Pro union/Anti Union ?

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> I was just trying to point out that she can probably not expect any help from the union </font>

<font color="black"> Based on their performance so far, I don't think my wife expects anything from the union in the way of any help for any reason. Then again, I doubt she would want any help from them.

Oh, and more importantly, she likes DOUBLE ONIONS on her burgers. And roasted garlic too! </font>

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="red"> Oh, and more importantly, she likes DOUBLE ONIONS on her burgers. And roasted garlic too! </font> )</font>

Your wife has to have good taste....... otherwise, she wouldn't have picked you!!!!!!! ........ /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I guess since we've ventured from the what to the why I should explain why I'm so pro union and actually a militant onion supporter.

I'm pro union because of the terrible condition of American management pure and simple. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

There wouldn't be a labor problem if management could do what they're paid to do. They can't. But they can sure point fingers at everything but a mirror explaining their incompetence. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I just had a bowl or three of roasted Hatch peppers flavoring a pork hash. It's a gringo version of chile verde with a kick. Part of the wonderful flavor comes from sauteed onions and garlic that accompanied the pork in it's journey from raw meat to something sweet.

Red onions were designed by a higher power to be short and squatty bodied for a reason. It just took that higher power a long time to learn mankind the reason. It must have been management that was the hitch in the get up keeping us from finding hamburgers. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

A hamburger isn't a real hamburger without a quarter inch thick slice of red onion to keep bread in it's place.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> I'm pro union because of the terrible condition of American management pure and simple.

There wouldn't be a labor problem if management could do what they're paid to do. They can't. But they can sure point fingers at everything but a mirror explaining their incompetence.
</font>

I'm president of a company that voted its own union out a decade or so ago. A couple years ago, I changed the benefits package of the company and gave 50% ownership of the company to the employees. Oh, and by the way, the value of the stock has increased every year. Where is that mirror you were talking about?

 

[daedong]

Bob,

I hope harv doesn't mind, but i think he is talking about the rule not the exception.

 

[daedong]

Bob,
<font color="blue"> I'm president of a company that voted its own union out a decade or so ago. A couple years ago, I changed the benefits package of the company and gave 50% ownership of the company to the employees. </font>
Please take this at face value, what was the motivation

 

[Bob_Skurka]

First, I don't think I, or my managment team is the exception. In fact, I think most American companies are responsible to their employees and their ownership. I regularly meet with other company presidents, we are all in the same industry (distribution) and none of the companies in the group I am involved with are union shops. 3 are either fully or partly employee owned. I do know of some in this industry that are union, but the vast majority are not. So that would make non-union the rule. I suppose it would also make responsible management the rule, not the exception.

As for the motivation to go to employee owernship, in the case of our company, the choice to go to part employee ownership was to create a situation where it would be difficult to be swollowed up in a hositile take over bid.

And if you are curious about the size of the company's that I meet with, the smallest is about $20,000,000.00 and the largest is about 500,000,000.00. Ours is comfortably in the middle of that range. So when I write this stuff, I am talking about companies with lots of employees, resources, etc. None of these are little businesses with a small labor force.

Again, I do not believe I, my management team, or our company, is the exception to anything, I think we are pretty darn mainstream, pretty normal, and I believe that people who wax eloquent about the mismanaged affairs of business are simply painting a broad stroke without knowing many of the specifics of the businesses they are even referring to.

And my hamburger tonight had a mixture of roasted onion and roasted red peppers.

 

[daedong]

Bob,

In Australia this situation of employees having some level of ownership is not wide spread at all i can only think of maybe 2 or 3 large business where this happens. You seem to be talking about a particular section of enterprise (distribution). Is this employee ownership wide spread through other sectors in the US, and if so what a great thing your country has.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

It is not widespread in any segement of any industry, not even mine. It just happens, by total coincidence, that I am involved with a group of company presidents that meet together and 3 of the firms in the group (out of 10 companies) happen to be all/part employee owned. That is an extremely high %. On average, it is probably under 2% in any industry.

But that is not why we are non-union.

It also does not explain why we have been growing our stock value since long before we became an employee owned company.

 

[daedong]

Bob,
<font color="blue"> I do know of some in this industry that are union, but the vast majority are not. So that would make non-union the rule. I suppose it would also make responsible management the rule, not the exception.
</font>
<font color="blue">It is not widespread in any segement of any industry, not even mine. It just happens, by total coincidence, that I am involved with a group of company presidents that meet together and 3 of the firms in the group (out of 10 companies) happen to be all/part employee owned. That is an extremely high %. On average, it is probably under 2% in any industry.
</font> Bob you are losing me a little. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif