Posted: 10/18/2007 2:02:45 PM EDT
So a local union of workers who build semi-trailers for Beall Trailers is on strike. I generally HATE unions. But amazingly, didn't pass judgement on the merit of their strike because I didn't know the story. I drove past them last night twice and didn't give them the "evil eye". So today I find-out that they are striking over the fact that they MIGHT have to pay for a PORTION of their health insurance some years down the road. The company wants to make them pay a portion of their insurance on this contract, but is agreeing to give them an hourly raise that will compensate for that amount. So in effect, they STILL get their health insurance totally paid-for for the time being! Yeah, in the future they may have to contribute... but SO WHAT! Welcome to the real world! I work for government and we used to have our health insurance paid for. That was many years ago and we didn't go on strike when it changed. It's just part of living in this world. What a bunch of PUSSIES!!! 
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Paying for health insurance probably wouldn't be an issue if we weren't getting RAPED on taxes to support an enormous, inefficient, and wasteful government. |
Believe it or not, this is one of the driving factors behind the push for socialized medicine. The companies would benefit because they can cut insurance costs and the Unions believe they would benefit because they wouldn't have to pay premiums. The fact that they would get taxed to death is being overlooked. I've heard and read more this argument used to support socialized medicine more than once by business analysts, union leaders and a few talking heads. |
I agree... but we're all in that boat and most of us pay a portion of our insurance premiums. I always thought that .gov entities were the last hold-outs on "free" health coverage. But most/all of us local, state, and fed people have been paying part of our premiums for years. I can't believe that there are still people out there who aren't...  BTW... I caught your dig at me... but don't really care as you don't have a freakin' clue who I am or what I do.  And get real... the unions would find something to cry like babies about even if their streets were paved with gold and they wiped with $100 bills... |
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So you work for the government? GAWD I hate govt workers, I have to pay friggen taxes to pay for their worthless asses. Look at how much more money I could have in my pocket if I didn't have to pay for all those wonks. Like the gooberment workers don't have healthcare.  RIGHT.............I've seen few places that have health care close to what gooberment offers their workers. Isn't the gooberment FILLED with unions of some sort or another? All sorts of senority stuff? Govt run retirement? Hard to get the gooberment to go out of business too............... People who work in gooberment shouldn't throw stones. Most could be gone tomorrow and the rest of the people who work in this country wouldn't even notice except to notice the fatter wallet in the back pocket. |
<------ NOT .gov union worker. I hate the .gov unions. They truly suck. But I also know a lot of non-union .gov employees who work hard and whose jobs have become three times as hard in the past decade. Those are NOT the union ones however. And my health benefits are pretty good, but I've become aware of several local companies whose are better. (Obviously, Beall is one of them.) BTW... I work with the local public safety people and take care of their myriad computer systems. Remind them about their "worthless asses" the next time you or someone you love (probably just yourself) calls 911.
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You may not know all the Financial details....  For example - a one time raise would not be fair if the Ins. cost to the employee goes up each year. They are probably striking because the deal offered WILL eventually become a Pay Cut. But if you just wanna Bash Unions , feel free.
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| I spent all last week working with some union millwrights - they were basically helpers for some pretty extensive warranty work on some of my company's equipment (I'm a field tech). I was curious, so I spent the week peppering them with questions about how the union works. In all their explanations, I could not find a single upside for being a union member. They could do similar work as a tech for an equipment manufacturer and get paid more with better benefits and no standard 1-3month/year layoff. It just didn't make sense to me. |
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My Dad was a big union guy, he put 100% into all the programs, stayed until he got the gold watch and did very well for himself. Me? I ended up in management jobs all my life and have dealt with unions. I never saw one in the 3 I've had dealings with that did anything but protect the weak links and the lazy. There were many good union guys who deserved way more. Another thing was the guys who were stuck due to the union pension. If I, a non-union guy want to pick up and move, or go for another job, I've got a 401k I can roll over into another plan or just stuff it into one of my IRA's I'm not toally sold on the whole union thing. |
Let 'em refuse to give anything, and their jobs will go to Southeast Asia. |
So YOU"RE the guy who can't time lights worth a darn?  Seriously, don't get into the jelousy bit on who's health insurance is better then yours. There is more BSing on that then you'll ever imagine. I'm in a union and truthfully, I've YET to see a govt employee that has worse insurance then us. What good options I have I PAY for, and our co pays are 2 to 3 times what the typical govt/school worker pays. Govt insurance is a joke far to often, and far less likely to be run efficiantly, heck I was just reading today about some woman that worked 4 DAYS, was fired, and the "govt" continued to pay for the next 8 [EIGHT] years of insurance coverage costing somewhere around $850,000 bucks becuase of some of her health issues. I've yet to see a private company that would be so lacksidaisical about a 4 day employee. Don't even get me started on some of the comp/sick time stuff some govt workers get, it would give any union slacker a run for their money. Anyways, my company moves up the real crappy union guys to management. Whats THAT tell you?  |
| When I started my current job 21 years ago my heath care monthly premium was about $1 (yes, one dollar) for the cheapest medical coverage for a single man. These days the family coverage premium with a better plan is more like $400/mo. And that's with a government agency. |
You must've missed the part where I described my job duties... ie keeping the 911 Call Center computers running. You know... those computers that contain addresses, criminal records, etc. But go ahead with your "ALL government is bad" rhetoric anyways. If the feds keep dropping the ball on illegal immigration and terror threats, you may one day get your utopia of an America free from all government. Try picking up the phone to call 911 to get some help for your azzz or a dying family member then...
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I would say "welcome to the REAL world!" to those people. The vast majority of us have to pay part of our premiums. Healthcare costs have gone up exponentially in the past decade or so. Expecting the employer to foot the bill for all of it is typical socialist union thought. And yeah... I like to bash unions. I was a Teamster for years when I worked for UPS. I HATED being in the union. It did nothing for me. In fact, it screwed me out of a few things. But if you read carefully, I started this thread with the statement before I knew what these guys were striking over, I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. But their "cause" isn't going to fly here because evidently, they are one of the FEW groups of employees who still gets all of their insurance paid for... |