| Author |
Message |
    
Strokizator
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 01:13 pm: | 
|
Unions have a place. We are a non-union construction company with about 40 employees. Hourly wages are determined based upon merit but when one guy gets a raise, I spend the next week dealing with everyone else who thinks just because Bob gets $28.00 then he's worth more (oh yeah, the last thing I told Bob was not to discuss his pay rate with anyone).
If I had hundreds of employees, there no way I'd want to deal with this. I'd just negotiate with the union (except you can't because they've signed national agreements and the contract is non-negotiable). A union pay scale rewards the lazy and punishes the motivated. I've been a union employee in the past and I've seen guys making journeyman wages for no other reason than they had accrued the time on the job.
When things slow down these are the first to get laid off. If he worked non-union for me we could negotiate a fair wage based upon his performance level not just how many years he's spun a pipe wrench. He would know that if he wants to earn more, he's expected to be able to produce at the same rate as those making top pay.
Before you go thinking we're some scab non-union outfit taking advantage of our workers, let me tell you that my top guys often make much more that union scale, get bonuses and are given a truck that they own, not just one that belongs to the company. We finished a job in Orlando a few years ago and the foreman got a $50,000 bonus and a new Ford King Ranch 4x4. Everyone else got an average of $20,000. Of course they earned it too. We are not running a non-profit philanthropic organization here.
Our philosophy at work is much the same as our view of the govt. It is our responsibility to allow each employee to become the best he can be. It is not our job to ensure equality of outcome.
(Message edited by strokizator on July 09, 2009) |
Kyrocket
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 02:50 pm: |
|
I don't think I saw or read anything past the 14K a year taxes. HOLY COW. I realize big cities have lots to offer but man o' man what do you get for 14K a year? I have my taxes escrowed so I can't remember right off what I pay but I work for City Hall and can recall a local landlord coming in to pay for 31 properties and his total was just under $6300. Now grant it they ain't the prettiest places but for $500K you can have a NICE home on the golf course and probably have enough left over for a SUV or sportscar of your choice.
...and we get longer riding seasons. |
Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 03:49 pm: |
|
Kyrocket, for 14k a year I get a elementary, middle, and high school although we have no kids to use the school. No paid firefighters, emts, or police. No sewers. No trash pickup. No town water. Out of my immediate neighbors, my 14k is a bargain. On the other hand I built a responsibly sized house, them not so much.
What am I getting? Great question. I am getting to live away from the 9,000,000 strong huddled mass that resides 45 miles south o' me. Been there done that. When I hear bump in the night, it's usually a raccoon or opossum, not a biped breaking into my car. |
Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 05:54 pm: |
|
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/07/stella-do ro-closes-bringing-a-piece-of-history-with-it/ |
Kyrocket
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 10:02 pm: |
|
Ouch. I'm trying to get the wife to agree to move to her old home place in the country. It's one county north of us, approx. 12 miles from where we live now. Her old home place is pre-civil war, huge old brick farm house with loads of character, and loads of cashola to heat. I've even suggested we build new, it does have 140 acres to sprawl out on and the taxes are even less than here. The town it's in is literally a one stop light town. Right now we're in the city limits of a town with 6000 give or take a few hundred. My hat's off to people who can survive and thrive in the big cities, I would go nuts. |
|
