I had no job and needed money to the extent that I were asking neighbors to see if they needed any work done, if they were to ask me for a "quote" on doing something, I would have it to them that same day and get the work done, and do the best job I could. My rationalization (sp?) is that if I do a good, quick job, that will lead to other work that might be available.

I may be putting my foot in my mouth, but in my entire life (41 years) I have never have been unemployed when I didn't want to work (when I was younger I did make sure I did some dumb things /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). Work is out there, you just have to want to do it.

On that note, not to get into social issues, it seems at times that per our goverment it pays some people not to work at which I still scratch my head at times.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> ( What will all the 300 million people in the U.S. do for a job when all the companys leave to Mexico. ) </font>

I wonder how long it will take for my pizza to get delivered?

 

[osprey]

I work in a non union plant,I have never worked for a union,but I know it is the threat of a union that has kept me in good wages/benefits down through the years. We have contracted union workers that are laborers/electricians/pipefitters/millwrights/boilermakers/carpenters and these guys are the best at what they do and are very productive.They could not drag there feet or the company would boot them out of the plant.These guys come to our plant from the local union hall and some of them have been in our plant for years. My wages benefits overall as a non union operator are better than what these union members crafts people have .Now some of them might make a couple of $ more on the hour than I but I have a better benefit package and generally I do not have to work as hard as they do.
These union guys and gals are very skilled at there work and are truly professionals at what they do,they have to go to school for there craft and then they work as an apprentice with seasoned crafts and the work I see these people do they are worth every dime they are paid,more so then a lot of our employees.

<font color="blue"> who reward thier own employess based on thier work performance </font>

Now I could say some things about this,this can be good for some places,but when you work in a place that has over 500 employees things like this can become political and biased. A guy might be quiet and not be recognized or noticed as much as the other guy,he may be a hard worker and does not play golf with the boss and gets overlooked,where as you might have someone who runs around with the boss and plays golf with the boss etc and who's work ethic is not worth a crap but gets the rewards.

Favortism is discrimination.

Management and CEO's wages and bonuses...well I better not go there.

 

[EddieWalker]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I was a shop steward for awhile. 8 years to be exact. There's allot that the union does for employees that I support and appreciate, but it seems that there's always the same group of people that think they are so much smarter than everyone else, and they do things that get thime into trouble all the time. I spent 90 percent of my time baby sitting 10 percent of the barn.

As for work slowdowns and setting a pace, the leadership in every barn has allot to do with that, both managment and the barganing unit. We were there for the customers and servicing them. But other barns seemed to have a different mentality that never made any sense to me, nor could I aprove of some of their stunts. It was more of a power trip than anything else.

But back to government.

When I was in the Marines, I was stationed overseas with at two different embassies attached to the State Department. Every year we had a budget of what we could spend. For eleven months we were very careful to only order supplies that we needed in order to not go over budget. The Marine Corps took this very seriously. I was the Supply NCO, so it was my job to make sure this is what happened.

The last month of the fiscal year we'd get notified of what we had left in the budget. Most of the time we didn't use half of what he were allowed for the entire year.

That month was a spending spree. We now had to spend every dime remaining!!! The fear was that if it wasn't spent, we wouldn't get the same amount, or more, the next year. I'd buy all sorts of junk we didn't need or have any use for. Sporting goods, weights, furniture etc. . .

I don't know this for a fact, but from observing other government agencies, especially roads and highway departments, it sure seems like they all do the same thing. Spend everything you have in your budget so you'll get more the next year.

I've always thought that if you could offer a reward to managers based on a percentage of what you saved, than you would get so much of that as a bonus. If you saved the government, or even a company $100,000 for the year, than you get ten grand.


Eddie

 

[Michigan_Mike]

I live in Southeast Michigan.
Need I say more? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Sigarms]

I'll agree with you to an extent. My company has well over 1000 employees. Started of 15 years ago as a temp (the next job after the union per my post on this thread as a matter of fact).

One man owns the whole company, what he says, goes.

I got a job for my friend up in your neck of the woods (W.V). My buddy had a college education, had a hard work ethic, and I knew he would make a good employee. He started with us a little over three years ago, and right now, makes more than my cousin in law who I mentioned in this post at the "factory" he still is at. My point is that without a hard work ethic, you most likely will go nowhere.

Per you post, there are many skilled union workers. They take great pride in thier work, and for the most part, if they ever left the union, I have no doubt that they would succeed (sp?) in anything they attempted. Again, back to the work ethic and "pride" in the work you do.

Simple things I've seen on who makes a good employee.

1.Shows up to work on time
2.Not drunk
3.Does what you tell them to do
4.Finds something productive to do when theres nothing to do
5.Learns from mistakes
6.Can "think" for themselves, finding solutions to problems/issues that they face in the workplace
7.Gets along with other employees and can "relate" to other people.

I realize the above list is VERY basic, but if your looking for anyone to "work", I've found it surprisingly (sp?) hard to find people with those qualities "off the street".

By the way gatorboy, I'm "white", born in the U.S.A and for a time, I delivered pizzas to make money.

Eddie, the goverment does pay, but it takes a LONG time to collect. School (state) systems are another example. They always like to pay TOP dollar on anything they need, no questions asked.

Curious question for the guys in Texas though. When you drive on the highway and see a "road crew", do you ever see four guys standing around watching one guy digging the ditch like you see up in Pa.? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif (AKA Penn Dot).

I could tell some N.C residents about thier tax dollars "hard at work" (AKA wasted) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[osprey]

<font color="blue"> My point is that without a hard work ethic, you most likely will go nowhere. </font>

I agree.

I am as high up the food chain as I want to go,I make the top pay as an operator( hourly). I have or never had any desire to go into management,because you have to play the game,I do not want to go to all of the meetings committees.I like my work schedule I could never get anything done at home if I worked straight days....not everyone who gets into management is worth there salt nor do they get into management buy a hard work ethic though some of them do,its just like a supervisor getting his son or daughter a job not all of them get a job because they are a good worker it is because someone had some " pull". But there is some good people that gets to the top by hard work ethic
I know of 2 operators that broke $100,000 last year,but they lived in the place.I never even come close to that,but that is the exception not the rule. I like my job and I try to take care of it. But I hope there are some good jobs left for my children and yours and everyone else's children here on this forum .