[DeTomaso] NPC Fw: Now, how many of you have import marque cars sitting in yourgarages?(was: How can this happen in America)

Tue May 26 18:07:58 EDT 2009

If $145,000 is middle class someone needs to move to a state that has an
open work shop and low taxes.

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of Jim Hendrickson
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 3:44 PM
To: 'Ken Green'; 'Will Demelo'; detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPC Fw: Now,how many of you have import marque cars
sitting in yourgarages?(was: How can this happen in America)

The UAW does not resist modern technology. They try to keep jobs in house.
Electronics replaced relays in machine controls. That is why electricians
work on computer controlled machines. There are hundreds of "Electronic
Technicians" standing at the doors willing to take the computer control part
of our jobs for half the wages, but they don't want to get their fingers
dirty on the rest of the work.

$150K sounds like a lot of 70 - 84 hour weeks to me. Ford limited us to 84
hours max. John Deere did not have any limits on hours. At one time, during
a discussion of overtime, I heard that our benefits package equaled our 40
hour wages. That was why it was cheaper for the company to work the people
that they had overtime rather than hire more people. True? I don't know for
sure but it sounds reasonable. I've worked a lot of those 84 hour weeks and
the top gross that I have had was almost $85,000. That plus $60K in benefits
would put me at $145,000. Production workers at Ford Atlanta Assembly would
never make that because they only had about a 60hour workweek.

One thing that bugs me about this whole discussion is that management draws
multiple millions in bonuses - even when the company is losing money. They
are rewarded with increased stock prices when they lay off people or ship
jobs out of the country. Politicians piss away Billions on top of what they
can steal, and in the end the UAW is the "bad guy". Why would you resent an
actual worker having a middle class income?

Jim

  _____  

From: Ken Green [mailto:kenn_green at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 12:21 PM
To: 'Will Demelo'; detomaso at realbig.com; Jim Hendrickson
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] NPC Fw: Now, how many of you have import marque cars
sitting in your garages?(was: How can this happen in America)

Jim,

    I sure won't defend management at large US corporations, and they share
a lot of the blame, but what bothers me about the UAW is that they have
fought against modernizing and made US automakers uncompetitive.  I've heard
that the average costs are $150K/yr for UAW members, but I don't think that
meant they made $75/hr, and they may have been making $30/hr, but when you
factor in the excellent benefits, and the hours they don't work and are
still paid, you can get to $75 an hour.  

    I also wish I could get electrical work done in California for $30/hr
(or even $50/hr), and it certainly is not over compensation.  There is a one
day job I'd like to get done and I've been quoted over $1,000.

Ken

--- On Mon, 5/25/09, Jim Hendrickson <chendric at bellsouth.net> wrote:

From: Jim Hendrickson <chendric at bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Fw: Now, how many of you have import marque cars
sitting in your garages?(was: How can this happen in America)
To: "'Will Demelo'" <wdemelo at cogeco.ca>, detomaso at realbig.com
Date: Monday, May 25, 2009, 11:30 PM

Why do you people insist on spreading the lies? Try to get the real facts
instead of malicious lies. I have worked in factories as a maintenance
Electrician for 35 years - the last 16 in the Ford Atlanta Assembly Plant. I
made $30/hr as a skilled tradesman. $30+/hr for unskilled labor???
BULLSHIT!! I do not consider electricians unskilled labor.  

You don't seem to object to paying $60/hr to your local Toyota stealership
to get your Japanese car fixed. Why should I repair computer controlled
machinery for McDonalds wages?

You don't think poor management and exorbitant executive bonuses have
anything to do with the financial problems?

I heard this same crap when FRANK LORENZO RAPED EASTERN AIRLINES. Somehow he
convinced the news weasels and political pundits that the IAM destroyed
Eastern. The IAM  and ALPA gave Lorenzo concessions in contract negotiations
and FRANK LORENZO stole the airlines assets. He destyroyed both Texas Air
and Eastern by transferring assets to Continental. Yeah, the union did it.

Jim #04091

<<<But in simple terms, he can retire at an early age because he picked a 
career in a Unionized industry
>where the labor force still has some power>>>>
And where is that unionized industry now?? $30+/hr for unskilled labor  had 
to come to end sooner or later.....
Will ( believes in honest pay)

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