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Tensions rise at Electro-Motive’s London, Ont., plant
This is absolutely terrible and such a sad chapter in the long history of the EMD name. When La Grange stopped building locomotives, London kept the flame burning for many years. When Muncie opened recently I was sadly suspicious that something bad might come of it and it looks like that is now coming true.
Why is it a union “boss,” when it’s corporate “president,” “executive,” “leader,” etc.?
Seems to be very predjudicial, not to mention a blatant double standard.
Americans, by and large, despise hyprocisy.
Without taking any side, both sides seem to prepared to undertake elaborate end runs around the other in the face of the inevitable relocation to “greener” pastures. Both labor and the company wants to justify their continued existence, and any legislative action to grease the wheels for either side seems like a silly strategy as an imaginary recourse.
More to the point…I wonder what the reconstituted EMD received as benefits from Indiana ( indirect subsidy) to relocate there. Did the locals in Canada try to match a best Indiana offer? There has to be more to the story. Does the paycut for trans-national relocation represent the wage differential between the two locations in cost of living economic terms ? More questions than answers. Posturing on both sides seems to obscure the real issues.
“…Union leaders worry the current standoff is EMD’s way of closing London and blaming unions for it…”
Well, guys and gals of the Canadian Auto Workers…the economy IS in the toilet, so given the choice to take a pay cut or lose your jobs?..DUH! Not all that hard to figure.
Looks like Caterpillar has already taken the initiative, knowing what the answer will be.
The union has to realize that there are people willing to work for less. I’ts a golobal market now for workers.
The union beware, they can run the jobs out of the country.
No comments at this time, thank you though
J.M.Wheeler
As a Cat retiree I see they company is up to it’s old tricks of threats a bullying of the employees. Just wait it will get ugly before they decide if they will keeep EMD in Canada. Good luck to my fellow UAW members.
Nice to see that American Unions aren’t the only greedy ones that are trying to get large Companies from moving overseas! Unions today have outlived their usefulness. All they want is more, more, more $$ for less work.
Labor unions should continue to be one of the few societal structures to help the working man or woman. The only way to eliminate unions is to also confiscate inheritances and prevent the limitation of liability by allowing persons to do business in corporate form.
the union thugs don’t know when to quit!
Unions have a long history of causing problems in the railroad industry, no question. But there is a good reason they exist.
I don’t know the situation at EMD, but chopping wages in half? On the face of it, that sounds extreme.
Caterpillar has a long history of union-busting.
Brian’s right that union’s raise costs, but this kind of move that Caterpillar is doing results in costs shifted onto others. Society at large bears the costs of shuttered plants and job losses. And workers DO deserve to be paid what they are worth and if you don’t, you are also shifting costs onto others. Another word for shifting costs onto others is theft.
The biggest problem I have with unions is not the pay scales, but work rules that create featherbedding, favor seniority, discourage discipline and innovation. That’s a problem – and a problem for workers, too. Perhaps that’s a problem at EMD, I don’t know. Work rules cost companies a lot more than paying workers more, I think.
“Union thugs?” What about the corporate and Wall Street thugs that brought our economy to its knees. Isn’t it a bit ironic for people who lived off the taxpayers for their career and way above average pension/medical care benefits should be so resentful of unions? Maybe the good CAPT should volunteer part of his “entitlement” (yes, that’s what it’s called on my Armed Forces retirement statement) to debt reduction. Putting one’s money where their mouth is is an honorable pursuit.