Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point.

Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Anybody but me see the dichotomy between the pro-union statements in other threads, and the pro-Boeing union-busting move to an anti-union state?

Just a sayin'.

No, you are not the only one. I've noticed this as well.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

No, you are not the only one. I've noticed this as well.

And with that I believe I'm going to bow out of any further discussion here. We're not going to change any minds, and we're all starting to talk past one another. When that happens, it's only a matter of time before things start getting personal.

Anyone wanting to continue can PM me and we'll take it off-line.
 
Well, reminds me of a user that railed against healthcare reform a few years ago. Then he got sick and had an unfortunate epiphany.

I don't support Boeings move at all. Their problem is innovation, not labor. A re-engined 737? Please don't.
 
What People Don't Know About the Deficit

Some really interesting info.

In this country if you want to do certain things you have to be licensed or certificated. Flying, driving, medicine, law, etc. I'd be really in favor of adding voting to that mix. A non-partisan federal agency of maybe three people whose job it would be to craft a short 20 question multiple choice test with basic facts (certain percentages of major federal spending, who controls congress, etc). Really basic stuff.

Get 60% right (heck, I'd settle for 50) and you can vote.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

And with that I believe I'm going to bow out of any further discussion here. We're not going to change any minds, and we're all starting to talk past one another. When that happens, it's only a matter of time before things start getting personal.

Anyone wanting to continue can PM me and we'll take it off-line.


I know the feeling, man.

Thanks for keeping it civil.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Unions don't use dues to lobby congress? Unions are the highest political contributors in the country. Corporations are FAR behind them.

Your facts are wrong on both counts. Corporations far eclipse union spending on political contributions. Furthermore, it is illegal for unions to use dues dollars for political contributions, and strict reporting requirements have to be adhered to by all unions. I contribute several hundred dollars a year to ALPA PAC, because ALPA can't use my dues money for political candidates. It's well worth it, as far as I'm concerned.

Why would Boeing have even admitted to this being some form of retalation (am assuming they did say that?)? They could've simply opened the new plant, given ANY other excuse or reason.....real or not......and been just fine. That part is what makes no sense.

In case you've missed it, there is a blatant anti-union campaign going on across this country right now. The right wing has focused on this issue, and Boeing sees an opportunity to join in the mix and get support for the Republicans in congress. In essence, they are blatantly violating the law and they know it, but they firmly believe that they can get away with it, and they're probably right. Just another example of why corporations should not be worshiped by people as they are by the political right.

However, a union is a for-profit organization like any other

Unions are non-profit organizations.

Did I miss a post showing unlawful retaliation? Nothing in the links you posted showed that. I just saw the typical talking points you get from opposed parties in a political dispute.

Moving the plant to SC and claiming that it was as a result of the 2008 strike is unlawful in and of itself. The law prohibits companies (or unions) from taking actions after a work action has concluded that is intended to retaliate. For example, a union could not engage in a slow down after a strike is settled with a new contract in order to punish the company for the strike. By the same token, a company is prohibited from laying off employees, for example, in retaliation for a strike. Boeing's actions are blatantly illegal. It's not even really in dispute. They just think that they can get away with it.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Just another example of why corporations should not be worshiped by people as they are by the political right.

I don't think anyone worships corporations. However, we realize that the corporations are the reason workers have jobs to organize for in the first place. Don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg, know what I mean?

Again, balance.

Unions are non-profit organizations.

I'm aware of what they call themselves. :)
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

I don't think anyone worships corporations. However, we realize that the corporations are the reason workers have jobs to organize for in the first place. Don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg, know what I mean?

Again, balance.

Ahh, perfect opportunity to drag out one of my favorite quotes of all time. :) From the great Captain Rick Dubinsky, former Chairman of the United Master Executive Council:

"We don't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg; we just want to choke it by the neck until it gives us every last egg."

I'm aware of what they call themselves. :)

If we're making a profit, I'd love for you to show me where it is. As a member of the governing body responsible for the Association's finances, I can assure you that it's not as you think it is.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Just for clarification: Not for profit does not mean "For loss"
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Oh hell, I'm in ALPA PAC but that's a different pool of money.

You bet your ass and I'm proud of it too. The Airline Transport Association has lobbyists all over DC whispering in ears, I think having one of those ear whisperers with my best interests at heart is in, well, my best interest.

AOPA, ALPA PAC and the "Brothaz TRYNA Make a Dollah Outta Fi'TEEN Cent" PAC I am proud contributors to.


Can I steal this...
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Ahh, perfect opportunity to drag out one of my favorite quotes of all time. :) From the great Captain Rick Dubinsky, former Chairman of the United Master Executive Council:

"We don't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg; we just want to choke it by the neck until it gives us every last egg."

Ah, Dubinsky. That worked out well for United pilots, didn't it? He's now a Teamster working on our new contract, and frankly, that makes a number of us nervous. Thankfully, I think most of us believe in balance; we're looking forward to a new contract with significant improvements, but we don't believe in bankrupting the company in the process of doing so. We realize that stifling the company's ability to grow and make money will only hurt us in the end.

If we're making a profit, I'd love for you to show me where it is. As a member of the governing body responsible for the Association's finances, I can assure you that it's not as you think it is.

Actually, I'm more than aware that ALPA has been losing money since at least 2008 (the last year I seem to be able to pull up records for). I'll admit, I was actually somewhat fishing for a response to that. :) Profit isn't a bad thing; if ALPA wants to make a profit to ensure it'll exist in the long run, go for it (they sure wanted my money after my furlough!). I notice that many union leaders seem to act as if profit is a bad thing (you should see some of the union communications from our EXCO!), but forget that a profitable company is what will give us the most stable working environment in the long term.

I'll go back to my original point: Balance. Go scorched-earth a la Dubinsky, it'll bite everyone in the long term. Allow management to completely walk all over labor, and the company will soon become a ghost town without a workforce. There needs to be a middle ground that will ensure positive improvements for labor, as well as the opportunity for profit and growth for the company.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Ah, Dubinsky. That worked out well for United pilots, didn't it?

Let's be fair, here; the UAL CBA is not what hurt United. A poorly managed company is what hurt United. If they never even got a new contract, United still would have been deep in the red and in bankruptcy court. The CBA just added a little bit more to the red ink. But when it was signed, UAL was bringing in ridiculous amounts of profit.

He's now a Teamster working on our new contract, and frankly, that makes a number of us nervous.

And it should. As much as I love his quote, he wasn't a great MEC Chairman at all. Despite just being a jerk, he was also the architect of the ESOP at UAL which ended up being completely worthless after the bankruptcy. I would be very cautious of any advice that he provides. The IBT needs to get real professional negotiators instead of people like Dubinsky.

Actually, I'm more than aware that ALPA has been losing money since at least 2008 (the last year I seem to be able to pull up records for). I'll admit, I was actually somewhat fishing for a response to that. :)

Actually, we aren't anymore. It's leveled off, and there will be a surplus going forward (non-profits don't have profits or losses, they have deficits or surpluses).

I notice that many union leaders seem to act as if profit is a bad thing (you should see some of the union communications from our EXCO!), but forget that a profitable company is what will give us the most stable working environment in the long term.

I'll go back to my original point: Balance. Go scorched-earth a la Dubinsky, it'll bite everyone in the long term. Allow management to completely walk all over labor, and the company will soon become a ghost town without a workforce. There needs to be a middle ground that will ensure positive improvements for labor, as well as the opportunity for profit and growth for the company.

I agree with all of that, but so do all semi-intelligent union leaders. The radicals are the ones who disagree, and it's important to keep them out of office, if at all possible. There certainly has to be a balance.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

I don't know where you're getting your "facts," O&M, but you might want to check our sources for reliability. For instance, "Tax Freedom Day," the day on which the average American has finished paying all federal, state, and local taxes combined, will this year fall on April 12, up three days from last year's April 9 date. That means the total average bill for taxes from all entities is only 28.0%, a far cry from the 25% you cite for federal taxes alone. And even that amount is the third lowest since the 1950s. And once again, those numbers reflect the average for all taxpayers, which includes everyone from the wealthy to the destitute. If you single out just middle class taxpayers, that figure drops substantially below that 28% figure, and even well below your contention that the middle class pays a 25% of their income in federal taxes alone.

And do you even know what "Obamacare" is? First of all, what you call "Obamacare" was initially proposed by George H. W. Bush back in the 1980s, and again by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in the mid 1990s. It is a requirement for people to obtain health insurance rather than rely upon the local, tax-supported county hospital for "free" healthcare at the emergency room on my local tax dime. Forcing people to be responsible for their own healthcare costs is somehow "handcuffing employers" and "killing jobs"? Sorry, but if it reduces my tax burden at the local level with minimal impact at the federal level, then I'm certainly not seeing it. If it did all that, the Republicans would not have kept proposing it before Barack Obama came into the picture. Indeed, a current Republican front-runner for his party's nomination not only proposed the same plan for his state, he got it enacted into law. Finally, financial costs to the federal government for "Obamacare" range from $80 billion in the worst case scenario to actually saving money (especially on the Medicaid front) in the best case.

Contrast that with the George W. Bush Medicare Prescription Bill, which was financed totally with borrowed money (up to a trillion dollars over twenty years by some estimates), and is a good part of the reason we're under the staggering national debt load we have today.

If you don't like "Obamacare," you should go after those who first proposed it and call it something else, such as perhaps "Bushcare" or "Newtcare" or even "Mittcare."

You also might want to take a quick look at this following links:

What People Don't Know About the Deficit

University of Maryland Study: Fox News Viewers Are the Most Misinformed

In 2009, the average salary for an American worker was 41K+. That falls squarely in to the 25% bracket. Now granted, there are deductions and exemptions, and whatnot, and I concede that your 28% figure is probably closer to the mark, but that is still way too much. Almost 1/3rd of a worker's income going to the government as some form of tax? It's no wonder things are getting tougher and tougher for the middle class. And the thing that just stuns me is that you are apparently ok it. If your employer reduced your pay 28% you'd raise holy hell. You're government takes 28% of it, and your fine with it? WTF?
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

America has some of the lowest tax rates in the world, and our current rates are the lowest in our own country's history. Stop your whining.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

America has some of the lowest tax rates in the world, and our current rates are the lowest in our own country's history. Stop your whining.

Unbelievable. 1/4th to 1/3rd of your income going to a government that has time and again shown itself incapable of acting responsibly with it, hence the 14 trillion dollar debt, and you're just fine with that.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

Unbelievable. 1/4th to 1/3rd of your income going to a government that has time and again shown itself incapable of acting responsibly with it, hence the 14 trillion dollar debt, and you're just fine with that.

Don't worry, it'll be much higher shortly. :)

That, or China will own us completely.
 
Re: Boeing opens S.C plant . flips NLRB an exclamation point

America has some of the lowest tax rates in the world, and our current rates are the lowest in our own country's history. Stop your whining.

Is that really a standard we want to shoot for? Being on par with the rest of the world?

Also, though personal income tax is relatively low, how does America stack up again the rest of the industrialized world in corporate taxes? My understanding is its pretty high. As a result, cost of goods is higher and therefore, pass through tax increase.

As for Boeing moving. I think it would behoove the union folks to remember that one man's unfair labor practices are another man's opportunity of a lifetime, which is why there is such intense pressure for companies to move offshore.
 
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