You think the unions here are bad....

[Vans]

Check out this article about the unions in germany. What a waste. Too bad for BMW.

Union Article (http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=30&article_id=6840)

[WhereHaveYouBeen]

The east german workers want their 38 hour work week reduced to 35 hours to coincide with the west german workers work week? Did I miss something here? What year is it? Well hey since we're back in the 80's I'm gonna call my broker and get into some of those Tech IPO's! Next time I talk to you guys I'll be a billionare.

[BrianS]

wow, i bet without that unions everybody would be able to afford a BMW

'oh no, not 38 hours/week....it must really suck to get paid 3x as much to work for half as many hours as i do'

[M_TYPE_X]

The east german workers want their 38 hour work week reduced to 35 hours to coincide with the west german workers work week? Did I miss something here? What year is it? Well hey since we're back in the 80's I'm gonna call my broker and get into some of those Tech IPO's! Next time I talk to you guys I'll be a billionare.



And remember to tell Reagan not to visit that cemetary in Germany.... Bit-something.... all the leftwingers go crazy about him being a "Nazi-lover".

And make sure you don't park the DeLorean in Buick City. Flint in the 1980s is a hellhole. Wait, it still is. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yea, German unions are hardcore.

[Umi_R98]

Depends...for the worker it maybe a double edged sword.
For the Business, they would let them go and go find someone else. I mean the purpose of any business is to make money, and unions aren't making it any easier, look at GM.

[M_TYPE_X]

The unions are killing themselves off by seeking more benefits for older employees while giving up any possibility of real recruitment, whether in Big Three factories or transplant operations.

[Irie_eyes]

I was flipping through the channels and PBS had this show (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/video/wmp/mini_p03_16_220.html) on the WTO riots. There was a lot of hippies but they also said that the majority was union workers. They were throwing stuff made in China and other overseas places into the ocean, to protest loss of work here for work outside of the US.
AFL-CIO rep said it's "Unfair, bad for undeveloped countries, bad work the workers, and bad for the enviroment."
The show said that countries that open their markets saw their living standards and wealth increase.
They accused the US of controlling the market from powerful unions.
Then the ALF-CIO rep said all they want to do is represent the workers to have a "minimum" standard.

OK, so it's the UNIONS that force US companies to go overseas and reduce jobs here. UNIONS are the ones who supposedly cause unfair labor conditions like $5/hour instead of $55/hour to make bike parts (sweatshops are wrong through, but they didn't mention that, just the $5/hour Huffy plant in China). And it's the UNIONS who somewhat screw up the our own home economy by paying someone else in another country who spends in that country.

Ah, I see, so can I boycott/protest a company because they have union workers?
After 9/11 tourism was hit hard and there were major layoffs. After a while, the hotel unions went on strike because they felt that it was an "excuse".
I felt that was pretty "unpatriotic" because everyone was hurting from 9/11.
Well, that's what I yelled at the strikers blocking the road when my friend went to pick up his overpaid wife. Also yelled, "You want a job, join the military."

[Umi_R98]

I mean the Military will gladly accept you....if you within the age limit hehe.

Cause: union demands stuff
Effect: they let you go where people are willing. You jus saved the company aleast half uR salary. I have to hand it to GM though they really do love they're dedicated employees.

When Nissan closed down all those assembly plants, those works were disappointed also. But they didn't call strike about it, they knew what was going on. Instead of striking they probably found some jobs doing something else.