Buzz CAWing

So Ontario releases it's budget, and everyone is so busy bashing each other, no one notices that CAW talks tough. No concessions, let's strike!

CAW vows no concessions in contract talks

Concessions by the Canadian Auto Workers union won't save the Detroit Three auto makers or restore their market share losses, but the costs of a strike would be high, the union said Tuesday as it gears up a public relations campaign before this summer's critical set of contract negotiations.

The CAW will not agree to the two-tiered wage structure that the United Auto Workers negotiated last year or to concessions, but it is prepared to consider cost-saving alternatives on such items as retiree health benefits, the union said in a presentation to analysts and reporters.

The union will redouble efforts to protect existing investment and attract new projects by maintaining the superior productivity and quality of Canadian plants and continuing its flexibility on work rules.

Let me get this straight, Ontario taxpayers are going to subsidize the auto industry so that CAW can increase it's demands, and strike if that doesn't work. Is Buzz on drugs? Or, is he so sure that the Liberal McGuinty government will continue to throw taxpayers money at his industry that he doesn't care.

The cost of a strike will be high? Sure Buzz, for your workers, especially those who do not have seniority. They are already losing their jobs, and you are still talking tough.

Add to that the fact that Democrats are protectionist, and won't care whether your plants are profitable or not, they are in election mode and will promote jobs for Americans over those for Canadians.

The solution from the McGuinty government? Re-training, for what job? No Walmart I know, even here in Alberta, pays $30/hour for an employee. If automotive employees are laid off, they won't be spending money.

The centrepiece of the government's balanced spending plan is a “skills-to-jobs” scheme that will see $1.5-billion over three years poured into training and apprenticeships. It includes a $355-million second-career strategy that will offer as many as 20,000 unemployed workers job counselling, living expenses and needs-based tuition grants so they can attend college programs.

Thanks Ontario, great idea, you spend the money to train the workers, who won't be able to find a job in Ontario, so the West will benefit. Works for me.

I met a guy from Quebec, who moved to Alberta because the union in Quebec was all about who you knew, not what your skills were, he couldn't get a job in Quebec because of the stranglehold unions have there. He got one instantly in Alberta.

Given the level of Alberta bashing that goes on from the Bloq, and Liberals in general, maybe they should thank us for the $16 Billion a year we send to Ottawa, and that doesn't include gas taxes that ALL provinces reap.

CAW needs to get real, and realize that most of the big honking trucks they produce end up in the West, and soon all their workers will be here too.

Buzz, Lightyear's Behind!

Poor Buzz, he blames everything, but the union for the auto industry troubles. Face the facts Buzz, $50 per hour jobs for making car parts isn't cutting it anymore. Buzz isn't going to lose his job, but less senior members are, it's happening right now. Maybe Buzz should ask his worker's whether they would prefer; the company they work for to go bankrupt, or to work for $25 an hour instead.

Buzz finally got his "audience" with the PM today.

Mr. Hargrove has been seeking a meeting with Mr. Harper since the Conservatives were elected two years ago. The crisis afflicting segments of the auto and auto parts industry has deepened since then with the meteoric rise in value of the Canadian dollar.

“Just getting the meeting, I feel like a winner, after two years,” Mr. Hargrove said.

But he outlined a litany of problems facing the industry, including the number of imports from Asia and Europe that far exceed the number of vehicles shipped there from Canada.

The union wants Mr. Harper to make a public statement saying Canada will no longer allow such imports to enter North America unless Japan and South Korea in particular open their markets to North American vehicles.

In that same article, it states that GM lost $38.7-billion (U.S.), so Buzz, what are you going to do to help your union workers? Is it better that they have no jobs, or that 50% of your workers have $50/hour jobs? This is typical union mentality at work.

Unions in the 70's were demanding COLA's (cost of living allowances) because inflation was in the double digits. They got those COLA's, but they also got massive layoffs. The problem was that the price of oil was increasing because OPEC was restricting supply, and Japan had just entered the North American market with small gas efficient cars, while America was still producing gas guzzling cars.

Staglation was born (high unemployment, high inflation).

Buzz, do you see any parallels here? Oil prices are breaking records, China/India/Korea are building cheaper/more fuel efficient vehicles, using cheaper labour. Inflation is headed upwards (Alberta), so is unemployment in the manufacturing sector (Ontario). Why should only the auto sector get help, and if they are losing billions of dollars, should we throw good taxpayer's dollars after bad union agreements? If you are not willing to compromise, why should taxpayer's have to?

Who can bring Canadians through this better? An economist, or a sociologist?

You a betting man Buzz? Cause my money is on PM Harper.