Mitch Daniels takes on LABOR

[walkeraviator]

If you don't like and don't want to work in unionized labor,thats your choice. We union members happen to like good pay and benefits.....

But again are they "fair" pay and benefits? I agree that assembly line work is mind numbing and worthy of a fair wage. However, it takes no real qualifications to get the job initially. Yes it requires a lot of training from the company, but anyone who breaths and has a GED can get a job screwing a car together on an assembly line at Ford and make $50k/yr plus benefits. Yet, a guy who has a 4 year college degree, $50k in dept to training, and has the lives of numerous people in his hands every time he takes off makes less than unemplyment pays? Both of these pay scales are the result of unions. The UAW forces american car companies to pay out more than their labor is actually worth in health care, pensions, and legal fees every time teh UAW feels they need to arbitrate. ALPA on the otherhand sits on their hands, allows the airline companies to abuse low time pilots, while the upper end guys line their pockets with payoffs from the airlines.

Dont get me wrong there are good unions. My dad worked 35 years for the IUE as a maintenace electrician at the GE plant in Louisville. They did things to protect the union members and their pensions without destroying the company's ability to make a profit. For instance, the big concern with the UAW during the recent bailouts and stuff was paying pensions. The companies were bankrupt leaving them with no way to pay pensions of their employees. The IUE and GE have an agreement that a small percentage of every sale of GE merchandise goes into a seperate account for paying pensions that cannot be touched for any other purpose but pensions. To this date there are billions of untouchable dollars to pay those pensions whether the company goes under or not.

So again I am not saying ALL unions are bad, but the ones that ARE bad like the UAW are bad enough to destroy teh country all on their own.

And lastly, I am presently a Union member with the PHPA local 109, and let me tell you... the corruption at the top of our union is appauling, and it feels as though there is nothing we can do about it.

[DJD]

Teachers have leave days man.....didn't have to lie!

I don't think you know anymore info than I do on this. When that story broke it was reported they called in sick. Who the heck knows??? Regardless they still tried to bully the system and left kids at home. If it was your kids and your tax dollars would you like it???

[DJD]

Right on brother, these guys have no clue what construction workers lives are about...dealing with nasty weather and hard dangerous work...construction workers should be well paid and UNIONIZED....right wingers want to give the billionaires tax breaks and then screw the workin man..same old sh#@# from the Reagan days...

So now Reagan was nailing the working man??? Lol be careful I think they do drug tests in the unions.

[Chubminnow]

But again are they "fair" pay and benefits?

So again I am not saying ALL unions are bad, but the ones that ARE bad like the UAW are bad enough to destroy teh country all on their own.

And lastly, I am presently a Union member with the PHPA local 109, and let me tell you... the corruption at the top of our union is appauling, and it feels as though there is nothing we can do about it.

Yes...I think that's the key term the majority in this country now agree with, are the pay and benefits both "fair" for the work performed?

I'm not saying all Unions are bad either because honestly I don't know a whole about about very many unions....but the stories I have heard from very reliable sources are just plumb crazy. To say all Unions are bad would be like saying all people are bad, there's good and there's bad. I just know of more bad rumors, stories, truths and facts than I know of good.

One question for you Walker...what is PHPA, what line of work is it associated with? Just curious...

As far as I'm concerned everything Kid has posted on this thread is only driving the nail further into the union workers coffin. It also seems to me that in todays economy anyone, ANYONE, would be glad to just have a job and they wouldn't worry if that job paid $20.00 + an hour or not, ESPECIALLY if his or her line of work comes from the construction industry.

One truth I have going on right now...I know of a construction project that is a state owned facility that is in the bidding phase. Guess what? The Union is trying to delay the bidding phase. Apples for Apples Union Man!! If you don't have enough time to bid then pull off now.

It sure would be nice if all government (state and federal) would eliminate the prevailing wage rates. I wonder how much money they would save if they did?

[walkeraviator]

PHPA is the Professional Helicopter Piloats Association. It is a union basically made up so we could have a union. Our international union is an office workers union.

Our biggest problem is that a grioup of like minded people have taken over the union by forcing out anybody not toeing the line with their beliefs. The problem is that we are currently in negotiations for a new contract and one of the guys negotiating has been fired by our compnay twice now and the company wont negotiate with him. So they INVENTED a union job so he could collect a pay check from our dues, and is a big ingredient in teh reason we are about to lose a contract all together.

Ill tell you this, under the old company that wasnt unionized, we may have worked a few more days a year for a few less dollars, but job security was better and you wee trated better by the managemnet. I had teh Chief Pilot's cell number and could call him any time. When we were up at corporate he would take us out for beers. You dont get that here because the management is afraid of what teh union will say if they do.

[ukkid]

So now Reagan was nailing the working man??? Lol be careful I think they do drug tests in the unions.

I guess you don't remember the Reagan Air Traffic Controller debacle huh???? Reagan got the ball rolling on union bashing many years ago.

[Devils Horse]

I guess you don't remember the Reagan Air Traffic Controller debacle huh???? Reagan got the ball rolling on union bashing many years ago.

Yes, I remember it. 13,000 or so Air Traffic Controllers went on strike during a busy air travel time in direct violation of the no strike clause of their employment contract and federal law.

Their union demanded an immediate across the board 10k a year pay raise and a 32 instead of 40 hour work week.

Ultimately 11,000 plus ATC's were fired by Ronald Reagan. They were replaced from the pool of 22,000 plus non union applicants vying for those already good paying jobs.

Many union leaders and many ATC's were prosecuted for violating Supreme Court tested federal laws.

Sure you don't want to put your beagle hound on here instead of you?

[ukkid]

Ha Ha Ha Gov. Scott Walker duped into talking his strategy to cripple unions with a crank caller...what an IDIOT!!! The caller was actually a liberal blogger. Revealed during the conversation, was the cozy relationship Walker has with the billionaire Koch brothers, who have poured millions of dollars into conservative political causes, including Walker's campaign last year. In the audio Walker compares his stand to that taken by President Ronald Reagan when he fired the nation's air-traffic controllers in 1981. The caller, pretending to be Walkers close friend David Koch, offers to fly Walker to California when he is successful "crushing" the unions to, "Really show you a good time." Walker replied, "All right that would be outstanding." This SOB is crooked as a barrel of snakes..and certainly not very bright to be "pranked" and to have it recorded by a liberal blogger..Ha Ha Ha ..Scott Walker is nothing more than a puppet of the billionaire Koch brothers...

[DJD]

Ukkid please please tell us your not just now understanding that people donate money to others?? It happens with any political party and just so you know the unions donate tons of money to the Democrats. You do know that dont you???
Ask someone else if you don't believe me. Ohhh another thing you prolly haven't learned......Obama is in with the Unions.

[dac244]

No Sir I have not worked high iron...they can have it! That takes taters the size of uhhh taters!
We work with Union contractors day in and day out and I'm speaking about Electrical and Mechanical Unions that I see in my line of work. Naturally, the folks I work with are awesome and my opinion has nothing to do with their character or personal beliefs.

I do get to hear the "Union" side of the arguments of why they can't seem to compete unless they cut their prices to the bone. They are bound to pay their guys a certain rate which is why that "Prevailing Wage" law went into effect. The hopes were that if we paid our guys that high wage mandated by area or county then we would all be on level playing ground. What noone considered is that non union owners (who are directly responsible for the mans pay and makes decisions daily on how to keep the doors open) worked out doing more work without having 10 journeymen on each job so they could pay a supervisor his proper rate and pay the non-licensed guys they prevailing wages. When they get licensed and earn their way then it's their turn to get paid for their committment to their trade.

The jobs the union contractors get are usually very large (Hospitals, UK, Toyota) that demand a huge amount of labor in a short amount of time. Smaller non union companies can't compete with that and by smaller I'm even talking 50-70 men not being enough. The non union folks still have apprentice programs to become licensed journymen or master electricians and have their continuing education classes as required by KECA/codes. So the quality is the same with good and bad in each.

In the trade I'm in and the trades I deal with there are little to no illegals since the education required usually weeds them out especially with background checks/security clearances/drug tests for specific gubment jobs. I know for sure that trades that only require a strong back and ability to work in the trenches will attract the lower educated or hard on their luck folks. Thats just a fact of life and we need people in all pay grades. Heck most of us started the same way and decided to better educate ourselves or our parents pushed us.

I guess what I am living proof of is that hard work and not being in a union and working for small companies that support 20 or more employees pays the bills and if your good at what you do a person can do very well. No union involved at all. The private sector is where it's at in my eyes. I don't have the security blanket that unions do. My buddy who works at UPS is a proud union member. Great for him and he was around when UPS went on strike in the 90's (i think) and it was rough. He made enemies with friends who crossed the picket lines because they had to work to support their families and it tore alot of people apart. I just disagree with that mentailty. Isn't getting paid 50-100K a year driving package trucks and tractor trailers enough? What skill do they have? Walk fast? Healthy backs? Organizational skills? I just don't see it ......

You might want to do your research on prevailing wage It wasn't started by or for unions.

[ukkid]

I wish I knew half of what you know...guess I need to start watching more of "Professor Beck" and his chalkboard aint got time for this bull$#@ no more. Gotta get ready for my Wildcats....GO BIG BLUE.......and remember...."Have your Republican spayed or neutered!!!....back to your padded cell Mr. Beck..and make room for Rush, Sean,Sarah, BillO, and Michelle....... I bet you're a Louisville fan too......tell me it aint so.:-/:-/

[Chubminnow]

You might want to do your research on prevailing wage It wasn't started by or for unions.

Great! So please enlighten us as to who started prevailing wage and why. Oh c'mon, you threw it out here, surely you know.