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HD6GTOM 
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Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Location: MADISON CO IA
Points: 6627
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 Posted: 13 Nov 2021 at 6:08pm |
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When I owned my tire shop I had a good customer go to work at the JD plant in Ankeny. He grew up on a farm and worked on 1 for several years before wanting a job inside out of the rain and snow. He started and went to work building combines, etc. He almost quit several times. He couldn't stand the slow pace of working there. He said those guys could turn out 3 times the number of combines if they'd get off their butts and actually do some work. I am not running down unions. Just stating what a hard working farm kid told me. One of several reasons their stuff is so over priced.
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plummerscarin
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Joined: 22 Jun 2015
Location: ia
Points: 3133
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Posted: 13 Nov 2021 at 6:41pm |
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Similar story from my dad and several others I knew who had worked at FMC
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FREEDGUY
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Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
Points: 5391
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Posted: 13 Nov 2021 at 6:59pm |
You guys would not believe the HORROR stories from a former "FOREMAN" of a non-union project company that had to basically "BEND OVER" and smile  .
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DaveKamp
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Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
Points: 5639
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Posted: 13 Nov 2021 at 7:57pm |
In 1978, there was Farmall in Rock Island, IH in East Moline... and three other Deere facilities in Moline, East Moline, and Silvis. In Bettendorf, there was JI Case. In north Davenport, JI CASE. All of these plants were within a 7 mile radius.
Also within same radius, was over 400 small manufacturers, and 1000 supplier facilities (bearing companies, hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical suppliers, etc)... and a workforce of over 40,000 union employees.
By 1984, all those manufacturing facilities were totally shut down, and over half the small businesses were gone.
I walked through the Rock Island Farmall plant in 1990... the old brick walls were painted white, and every 20 feet, were exquisite paintings of each red tractor they'd manufactured, along with signatures of the names of the workers who built those machines.
None of those walls still stand. The huge IH facility on the upper end of Ben Butterworth Parkway was emptied and flattened, now there's a hotel out there.
If they choose to be foolish, there's nothing anyone else can do about it, but most of my school classmates whose parents were proud to sit out on the line, wound up moving away, hoping to find opportunity elsewhere.
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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victoryallis
Orange Level
Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Location: Ludington mi
Points: 2857
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Posted: 13 Nov 2021 at 8:45pm |
 HD6GTOM wrote:
One of several reasons their stuff is so over priced. |
The reason it’s so overpriced is because they charge what the market will bear.
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8030 and 8050MFWD, 7580, 3 6080's, 160, 7060, 175, heirloom D17, Deere 8760
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 29556
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Posted: 14 Nov 2021 at 5:19am |
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Actual labor costs are a fraction of overall expenses in manufacturing, worked Union and Non, benefits were bargained for to keep skills at the Union facilities, non union shops tended to be close to slave labor markets where the politically correct butt kissers got raises behind closed doors and those that kept the machines moving took it on the chin moving on after honing skills, 99% of those facilities closed in under ten years due to quality issues.
There is far more to machinery costs than Union labor, CEOs earning 400 times the average wage, followed by COO, CFO, boards of directors getting stock shares in the millions of dollars face value for their expertise in upper managerial wisdom. Then the point much of the production is from overseas being assembled here to sate the Fed as to ‘manufacturing’ here to bury profits into offshore funds.
Lots more to it than ‘Union is bad’ thinking.
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FREEDGUY
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Joined: 15 Apr 2017
Location: South West Mich
Points: 5391
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Posted: 14 Nov 2021 at 4:43pm |
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victoryallis
Orange Level
Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Location: Ludington mi
Points: 2857
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Posted: 14 Nov 2021 at 6:17pm |
DMiller wrote:
Actual labor costs are a fraction of overall expenses in manufacturing, worked Union and Non, benefits were bargained for to keep skills at the Union facilities, non union shops tended to be close to slave labor markets where the politically correct butt kissers got raises behind closed doors and those that kept the machines moving took it on the chin moving on after honing skills, 99% of those facilities closed in under ten years due to quality issues.
There is far more to machinery costs than Union labor, CEOs earning 400 times the average wage, followed by COO, CFO, boards of directors getting stock shares in the millions of dollars face value for their expertise in upper managerial wisdom. Then the point much of the production is from overseas being assembled here to sate the Fed as to ‘manufacturing’ here to bury profits into offshore funds.
Lots more to it than ‘Union is bad’ thinking. |
Amen
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8030 and 8050MFWD, 7580, 3 6080's, 160, 7060, 175, heirloom D17, Deere 8760
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 15 Nov 2021 at 5:24am |
My previous employer had top heavy management, excused as to "Necessary to maintain a watchful eye of the Union Membership" as to screwing off or not performing duties that really did not exist. Was in essence buddies employing buddies to make the most money from the corporation, so called "Golden Children" of Management. Had a VP of Nuclear, a Chief Operation Officer, a Corporate Nuclear Officer, a Department head for every sub section Department the managers could concoct(Last count was 67), Plant Operation Senior Officer, Plant Operations Senior Manager, then had Superintendents, First Line Supervisors, On Line Supervisors, Efficiency Consultants, Working Foremen, Work Package Consultants, Work Package Adjusting personnel, Work Package Alignment Personnel and then the Union Technicians as Electrician or Welder or Mechanic. That along with QC Inspectors watching every operation FULL TIME with same level of Sub Management.
Of 720+ plant employees, 145 were Union, Including Operations personnel, Store rooms and Clerical Staffs. I seldom saw the Managers in plant.
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victoryallis
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Joined: 15 Apr 2010
Location: Ludington mi
Points: 2857
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Posted: 15 Nov 2021 at 7:41pm |
DMiller wrote:
My previous employer had top heavy management, excused as to "Necessary to maintain a watchful eye of the Union Membership" as to screwing off or not performing duties that really did not exist. Was in essence buddies employing buddies to make the most money from the corporation, so called "Golden Children" of Management. Had a VP of Nuclear, a Chief Operation Officer, a Corporate Nuclear Officer, a Department head for every sub section Department the managers could concoct(Last count was 67), Plant Operation Senior Officer, Plant Operations Senior Manager, then had Superintendents, First Line Supervisors, On Line Supervisors, Efficiency Consultants, Working Foremen, Work Package Consultants, Work Package Adjusting personnel, Work Package Alignment Personnel and then the Union Technicians as Electrician or Welder or Mechanic. That along with QC Inspectors watching every operation FULL TIME with same level of Sub Management.
Of 720+ plant employees, 145 were Union, Including Operations personnel, Store rooms and Clerical Staffs. I seldom saw the Managers in plant.
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Company I work is very close to 50/50 union/salaried. Amazing part is we run around the clock and very easily can run a long weekend with out one of them stepping foot in the plant. When COVID first hit and work from home was the big thing one of the salary gems got cau” working from home” on the golf course and another time camping. Truth be told the plants run better and more tons get produced when it’s just us hourly folk around.
Edited by victoryallis - 15 Nov 2021 at 7:42pm
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8030 and 8050MFWD, 7580, 3 6080's, 160, 7060, 175, heirloom D17, Deere 8760
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
Points: 11397
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Posted: 16 Nov 2021 at 6:42am |
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John Deere made it's most recent offer public, I saw it on Farms.com Looks pretty darn good to me. COLA every 3 months? Wow, worried about inflation much? Awesome healthcare, big bumps to retirement, scheduled wage increases and scheduled lump sum payments. Vote is Wednesday.
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
Points: 11397
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Posted: 16 Nov 2021 at 6:44am |
victoryallis wrote:
DMiller wrote:
My previous employer had top heavy management, excused as to "Necessary to maintain a watchful eye of the Union Membership" as to screwing off or not performing duties that really did not exist. Was in essence buddies employing buddies to make the most money from the corporation, so called "Golden Children" of Management. Had a VP of Nuclear, a Chief Operation Officer, a Corporate Nuclear Officer, a Department head for every sub section Department the managers could concoct(Last count was 67), Plant Operation Senior Officer, Plant Operations Senior Manager, then had Superintendents, First Line Supervisors, On Line Supervisors, Efficiency Consultants, Working Foremen, Work Package Consultants, Work Package Adjusting personnel, Work Package Alignment Personnel and then the Union Technicians as Electrician or Welder or Mechanic. That along with QC Inspectors watching every operation FULL TIME with same level of Sub Management.
Of 720+ plant employees, 145 were Union, Including Operations personnel, Store rooms and Clerical Staffs. I seldom saw the Managers in plant.
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Company I work is very close to 50/50 union/salaried. Amazing part is we run around the clock and very easily can run a long weekend with out one of them stepping foot in the plant. When COVID first hit and work from home was the big thing one of the salary gems got cau” working from home” on the golf course and another time camping. Truth be told the plants run better and more tons get produced when it’s just us hourly folk around.
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There's putz operators and putz managers. As there are good operators and good managers. Just depends on who's grouped together where on what shift for what gets done for productivity.
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
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Posted: 18 Nov 2021 at 7:13am |
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Strike ended, deal ratified 61% to 39%. Gotta wonder what those 39% wanted!
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