Mercury Marine and Unions

mmmmm, donuts.

donuts_and_bacon_taste_we_can_believe_in_blue_shirt-p2355032059799199996pe_400.jpg
 
Actors and directors make more than the crew because they're more valuable, more talented, and in demand. (for the most part - you can always name exceptions)

If you don't like the work conditions, get another job.

This is what I don't get about people who moan about their bosses, jobs, pay scale, or other work conditions - why don't you quit and do something else? And if you (or everyone else who moans about these types of things) won't quit, then stop the moaning.

Your company not providing you with enough donuts? Buy your own damn donuts.
You don't get it. The post was showing how hard the crew works. Not as a negative.
The point is....The business is doing good. People work hard.
There's plenty of money for everyone. No need to attempt to cheat anybody. The Union works to keep it that way.
And it still is. Pulling them crazy hours is 1000.00+ a day

Canada is all about cheap labor.
Shows that go to Canada. Scab Crews work for Pea's or Maybe 14.00 pr hr.
Working Features in the States. Crews pull between 3k and 5k a week.

I don't eat the donuts. I go for the free breakfast burrito or omelets.
I leave the donuts for you fat boys with the big boats needed to float your fat azzes. Or is that ego?
Got the snooty club on this thread. Most likely, Both.
This thread was about Merc and Unions. I happen to be in a good union. You people cant handle that. Too bad.
 
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I couldn't have said it better... I bet you've started and run your own company... you greedy bastard.
Maybe he sells Peas for a living. So far, Looks like he has sold 2 peas.
Working for him would be a min wage job or under the table with no benefits. No union would ever consider a contract.
No good worker with goals would ever consider that as a job either.
 
You don't get it. The post was showing how hard the crew works. Not as a negative.
The point is....The business is doing good. People work hard.
There's plenty of money for everyone. No need to attempt to cheat anybody. The Union works to keep it that way.
And it still is. Pulling them crazy hours is 1000.00+ a day

Canada is all about cheap labor.
Shows that go to Canada. Scab Crews work for Pea's or Maybe 14.00 pr hr.
Working Features in the States. Crews pull between 3k and 5k a week.

I don't eat the donuts. I go for the free breakfast burrito or omelets.
I leave the donuts for you fat boys with the big boats needed to float your fat azzes. Or is that ego?
Got the snooty club on this thread. Most likely, Both.
This thread was about Merc and Unions. I happen to be in a good union. You people cant handle that. Too bad.


You couldn't be more wrong about Canada. TV and film production came to Canada for two reasons:

1. a 150% exchange rate on USD to CAD

2. very favourable tax credits issued by both the federal and provincial governments to production companies to encourage filming here

Toronto, with a metro population of over 6 million, is one of the most expensive cities in North America in which to live and work. Cheap labour simply does not exist up here.

Since the Canadian dollar has gained so much ground (like most other currencies) in the past few years, the production business in Canada - and specifically Toronto - has declined significantly.

Unions seem to work on fear mongering as much as the political parties they seem to despise. It is quite a contradiction, to say the least.

As well, there seems to be an issue with "deserve" in many unions (I don't know anything about yours, btw). And noone could say it better than dear Mr. Eastwood in perhaps his greatest role ever as William Munny in "Unforgiven", when he tells Little Bill (Gene Hackman) that "...deserve's got nothing to do with it."
 
I couldn't have said it better... I bet you've started and run your own company... you greedy bastard.

Indeed I am a greedy bastard. I'd wager you are too...

And, I'd wager that there have been times in your life where you haven't had a dollar for bus fare because you had every penny invested in your own company - with a wife, four screaming kids, and two dumb dogs at home to feed. And, you've put in 120 hour weeks in order to keep your business alive. And because of those sacrifices, and alot of smarts, and some luck, you've come out on top.

And even when it isn't your own company, many people don't seem to realize the risk you take by being a director of a public company. You make seven figures being a CEO or CFO or CTO of a public company because you deserve it.
You make 8 figures, you're doing very well (or you're Derek Jeter).

You make 9 or 10 figures without inventing something? OK, maybe we can then talk about corporate greed...
 
OK, I admit it. I'm enjoying this thread.

From Seinfeld... (I think this sums it all up)

George: Thirteen thousand?

Jerry: Thirteen thousand.

George: a piece?

Jerry: No, for both!

George: That's insulting! Ted Danson makes eight hundred
thousand dollars an episode.

Jerry: Oh, would you stop with the Ted Danson?

George: Well, he does.

Jerry: You're nuts!

George: I'm sorry. I can't live knowing Ted Danson makes
that much more than me. Who is he?

Jerry: He's somebody.

George: What about me?

Jerry: You're nobody.

George: Why him? Why not me?

Jerry: He's good, you're not.

George: I'm better than him.

Jerry: You're worse, much much worse
 
Only a true friend could look another in the face and tell him, "You're much, much worse than Ted Danson." We all must be very, very good friends here.
 
I'll bring the beer, you bring the donuts.

Just don't cut them into quarters - god knows that would be an awful thing to do to a beer!
 
We'll meet 1/2 way - somewhere warm - Apalachicola?

(I never was that good at geology.)
 
I spend March in Ponce Inlet - let's drink where its warm...
 
Your right the tax breaks given in Canada are much more significent then the cheaper labor cost. Still, Crews get paid much less in Canada then the Union crews in the states. It is the Tax incentives why filming is leaving the States. Especially Calif. Too many restrictions on Permits also.

Ive heard Canada is not giving the tax breaks they used to.
That is why they are cutting back on filming there.

Now, Looks like New Mexico is giving the tax incentives. lots of filming there.
I'm not getting my information from anybody important.
My life is much more simple. If I'm not happy with the money im making with a Company. I'm gone. That simple.

Don't know if its true. Had someone tell me the other day that the Studios are slow now. He claims the banks are not giving loans for Production. Something to do with holding the money till Jan 2010 Because of Obama's stimulus package. :huh:

I'm not worried about it. Maybe just head out to Sea, enjoy my new repower, and live off the ocean :lol:

I actually work out of a very busy lot. They kept me busy during the writers and pending actors strike. It shouldn't be an issue. Just need to drop my new engine in before I PU the phone.
 
Pan to an airline with 10,000 pilots. The only time any one of them meets their boss is if they make an error, or if they request a meeting. There is one boss and 1 or 2 assistants for groups ranging in size from about 1000 to almost 5000. Everyone shows up for work on time, every time. Every one completes the mission with only an extremely rare incident. Each works hard to make the customers happy. It's a matter of professionalism, pride, and good business sense.

So, how do you decide who gets the best paying job? Who gets the best schedule? Who gets the best vacation dates? Seniority. What could the company do to save tons of money? Put the youngest guys in the highest paying jobs. On account of longevity based pay, the highest paying jobs (big airplanes) would be paid at the lowest rate. If the senior guys don't like it, they can quit. So they do. Then, they go to a new job at the bottom of the seniority.

Remember, the average major airline pilot has about 15 years of professional aviation experience when HE GETS HIRED. So, how do the pilots protect themselves? Unions. The companies do everything they can to screw the pilots out of every penny. Additionally, they do everything they can to screw them out of quality of life. I think it all goes back to that one pilot who screwed the middle-manager's wife. Ever since then, it's been all about revenge.
 
John, your example certainly makes one empathize with the senior pilots. There's no arguing how much skill you guys have, and how serious your responsibilities are.

I wonder, though, if the problems you face are related to lousy bosses, lousy management, or just an unrealistic business model (weigh the capital required to run an airline vs. real potential for profit in our economic climate).

There are real world examples of instances where unions protect workers' rights in 2009, but sadly, it seems most unions today protect very little else than the grossly over-inflated wages and benefits of an under skilled workforce.

In my first job out of university, I was in law enforcement for the federal governement. After 2 years my peers elected me local union president. One of the main duties I had during this tenure was to protect the jobs of union members (fellow law enforcement officers) who had been caught breaking the very laws they enforced. It was 99.999% impossible to get fired. In the past 15 years, this group has seen their take home pay go up almost 300%. Now, this vastly under skilled workforce (less than 25% have degrees) make close to 100K and average 10 weeks off. It is a joke, and the public foots the bill.

Look at how tough things are for us in North America. Now, how the hell do businesses in Europe afford to stay afloat, where the average employee gets 3 times as much paid vacation as here in NA?
 
All valid examples. There are some good uses for unions, and some extreme abuses.
 
I worked at a roofing materials factory one summer while in college for $8/hr as a laborer. It was a job that I started in June and was to finish in August (3 months). It was a union shop. After being there only a week, I was approached by the shop steward. He said I needed to start paying union dues and in 3 months I would start receiving my union wages of $12/hr. It semed rediculous that I had to pay the union for something I was never going to benefit from. The shop steward understood that this was a temporary summer job for me and I would never realize any wage increase, but said that I still had to pay because it was a union shop. I went to management and he washed his hands of the situation. So, I spent the next several weeks avoiding the shop steward, making excuses for delaying my payment, and using the really good hiding places that the other laborers showed me. They explained how it worked. The idea was, "out of sight, out of mind." As long as management didn't see you, they don't know you are not working. I don't recall the amount of the dues, but being a college student I do recall it was significant relative to my pay and status. Not to mention the principal behind it. They couldn't just let that one go. So, I left and got another job.
 
My work is more freelance.
We have the only union I know of that will actually find you work though. Catch is.... You better be very good. Or you will be black listed. You never no where your going or who your working for. Working on different shows daily.
The Term is Day Playing
People who work are... Friends, Family, really good kiss azzes of the Coordinator or Union.
Also people that can drive any piece of equipment.
Being confident driving 18 wheelers gives you a big advantage. (thats me)

Again... if your really good. You may get picked up by a Studio lot. (Thats Me) I got so many calls from this one Studio lot. I decided to stay. I actually use to make more money going through the Union. But its nice to have the consistency going to the same workplace.

Working on the Studio Lots is very strict. Theres a 1 day Suspension for being 6 min late to work. Your kicked off the lot 1yr with 3 lates. The 4th time blacklisted forever.

I mostly day play on the lot working with different crews/departments with what ever shows there doing. If you suck. They can call transportation. (my department) And ask that you never come back. If they call the transpo coordinator of the show. He will not remember you as someone he wants to work in the future. If your on location and screw up. You could get fired on the spot. The Union really cant do anything about it. It would actually hurt you more getting them involved.

For instance, A core driver on a TV show thats on its 6th season clipped the valve stem on a curb with a 18 wheeler giving it a flat. The lot considers that an accident. Punishment is 1 day off work. Guy fights it, Getting the Union involved. He is now black listed on that lot. :huh:
3 minor incidents like that. Black listed forever.
One real accident. Min of one year off. Black listed if its a bad one.

The free food thing came up when producers/production found when there may be 100's of cast/crew leaving the set for lunch or breaks etc. 1 person late just a few mins could hold up a shoot and cost $1000's

The Producers and some Production companies are always playing games trying to screw workers out of there money.
The Teamsters Union seems to be the only Union left with the backbone to stand up to management.

Anyhow, If your not on your A game in the Motion Picture Industry. You wont be working for long. The Union is not there for you if your useless.
 
So, how do the pilots protect themselves? Unions. The companies do everything they can to screw the pilots out of every penny. Additionally, they do everything they can to screw them out of quality of life. I think it all goes back to that one pilot who screwed the middle-manager's wife. Ever since then, it's been all about revenge.
That Sucks,
I was told the first time Old Arnold, The Terminator. Tried his first directing job. He broke lots of Union rules. The Teamsters went on strike right then on Location.

He gave in, and the strike was over in 30 Min.
He vowed then to never sign a Union contract.
He is doing nothing as Governor in Calif for the Motion Picture Industry. No tax incentives, Nothing. I wonder if there's a connection.
 

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