[BeaverFever]

bootlegga wrote:

andyt wrote:

Very nice. Good on them.

Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
LONDON, Ont. - A national casual clothing chain has pulled Caterpillar boots from its London, Ont., stores after the heavy-equipment giant shut down a local locomotive plant.
Mark's Work Wearhouse says it is showing support for hundreds of workers who lost their jobs at the Electro-Motive.
The retailer announced the move on its Facebook page Saturday, a day after U.S-based Caterpillar revealed its plans to close the plant following a labour dispute.
The company had asked its 450 employees to take a 50 per cent pay cut to help keep Electro-Motive going.
The CAW union members rejected the proposal, prompting the company to lock them out Jan. 1.
Caterpillar subsidiary Progress Rail Services said the cost structure at the London plant was unsustainable, even though Caterpillar last week reported a 58 per cent increase in its quarterly earnings with a record profit of nearly $5 billion.

Too bad it wasn't nation-wide...

If MWW really beleived in it, they would have pulled them nation-wide. Just doing at its local stores (how many could there even be, 3 or maybe 4 max?) smells like a publicity stunt.

[andyt]

Good point. I missed that it was only in London on first reading. Maybe if we all send e-mails explaining to them that what CAT is doing is of nation wide concern.

[RUEZ]

Lemmy wrote:

This plant did receive handouts, whether before CAT bought it or not.

When?

[bootlegga]

andyt wrote:

Good point. I missed that it was only in London on first reading. Maybe if we all send e-mails explaining to them that what CAT is doing is of nation wide concern.

Here's the link;

http://www2.marks.com/ContactUs.asp

With the customer service email address;

customer.service@marks.egain.net

My email;

Quote:

Hi,


While I'm impressed that your company has pulled them from stores in the London-area, this should be a nationwide ban, not just in stores in London, ON.

The loss of profit is the only thing those at Caterpillar HQ in Peoria will understand.

Please do the right thing and pull them from your shelves across the country!

Sincerely,

Joe Schmo from Edmonton AB

[andyt]

done. Now how do we make this thing nationwide?

I also sent a msg to their ethical sourcing program: socialcompliance@marks.com

[Lemmy]

RUEZ wrote:

Lemmy wrote:

This plant did receive handouts, whether before CAT bought it or not.

When?

2009.

[DrCaleb]

Lemmy wrote:

RUEZ wrote:

Lemmy wrote:

This plant did receive handouts, whether before CAT bought it or not.

When?

2009.

Quote:

So what exactly were these measures? They can be found on page 84 of the government’s 2008 budget: “Budget 2008 proposes to increase the CCA rate for railway locomotives to 30 per cent from 15 per cent. This change will ensure that the CCA rate for railway locomotives better reflects the useful life of these assets. It will also encourage rail operators to acquire a newer, more fuel-efficient fleet of locomotives (e.g. hybrid locomotives), which provide a more environmentally-friendly mode of transportation.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le2329659/

(not saying Cat isn't scum, but hang them for the real crime, not rumours.)

[BeaverFever]

Drop by Caterpillar’s facebook page and leave a message on the wall:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/caterpillar?sk=wall

or

https://www.facebook.com/catproducts

Or send them a message on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/CaterpillarInc - @CaterpillarInc

[EyeBrock]

Just another good reason that government cash, our cash, shouldn’t be going to prop up private companies in an effort to provide employment.

Let’s face it, most heavy manufacturing around the planet is moving to the nations where employment costs are a fraction of what they are in Canada or the US. Throwing cash at these companies so that they stay here just prolongs the inevitable.

Is anybody really surprised Caterpillar are going?

Capitalism is about making money, not providing jobs.

If the government(s) want to provide employment for domestic workers they should dream up work-fare projects not chuck cash at multi-nationals.

[BeaverFever]

Looking through those pages, its seems that the good people of London and the CAW have already sent their regards

[saturn_656]

Quote:

Is anybody really surprised Caterpillar are going?

Surprised? No. CAT has a track record of being an rather poor corporate citizen, but they have really outdone themselves this time.

[Prof_Chomsky]

EyeBrock wrote:

Just another good reason that government cash, our cash, shouldn’t be going to prop up private companies in an effort to provide employment.

Let’s face it, most heavy manufacturing around the planet is moving to the nations where employment costs are a fraction of what they are in Canada or the US. Throwing cash at these companies so that they stay here just prolongs the inevitable.

Is anybody really surprised Caterpillar are going?

Capitalism is about making money, not providing jobs.

If the government(s) want to provide employment for domestic workers they should dream up work-fare projects not chuck cash at multi-nationals.

I'd say it's more a reason why the government should be repealing free trade. Asking Canadian workers to compete dollar for dollar with the Chinese who have no choice but to work at 20 cents an hour in 18 hour shifts, or even some of the US now is just rediculous. Not to mention the dodging of environmental standards that costs FAR more than wages.

[EyeBrock]

Rediculous?

[Prof_Chomsky]

Seriously? Point out a typo and ignore the idea.
That's less RIdicuous than it is RE-tarded.