A Good Job in America.

[B.M.800]

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (Made in Japan) for 6 a.m. While his coffeepot (Made in China) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (Made in Hong Kong). He put his dress shirt (Made in Sri Lanka), designer jeans (Made in Singapore), and tennis shoes (Made in Korea). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (Made in India), he sat down with his calculator (Made in Mexico) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (Made in Taiwan) to the radio (Made in India), he got in his car (Made in Germany) and continued his search for a good-paying AMERICAN JOB. At the end of a yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (Made in Brazil) and then wondered why he could not find a good paying job in AMERICA....

The End.



My dad pointed this out in a news paper we get. Kinda funny in a way... and not to bash stuff that not made in USA, thats not the point. But anywho...

 

[OzFab]

How very true. It's a similar story over here, everything is going offshore. The simple fact is people aren't as willing to pay the price for quality anymore.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I would counter all that by suggesting that corporate greed (finger pointed squarely at unions) is waaay high on the blame list for this. It's a long list, too.

 

[souperman000]

I would counter all that by suggesting that corporate greed (finger pointed squarely at unions) is waaay high on the blame list for this. It's a long list, too.

R.I.P Hostess

 

[Doc Sprocket]

R.I.P Hostess

If you buy up all the Twinkies you can find, you can still enjoy them for the next 20 years!

 

[devino246]

How very true. It's a similar story over here, everything is going offshore. The simple fact is people aren't as willing to pay the price for quality anymore.

Not only that, most younger people would never work, making something and sweating.

R.I.P Hostess

Hostess was approaching their second bankruptcy anyway. All the union did was help it come a tad bit faster.

Fortunately for all the Twinkie fans out there, Hostess may be staying afloat. A bankruptcy judge pushed Hostess and the union to agree to mediation, which they did earlier today.

 

[machinist@large]

I would counter all that by suggesting that corporate greed (finger pointed squarely at unions) is waaay high on the blame list for this. It's a long list, too.

Unions bear their share of blame, I agree. But there are a few GOOD things they've done for us.

1] If you only have to 40 hours before you get overtime, thank the union's.

2] If you have any safety standards in your work place, AT ALL, thank the union's.

3] If you have any benefits at all (health insurance, paid time off, etc), thank the union's.

I'm the first to admit that some of the union's head's need to be shrunk back down to size; but if they hadn't fought the battle's they did, we'd still be working 7 day's a week for however many hours the boss demanded, doing whatever the boss told you to do, NO MATTER HOW DANGEROUS. If you don't like it, there's the door. And don't let it hit you in the a$$ on the way out, either.

That's the way it was circa 1900 in North America (sorry T.S., this includes Canada); that's the way it still is in most of the 3rd world countries that all this stuff is being outsourced to.

Devino, you make a really valid point; I go to the mall once, maybe twice a year because I'm looking for something. When I get there, after I've a] found what i came for, or b] not, I'll look around me, and go

Last time I was there, I pulled a Fowler; straight from work after fighting it out with a really rancid coolant system on a lathe. It was like watching the sea part before me; the tool dept. at Sears couldn't warranty that tap wrench fast enough.

 

[devino246]

The unions had their day, but IMO, it's long over.

Yeah, I don't have much faith in my generation; the "Millennials" or "Generation-Y".

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Machinist, I don't disagree with the points you're making- however dated they are. And they ARE dated. Nowadays, all the WSIB and labour laws are in place, and all the safety standards and work ethic rules are enforceable without the unions. I can speak to this- I am a Health and Safety worker rep for the company I work for. We are NON-union, and are protected by the standing laws.

I have looked, and I have seen. Unions were not only a good idea, but quite necessary- AT THE TIME. Now? Just money suckers, and not a thing more.

 

[FatCat]

R.I.P Hostess

Does hostess make raspberry zingers to? I hope not. I love those things. I wonder if they last as long as twinkies. You ruined my night.

Ive got mixed feelings on the union thing. At my workplace some facilities are union others aren't. My shop is non union. We do share the same pay scale and bennies so I'm glad I'm not involved in it. In most cases they've literally bargained themselves out of a job. The yard guys at my facility through their asses in the air and tried to go union because they didn't want to work the overtime of our busy season. They found a reason to fire all of them. Within 2 weeks they were all replaced. Couldn't leave well enough alone. It's not my workplace being cheese heads. Harvest season is part of farming. They knew this the day they were hired. My company treats us very well. They just didn't want the union to try and come in and run the show like they think they can. I correct myself, it wasn't that they didn't want it. They didn't allow it. They lost a couple lawsuits but they didnt care. They met force with more force. Thanks but I'll keep my money. Screw paying dues. The union shops are exactly the same as us. Except they have to pay dues.

 

[devino246]

Does hostess make raspberry zingers to? I hope not. I love those things. I wonder if they last as long as twinkies. You ruined my night.

Yep

But, once again:

Fortunately for all the Twinkie fans out there, Hostess may be staying afloat. A bankruptcy judge pushed Hostess and the union to agree to mediation, which they did earlier today.

 

[doubter123]

I agree, and I have no faith in my generation and once we become of age all work that is in America will go away since nobody wants to work for their pay and they expect everything to be handed to them.

 

[devino246]

I agree, and I have no faith in my generation and once we become of age all work that is in America will go away since nobody wants to work for their pay and they expect everything to be handed to them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the entirety of Gen-Y expects the government to pay its way through their lives. In my experience, much of Gen-Y thinks life will play out just like it did for their parents and grandparents, and that life will be handed to them after getting a college degree.

 

[machinist@large]

I have looked, and I have seen. Unions were not only a good idea, but quite necessary- AT THE TIME. Now? Just money suckers, and not a thing more.

I won't disagree with that. But with all the baggage that comes with a union, I know of 2 large companies in the greater Grand Rapids, MI area where the front office was so out of line that the workforce organised and asked the union's in.

And then there is the supposed workers paradise if China; they actively ban unions, surely, it's not just because they don't need them?

 

[doubter123]

True I was just saying that in my experience with Gen-Y they just don't really understand how the world works. Not all of us are like that but a very disheartening portion are like that .

 

[FatCat]

I agree, and I have no faith in my generation and once we become of age all work that is in America will go away since nobody wants to work for their pay and they expect everything to be handed to them.

Americans are becoming professional consumers. We produce nothing. We want to make our money buying and selling forign products. I blame their parents. Sometimes a child needs to be forced to do the right things. These sissy parents afraid to spank, letting children make there own decisions, time outs! WTF is that? Time out? I got 5 across the eyes when I messed up. I'm still around aren't I. I was being taught. Stupid=pain. I'm thankful for that. The older I get the more I realize how irrational my thoughts were at that time. I couldn't have made good big decisions on my own. I would've been in prison. Simply hadn't been around and seen enough stuff for that. You young guys in your teens. Believe it or not 10 years from now you'll look back and think wow what an *******. Lol you'll be a completely different person. I'd give anything to go back to that again. It's really not fair. Growing up school seems like it sucks so bad. By the time your old enough to appreciate it how good it was your already out here in the workforce. Too late. Let me tell you. This really sucks compared to school! Go hang out and sit on your butt, see all your friwnds, chicks everywhere. I wonder if they have a similar place for adults. Lol I'm jealous

 

[devino246]

True I was just saying that in my experience with Gen-Y they just don't really understand how the world works. Not all of us are like that but a very disheartening portion are like that .

Oh heck yeah.

"Oil? You mean there's oil in my car that needs to be changed?"

 

[machinist@large]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the entirety of Gen-Y expects the government to pay its way through their lives. In my experience, much of Gen-Y thinks life will play out just like it did for their parents and grandparents, and that life will be handed to them after getting a college degree.

In 1972 the Dept. of labor conducted a study of what percentage of the U.S. work force needed a college degree to perform their jobs; It was in the mid 20's. In President Clinton's first term, they re-ran the survey; again, mid 20's.

I know that computer technology has become a major influence on a great many jobs; my question is, other than basic computer skills, what has changed?

 

[devino246]

I wonder if they have a similar place for adults. Lol I'm jealous

Retirement home?

 

[souperman000]

I agree, and I have no faith in my generation and once we become of age all work that is in America will go away since nobody wants to work for their pay and they expect everything to be handed to them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the entirety of Gen-Y expects the government to pay its way through their lives. In my experience, much of Gen-Y thinks life will play out just like it did for their parents and grandparents, and that life will be handed to them after getting a college degree.

I heard a while back that there might be a shortage of hands-on jobs when the 'boomers retire. i.e plumbing, carpentry, etc. This is because their is such emphasis on technology and a college degree that not alot of kids are going into that line of work.

Sure there are plenty of oppurtunities even without a degree and there will always be some guys doing those kinds of jobs, but in certian areas, there might be some problems. (kinds like China not having enough people to take care of the elderly.)