[Newsbot]

Title: Caterpillar to close London, Ont. locomotive plant
Category: Business
Posted By: saturn_656
Date: 2012-02-03 10:20:38
Canadian

[martin14]

No surprise.

Instead of a wage cut, workers have a wage zero.

Well done for the union.

[Lemmy]

martin14 martin14:

No surprise.

Instead of a wage cut, workers have a wage zero.

Well done for the union.

You don't know what you're talking about. This is not the union's fault. This is exactly what management wanted from day one, and the union was purposely set up as the scapegoat.

[saturn_656]

Continuing the current wage structure may not have been realistic, but expecting the employees to accept wage concessions of over 50% was also not realistic.

CAT never had any intention of negotiating with the CAW.

[andyt]

What I wonder is why go thru the charade at all - what does Caterpillar have to lose by just closing the plant in the first place?

[stokes]

While I have no time for unions.....I agree that Caterpillar pulled a fast one here. I know of no one who can maintain their standard of living with a 50% wage cut. Also what would it do to the local economy if 400 families lose their homes, just to stay employed. Better off the union pony up some cash, buy the factories themselves and create a workers paradise...

[OnTheIce]

While I don't agree with their tactics, I would have done the proper thing and closed up shop and packaged people off.

If the plant was losing money, fine....package everyone off properly and move operations.

[andyt]

You can't be serious.

[martin14]

Lemmy Lemmy:

martin14 martin14:

No surprise.

Instead of a wage cut, workers have a wage zero.

Well done for the union.

You don't know what you're talking about. This is not the union's fault. This is exactly what management wanted from day one, and the union was purposely set up as the scapegoat.

As opposed to you, who obviously sits on the Cat board and had access to all
the information from day one.


If the union was to be made a scapegoat, they certainly fell for it..

hook, line and sinker.

[Lemmy]

martin14 martin14:

As opposed to you, who obviously sits on the Cat board and had access to all the information from day one.

Or, opposed to me, who is a labour economist who's been following this case closely over the past year.

martin14 martin14:

If the union was to be made a scapegoat, they certainly fell for it..hook, line and sinker.

You know it. And it's called bad faith bargaining, which is illegal.

[martin14]

I won't hold my breath for Cat being taken to court over this.

[Yogi]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

While I don't agree with their tactics, I would have done the proper thing and closed up shop and packaged people off.

If the plant was losing money, fine....package everyone off properly and move operations.

'Package them off'! Unless it is otherwise written, If I own a company which employs others, and decide to close up/restructure, or whatever, then it's "Here's your 2 weeks notice, or 2 weeks pay in lieu. adios"!
Anyone who wants to be 'set for life' should either buy a lotto or get into politics!

[Lemmy]

martin14 martin14:

I won't hold my breath for Cat being taken to court over this.

Agreed. It's a done deal now.

[RUEZ]

This is a disgusting action. I hope to god that the company I work for that buys this companies products goes with their competitor in the future.

[BartSimpson]

Lemmy Lemmy:

And it's called bad faith bargaining, which is illegal.

At this point it's called "going out of business" and whatever went on in negotiations is irrelevant.