Mercury Marine and Unions

Four Suns said:
I'm sure the Mercury Marine products will be "top quality" over the next few years...
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Glad I bought an '08 when the workers were still happy. These are the guys who are going to assemble the new high tech big block. I'm sure they will be taking the utmost care in assembly.
 
There goes Rick's new engines.
 
I don't understand why unions think that a downturn in a business should not translate to a downturn in jobs...
 
I think the unions should target girl scouts... I hear they have loads of cash...
 
Four Suns said:
I don't understand why unions think that a downturn in a business should not translate to a downturn in jobs...
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That's why they are organizing the labor and not managing the business.
 
If they just hold out, maybe they'll own the company like what happened with GM.
 
Part of my family is from Michigan, and during a visit yesterday, this was part of the discussion. I was told that, what I didn't understand was the pervasiveness of the pro-Union attitude and that it had been instilled now for a couple of generations. It was described as "us vs. them" at a visceral level...with "us" being the unions, and "them" being Republicans, management, banks, foreign car manufacturers, and anyone who drove a foreign car.

Their leadership is drawn from their ranks, and is rewarded for perpetuating the fiction and the conflict. It hasn't helped that Wall Street spent a couple of decades looting the productive capacity of America with leveraged buyouts and coroprations have routinely unfundered benefit plans. I still remember when GM replaced its engineering management with bean counters...but that is another rant for another day.

The conclusion is inevitable. FDL production for Mercury is going to suffer horribly during the transition to Oklahoma. Thankfully, a lot is automated and hopefully there are quality controls in place to limit the carnage.
 
I think Merc does their engine assembly work in Stillwater. That's where they hand-build their high performance engines. Probably where they'll build the 8.1's replacement, too.
 
I've worked in 6 different union environments in the last 30 years, and have seen the progression from the "us vs. them" to what it is now...only a left over useless institution. Most agree that unions once had a place and function, about 50 years ago. Today, they are a farce that suck dollars from earnings sorely needed by families. The Feds have put laws in place that weren't there years ago. The unions aren't needed. IMHO, people that keep voting the unions in deserve just what they voted for...just like those that voted in the last Presidential election. Hope this doesn't offend, but to me the question and the answer are pretty simple. If you don't want to work there, leave, and go somewhere else.
 
Southpaw II said:
Chevys...Silverado and Tahoe.
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Thank you for business. Greatly appreciated!

Southpaw II said:
Doesn't have a thing to do with anything I said. And by the way, I once belonged to a union.
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My mistake. After re-reading your post, I see you werent talking about the auto industry at all. Most of the comments seem to be directed at the auto industry, I overlooked yours.

I have never worked in a union. I manage trades unions in the automotive industry.
 
No.......just the tenet of unionism in general. In this day of international competition for jobs and lower manufacturing costs, I feel the cost of operating a business with a union gives America a big disadvantage. I've seen all the jobs going to Mexico and China, and I remember the powerhouse of manufacturing that this country used to be. The U.S. has all but lost the infrastructure to produce the skilled tool and die makers and the machinists that it had 30 years ago. I haven't seen an "apprentice" in a long time. Granted I live in the South, and the skillset regionally here is a shadow compared to that of the Midwest and Northeast, but the good old days of manufacturing are gone.
 
Don't hate the unions, they are not an "evil organization" (especially its members). They just need to learn how to be competitive with current labor rates, and believe me, they pretty beat up right now, its a turning point. Its not solely the american unions fault things are the way they are, by far. Its my opinion its high end management that has screwed this country up at the moment.

So now is not the time to bitch about the unions, they are feeling the pain like everyone else.... save your energy and wait until the economy turns around, and the unions come out from under the rocks their hiding.
 
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Look at Germany. A powerful western country with a high cost of living and expensive labor. Everyone gets a month of vacation. Yet, they are able to thrive in manufacturing and exports and produce leading edge design of high quality and precison. What are they doing differently?
 
Mogut said:
Its my opinion its high end management that has screwed this country up at the moment.
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I'd say it's high end management on both sides, the union and the corporations! Neither is willing to bend to be competitive so jobs and companies are disappearing.
 
JuliaValentine said:
Look at Germany. A powerful western country with a high cost of living and expensive labor. Everyone gets a month of vacation. Yet, they are able to thrive in manufacturing and exports and produce leading edge design of high quality and precison. What are they doing differently?
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Something to aspire too? I dont think the usa is doing anything differently. I think we are a model to them. Germany is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods just under the states, something most americans bitch about, but is essential. Plus they have just had the worst recession since WWII as many countries are.

As for vacation, Im a regular schmoe, and i get 4 weeks off a year. I think americans just work harder, always have... their heritage.

Sundancer said:
I'd say it's high end management on both sides, the union and the corporations! Neither is willing to bend to be competitive so jobs and companies are disappearing.
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Im thinking more about banks, creditors... basically all of wall streets mess.
 
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Mogut said:
Im thinking more about banks, creditors... basically all of wall streets mess.
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You think rope manufacturers should be held responsible for people hanging themselves? You think car manufacturers should be responsible for drunk drivers? How about people that overdose on sleeping pills? Is that the drug company's fault?

PS: I own a dodge truck... it's a big pile of crap.
 
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