My father was a labor relations manager for Cummins--he passed on some ten years ago. Back in early 90's, after he was transferred to run a plant in the South, he was called back to our hometown for a big negotiation for a subsidiary located there. As I understand the story, the company wanted two concessions. First, they wanted labor to be on the same health plan that management was on. Second, they wanted the annual summer shutdown to be cut from two weeks to one week. The company had apparently made a lot of concessions already, but warned that this particular subsidiary was the least effective of several making the same product line and the company was willing to close the plant and move the work to a similar subsidiary. The union leaders decide to not even take the deal to the workers. Company says, "Right. We're closing down on (some date). Too bad we couldn't agree." Leadership scurries back to quickly run a vote, but the company sticks by the decision. Around 600 people lose their jobs, the small town virtually dies.

All because the union felt that their health care plan had to be better than management, and that even though technology advances meant 2 weeks were no longer required to retool, they still needed the *extra* week paid off.

I heard a lot of stories like this as a teenager. At the time I didn't understand the ramifications. I remember having rocks thrown at our house, but didn't know why. It all became clear as a college student when I saw my Dad put on a bullet-proof vest when he left the house because of the threats that had been made against his life.

Speaking of unions, I've noticed that the union of government employees (or whatever they are calling themselves) is running ads (or something)on tv. I haven't seen them on satillite, but I have on the network channels on Sunday mornings for the last 3 weeks or so.

What I havne't figured out is.... why?

The greatest thing I ever did was leave my union job. Unions are the biggest lie in this country. Workers who were violent and made threats against other employees were protected. Pressure was placed on other employees to lie and cover up the laziness and impompetence of fellow union "brothers and sisters". This environment created some of the most bitter people I have ever seen. I thought "this is me in 30 years" and I went back to college and left the union behind.

Unions are very antiquated now. Even members of once "powerful" unions like IMA stand on strike and watch the scabs jump over the line. In a global manufacturing community, you think that American workers would be a little more weary about their definition of "fair." You think that it is unfair that you only make $20/hour, imagine what happens when your employer moves your job to Mexico for 30 pesos an hour.

There was a time when unions helped. Many of my ancestors were steel workers and coal miners in western PA. Wanting to work 5 days and 8 hours is reasonable. Wanting a fan in a roughing room is reasonable. What is unreasonable? How about free dependent care? Only congressmen and senators get that. Yeah, I compared you auto workers to congressmen and senators. Keep up the unreasonable demands and you will soon be on the unemployment line where there is no health care. Then maybe you can go to a non-union auto manufacturer (like Toyota) and get a job there. I hope they turn you down from your past affiliations.

I'm a firm believer: "You can educate beyond ignorance; but you cannot fix stupid."

I work for a small company. We provide a repair service to industry. There are 11 employees. If the EFC Act passes under the soon-to-be administration, there will be pressure on my company to join a union. If our company tries to unionize, the president WILL close the doors to his business and I WILL be out of a job. I don't blame him a bit, I'd do the same if I were in that position. Will the unions care if I lose my job then? I seriously doubt it. At least all of our employees are smart enough to know better than to unionize. Of course who knows what would happen if pressure and intimidation are applied from some union henchmen?

A few years ago at the local government school, one of the kids grandfathers decided to make and donate a huge corked bulletin board to be mounted in the main lobby of the school. You know, a place for classes to display student art and projects.

Well, enter the union representing the school district's carpenters. Since the board wasn't made and mounted by their members, it had to be removed. That was a number of years ago and there still isn't a bulletin board there.

Unions at best are a general tax on society but government unions are directly responsible for larger, more expensive governments and in turn higher taxes.

Nowadays, about all unions seem dedicated to is protecting the jobs of the lazy and incompetent. They have long since outlived their usefulness. They are indeed parasites that are sucking the ecomony dry.

Looks like the Unions are the destructive invasive species. They will die out only when the host is dead.

Same as the useless union where I work(not a member either). Here is how they work it:
1. You need the union to protect you against these guys taking your work away.
2. When you lose your job because they cannot afford to pay the union wages for the project, you need the union to protect your job from getting cut.
Only if the union can get the credit for something is it any good. No limelight or pess conferences for the union, it's just not a good idea.

This reminds me of the stories we hear out of hollywood about how they have to have union guys move power cables and can shut down a shoot for hours depending on how quickly they do the job. Notice that more movies are being filmed overseas or in states where these union rules don't apply.

Grew up in Bethlehem PA and saw what the unions did to steel. Some things never change

You think unions have destroyed the auto industry, just wait to see what they are going to do to your government. Be afraid! They are bankrupting California.

Why would you spend money to plant trees that have previously been "waylaid by the invasive species that's been plaguing Michigan since 2002"?
Have the invasive species been removed?

I work in a union shop in the aircraft industry and see this "protected" job mentality at work every day. For example, I am doing work that should be done by a salaried professional. However, because a small fraction of my job involves using power tools I am forced to be part of the bargaining unit and subject to union rules. All because a "salaried" man can't run power tools according to our union's contract.
http://iamtheeviltwin.spaces.live.com

It would take an atomic bomb to clean up Detroit.

The auto-workers union has already killed Detroit. The teachers unions have destroyed the public education system. Now this union wants to prevent someone from volunteering their time? When will he sever ties from ALL UNIONS. They do not serve the purpose for which they were created decades ago. Shut down any unionized company, relocate to a right to work state, and resume operations under a new name.

Simply stated, only users work union jobs. Those that cannot make it in the real world on their own. Losers.

Labor unions are like a parasite that never considers the well-being of its host. Usually, it is just a little harder to see how destructive their demands are. The US auto industry may not survive, and much of the problem can be traced back to the unions and the obscene labor costs.

stinks, step back in time.

Another good union story for you...My father-in-law has worked at a Ford truck plant in Detroit for about six years. He's laid off about half the year due to no work and when he actually does go to work all we hear about is how they have the system figured out and know how to do the least amount of work possible. We also hear about the ridiculous TRIPLE overtime these guys are offered to work off-shift. He makes about 75k/yr doing a job that should really only pay about 40k. To make things worse, Ford recently offered a buyout package of $100,000.00 to him and several others. Now keep in mind, they're laid off about half the year already with production being cut and talk of plant closures. Well, he and several other union drones decided that this wasn't good enough; they are holding out for MORE because they feel Ford will come back with a higher offer, because hey, they deserve it! Funny thing happened though, about a week after they all turned down the buyout, Ford announced huge losses, job cuts and the fact that they won't be offering any more buyouts. Way to go geniuses!

Do these people have no shame at all? This group is taking time out of their busy schedules to plant trees out of the goodness of their heart (for free, I might add), and this union group's greed is trying to prevent people from doing a good deed? What is this world coming to, seriously?

It's going to take a whole lot more than volunteers and $200k to clean up Detroit.

Back in the 30s and 40s you saw a literal migration of southerners to the factories in Michigan and Ohio. They joined unions that eventually destroyed their jobs. Look around the south and see how many of them have come back. They can't wait to do here what hey did up north.