Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#21
![]()
posted to alt.sailing.asa
|
|||
|
|||
![]() "Frank Boettcher" wrote in message ... On Thu, 17 May 2007 00:13:19 GMT, "Maxprop" wrote: "Scotty" wrote in message ... unions are a major contributor to the down fall of this country. They certainly contributed significantly to the outsourcing of manufactured goods to foreign countries. Max Since I may be the only one here who has actually run a large union organization, negotiated contracts, and sadly, negotiated both the decision and the effects of a closing contract, I would have to challenge that statement. The Union in my organization had absolutely nothing to do with the outsourcing of manufactured goods to foreign countries, unless you call earning an average of 13.50/hour for highly productive work, with basic benefits like health care provided on a cost sharing basis a contributing driver. UAW members love to quote their "meager" wages of only $22 per hour, plus or minus. Of course they never volunteer the others aspects of their contract package that net them somewhere in the $40 to $50 per hour range, like health care, retirement package, disability income insurance, etc. When a foreign concern employs workers in the $5 to $8 per hour range, it makes it really tough for a manufacturer to stick it out with the union workers. Corporate greed was a driver. The Union and most Unions have no protection what so ever from outsourcing and they are like a "deer in the headlights" where it is concerned. And that outsourcing takes place wether there is a union or not. It's always "greed," isn't it. Profit is a nasty word, eh? Fact is that no one, not even you, will work for nothing. Profitability is what business is all about, and one's shareholders generally want to see earnings on their investments. If one's labor costs are limiting his profitability, he looks for cheaper labor, and generally finds it offshore where unions don't exist. Health care costs was a driver. In my many years of struggle against cost increase, I could always offset cost of living labor increases with productivity, impact material costs postively, lower total unit overhead by consolidation and growth. The only costs I could never control were health care costs. Double digit percentage increases every year. No matter what kind of effort I put into changing TPA's, (we were self insured) negotiating new provider networks and prescription drug contracts, etc. When I embarked on a way to "target" potential health risk employees (meaning potential high dollar heart or cancer cases), not to eliminate them, but to incentify them into a wellness program, the government stepped in and passed the latest version of HIPPA, effectivly killing the program. I won't dispute any of that. It's a problem faced by business and government. And there are no easy answers. Bear in mind, however, that third-party carriers (health insurance companies) are, and have been, recording record profits during the past decade or so. Managed care is really "managed profits." It's a shame that the bulk of the recent increases in health insurance costs can be directly attributed to an industry that in actuality has no relevance in the diagnosis and management of disease, or wellness. Certainly there are bad unions and possibly many of the UAW locals qualify. My experience with the USWA could not be classified as such. And most locals around the country are more typical of what I experienced. No one is foolish enough to believe that all unions are guilty of the greed that exemplifies the UAW. But that union is a major player and constitutes much of what is costing jobs in this country. It's a no-brainer to want to reduce one's labor costs, especially if it can be in the 40% to 50% range, or more. Max |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Virginia Tech shooting - attn: Wilbur | Cruising | |||
Birth and death at the Boat Show | General | |||
Death by Eskimo Roll? | General | |||
Death be not proud | General |