Freightliner machinists go on strike

Re: Freightliner machinists on strike

Next move: close the facility? There is recent history.

"John"

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Tue, Jul 03, 2007 at 02:13 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

Not a smart move for the local 1005. A dying industry, line workers making 23/25 bucks an hour already with superb benefits.

Fight the good fight boys, but don't be surprised if you are standing out there for several months and end up with an open shop policy.

Unfortunately unions just do not carry the power that they once did. Freightliner holds the cards, and the jobs are pretty easy to train replacements for. Sorry, callign a spade a spade.

"Bad Decision"

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Tue, Jul 03, 2007 at 06:18 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

"The company's demands for mandatory overtime"

Don't some unions strike because they can't get any overtime?

"AllOver"

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Tue, Jul 03, 2007 at 06:30 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

It's this type of behavior that is ruining manufacturing in the U.S. All unions do is try to hold businesses hostage and force them pay much higher than market wages. And even with these excessive wages, most union members still act like spoiled children who do every little thing they can to fight management because they think it's their duty or because they're just plain deuche bags. Have fun working at Taco Bell after Freightliner moves the plant to Mexico.

"Chud"

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Tue, Jul 03, 2007 at 10:58 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

Just the push Freightliner needs to finally close up shop....here. I'm surprised that the Union wouldn't have the inteligence to steer their membership in another direction. It's almost as if they are giving local management an excuse to stop production of all vehicles manufactured on Swan Island, and I wouldn't blam them a bit. If they accually would close the production line, I'm sure the City Council and Union Officials would deny that they had a hand in it although it would be because of their warped sense of supporting LOCAL business that would cause Freightliner to give up.

"mark"

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Wed, Jul 04, 2007 at 03:42 PM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

If Freightliner goes, as I suspect it will, they have a little cash cow land strip there. Swan Island, as a whole, is dying, other than UPS, Fed-Ex, and a smattering of Diesel engine shops (and a largely dead shipyard)..the island is a ghost town already.

Don't think for a minute that the city does not covet this land for re-zoning. I say that the lofts start going up by 2010. River views, 5 minutes from downtown? Yea, its coming...trust me.

Fed Ex and UPS can go to the airport, and diesel is deader than the dinosaurs that created it.

""

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Thu, Jul 05, 2007 at 02:04 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

I'm sure a Chinese factory worker will be happy with the job these dolts don't want!

""

(email verified)

Thu, Jul 05, 2007 at 07:33 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

CHINESE WORKERS!!! "" - Please don't insult our intelligence! When Freightliner leaves it will be due to the indifference shown by the elected officials and voters in this city and state. Moving production overseas will happen due to the fact that Freightliner is owned by a foreign company, to think otherwise is not a realistic expectation.

"mark"

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Thu, Jul 05, 2007 at 12:57 PM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

The situation flat sucks. Managemnt is holding all of the cards.

There is 3 weeks of shutdown scheduled over the next few months already. The worst this strike is going to do is eat up the scheduled shutdowns and then what? Managment will simply hire back all of the people it laid off a few months ago as scabs and pump out the trucks.

What cards are the union holding? Our leader "Joe Kaer" is known for being full of it. Everytime hes makes a statment in the news he puts his foot in his mouth.

"pissed off"

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Fri, Jul 06, 2007 at 03:55 AM

Re: Freightliner machinists go on strike

Well, I could go on forever about the inequities shown to employees in unions but not specifically freightliner. But its clear, unions recieve a bad rep...

Freightliner employees that are remaining in the plant have been there a minimum of 15+ years, some all they way up to 40yrs and are currently recieving $21.55 an hour. These members have skillfully adjusted to new product lines long before they were ever ready to come to the production chain. These people are not simply grunts.

Many of the employees on countless of occasions have made solutions to so many hundreds of design issues that engineers didnt have an answer to. No diagram, no parts, no gameplan as to how it would be resolved. Only until after the design issues are resolved do we have a solution that they can make a blueprint and spec sheet for. This occurred when new model class 8 p2s came and the western stars came. Currently, mexico plant is making use of our p2 solutions.

These people aren't just some ordinary grease monkeys. Many of the people there build cars as a hobby. They work closely with management to improve efficiency, practices and methods, safety, update computers and documentation of issues. They build specialized trucks, complex suspensions, plumbing, fuel systems, highly standardized military trucks(I could write a book about how every bolt, clamp routing, plumbing and so on has to be exact on every one of those trucks. I dont think very many plants can do that) so many of these people really wouldn't find it hard to get similar employment with similar pay due to their abilities. These people are electricians, plumbers, mechanics(of course), hvac, all on a unmerciful production line.

With the amount of years people have in the plant, a LARGE majority of them are looking at retirement real soon. When you have a contract proposal that makes retirement an issue, most people dont want to budge as they would take a little loss as a precursor to a lot more little losses. Combine that to the lack of raises that dont measure up to the declining value of the dollar over the last 9yrs, they can see minimum wage catching up quickly, throw in the increasing out of pocket expenses the machinists have lost on med/dental, mandantory overtime after laying off 2000 workers over the last couple years, things can be really hard to swallow.

I personally like this proposal, but very cautious about accepting a take away. Especially considering how it effects the laid off union brothers who dont get to vote on this contract for obvious reasons. But the last 2 contracts we see a take away that harms them greatly only to find ourselves working next to them again. I believe the last one some of the long term employees took a 7dollar pay cut that effects them for 3yrs so we could get a meager pay raise. Afterwards, they were hired back to a full shift only to be laid off b4 they earned their way back to full pay.

These people are on strike simply because of the take aways that are never heard in the media but they/we have to swallow it everytime. Then to deal with the arrogance "get another job". Really, if these people were aware such arrogant attitude would be exibited on the day they were hired, they wouldve made different career decisions.

I have a lot more to say but I will leave with this. Just remember, These people fight to feed, house, educate their family and retire without being a health and economic burden to the world, corporations fight to improve today's current and significant profit margins. You figure out which is more honorable.

"Hobitrack"

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Mon, Jul 09, 2007 at 03:23 PM