PostmodernProphet
fully immersed in faith..
if you weren't so fucking stupid you might actually be amusing to talk to....
Unions Take down another company!
- Thread starter patriot66
- Start date
if you weren't so fucking stupid you might actually be amusing to talk to....
I am a life member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. My background is full of instances of good and bad management decisions. We once represented a small company in middle Tennessee that manufactured sensing devices for use in new automobiles. There had been reports that the quality of the products being manufactured there was falling drastically. As professional machinists we take that personally. On investigation it was learned that the company was using a far inferior plastic material and far inferior metal to form into other parts for these devises. Insulting to the workforce would be an understatement.
The company, however, disagreed and cited bottom line considerations for their decisions to downgrade their materials specifications. As anyone might surmise the company went bankrupt and closed their doors. They went out with a bang blaming the Union workers, etc. but we made them and their management famous for intentionally providing for the workers poor quality materials to work with and build devices that people's lives depended on. Some of that is still in court.
But let me suffice it to say that another and much larger and smarter company bought the old one for a song and re-hired all the old workers plus a few more, all Union. They all even got raises and improvements to their benefit packages. We met with them, explained the problems with the old management and quality assurance problems with the materials. They completely understood and immediately reverted to even better material than were being used before the downgrade. Machinists just LOVE good material to work with. It cuts and shapes easily, accurately and pretty, if you will.
I'm no longer active in any of that but I have read lately that the new company is expanding, taken on many new contracts with GM, Volkswagen and BMW and looking healthier now than at any time in it's history. One thing is for certain. The Unionized workforce had zero to do with the demise of the original company even though management tried to blame them as they locked the gates. Union members are much better than that.
The company, however, disagreed and cited bottom line considerations for their decisions to downgrade their materials specifications. As anyone might surmise the company went bankrupt and closed their doors. They went out with a bang blaming the Union workers, etc. but we made them and their management famous for intentionally providing for the workers poor quality materials to work with and build devices that people's lives depended on. Some of that is still in court.
But let me suffice it to say that another and much larger and smarter company bought the old one for a song and re-hired all the old workers plus a few more, all Union. They all even got raises and improvements to their benefit packages. We met with them, explained the problems with the old management and quality assurance problems with the materials. They completely understood and immediately reverted to even better material than were being used before the downgrade. Machinists just LOVE good material to work with. It cuts and shapes easily, accurately and pretty, if you will.
I'm no longer active in any of that but I have read lately that the new company is expanding, taken on many new contracts with GM, Volkswagen and BMW and looking healthier now than at any time in it's history. One thing is for certain. The Unionized workforce had zero to do with the demise of the original company even though management tried to blame them as they locked the gates. Union members are much better than that.
Thank You Gatorman. It's refreshing to read an intelligent account of first hand experience. It's all too easy and convenient to blame the workers in this country for things that have nothing to do with them and union workers in particular take a lot of bogus hits. Contrary to the popular talking points among the right wing we have excellent workers and we all have unions to thank for benefits and safety in our work places.
Thank you, Haiku, for your response and recognition that it is never the fault of the workers when management makes terrible decisions that negatively impact the conditions and quality of the products being created at the plants. Even in the service industries it is always the stupid decisions of stupid managers that create an atmosphere of hostility both towards the employees and even to the customers. The managers, even in very Unionized settings, have the ability to fire employees that demonstrate poor professionalism but the employees have no such ability. Then, when the shit hits the fan the management always wants to somehow blame the workers. Ain't that a kick in the butt?!?!?!???!??! Anytime I've ever seen anger and intimidation in the workforce I want to talk to the boss there. Amazingly, on each occasion I've found that the boss is the biggest dick on the project and is spreading that particular type of relationships throughout his/her own company. Interesting, isn't it?