This is the future.

[kpete]

Now, in what has become a test case in American labor relations, Caterpillar is trying to pioneer new territory, seeking steep concessions from its workers even when business is booming.

Despite earning a record $4.9 billion profit last year and projecting even better results for 2012, the company is insisting on a six-year wage freeze and a pension freeze for most of the 780 production workers at its factory here. Caterpillar says it needs to keep its labor costs down to ensure its future competitiveness.

The company’s stance has angered the workers, who went on strike 12 weeks ago. “Considering the offer they gave us, it’s a strike we had to have,” said Albert Williams, a 19-year Caterpillar employee, as he picketed in 99-degree heat outside the plant, which makes hydraulic parts and systems essential for much of the company’s earth-moving machinery.

Caterpillar, which has significantly raised its executives’ compensation because of its strong profits, defended its demands, saying many unionized workers were paid well above market rates. To run the factory during the strike, the company is using replacement workers, managers and a few union members who have crossed the picket line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/business/profitable-caterpillar-pushes-workers-for-steep-cuts.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/07/23/the-only-wage-should-be-the-minimum-wage/

[TheMastersNemesis]

1. How Many Of Those Workers Vote Or Are Registered Republican?

[99Forever]

4. Why would you ask someone here that question?

Are you anti-union? Sure sounds like it. I'll take a Union supporting Republican over an anti-union DINO, any day.

[jeff47]

7. Point is one can not be both "union supporting" and "Republican" these days.

Since Republicans are pushing very hard for anti-union legislation.

[99Forever]

11. According to who?

I'm no fan of Repukes, but to say that it's impossible to be both, is pure nonsense.

...and as if the current Democratic Party has done jackshit for Unions in the last decade, except take their support and money and then ignore and feed their members into the bankster's meatgrinder of greed.

[jeff47]

13. Um, according to the Republicans.

What, you sleepwalk through the new Govs in WI and OH pushing anti-union laws?

Or the Republicans in Congress pushing for national right-to-work?

To be a union-supporting Republican is to be exactly like a Log-cabin Republican: It requires massive delusion that Republicans aren't out to destroy you.

[99Forever]

16. I guess if I accepted that ..

.. those two clowns, (Snotty Walker btw, is more alined with the Teabaggers than traditional Repubs, prolly the same for Kashic or whatever his name is) speak for all Repubs, I'd have to agree. But sorry friend, I don't. They are at the far right fringe of the right, they are extremists. I've known and know some Republicans that weren't extremists, in fact, they are the counterpart to Democratic Moderates. And some are in Unions. Would you prefer that they be scabs?

[jeff47]

21. No, they're not. If they were extremists, they would not get elected.

They are the mainstream of the current Republican party.

The fact that the current party has moved far to the right from its historical position doesn't mean squat. The party's position is what it currently is, not what it once was.

[99Forever]

29. Snotty isn't an extremist?

There's going to be a lot of my Wisconsin friends relieved to hear that!

[Fumesucker]

20. It's certainly possible for a chicken to support Col Sanders..

But it's hardly wise..

[99Forever]

27. But FS...

Wise and Repub?

[bvar22]

34. What has the "modern" Democratic Party done for UNIONS?

*More UNION Busting "Free Trade"?

*Arne Duncan's campaign to Privatize the Public School System (Charter Schools) and bust the teacher's Union?

*The US Auto Makers were "saved"....on the backs of busting the Auto Workers Unions.
The Democratic Party leadership demanded steep contract concessions from the Auto Unions
before their "bailout".
This was especially insulting so soon after after the
"Contracts, Bonuses, and Benefits were SACRED for Wall Street Executives" in the No Strings Attached Wall Street Bailout.

*Arkansas Democratic Primary, 2010...
The Democratic Party Leadership rescued virulently Anti-UNION Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln who was being challenged by a popular Pro-LABOR Democrat (Lt Governor Bill Halter) who had support from Organized LABOR in the Arkansas Democratic Primary in 2010.
The woman who crowed about "derailing ObamaCare" received an Oval Office Endorsement and national Party funds to revive her failing campaign.
The White House even sent the Old Dog back down to Arkansas to help out with Blanche's struggling campaign.

Adding insult to injury, an "anonymous White House Spokesman" ridiculed Organized LABOR for "wasting $10 Million Dollars" by supporting a Pro-LABOR candidate in a Democratic Primary election.
Believe me when I tell you the Organized LABOR has NOT forgotten the kick-in-face delivered by the Democratic Party leadership in Arkansas, 2010.

Anti-LABOR "Democrat" Blanche Lincoln lost by the predicted wide margin to the Republican in the General Election.

WE did EVERYTHING right to "give the President Progressives to work with in Congress",
and wound up having to FIGHT the White House to try to get a Pro-LABOR Democrat into the Senate.
The White House has never given us an explanation,
only taunts and ridicule from "an anonymous White House Spokesperson."



*And what about the campaign promises to
"Make EFCA the Law of the Land"
and to
"Renegotiate NAFTA"
LABOR has NOT forgotten how quickly those hit the trashcan after election 2008.

So remind me,
WHAT has the Democratic Party done for Organized LABOR lately?



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[flying_wahini]

18. the problem with Union supporting Republicans is that they VOTE Republican.

That's not anti-union. It's the truth.

[99Forever]

30. So you do prefer they be scabs.

Well then, I guess there's no room for discussion then, is there?

[RedStateLiberal]

2. How much profit is enough?

Executives get raises and workers get frozen wages. WTF? It doesn't matter if the workers are paid above market rates. If a company is doing well the workers should do well - not just executives (who I guarantee are also making above an average salary). The workers AND executives make a company successful. Why isn't that common sense anymore?

[Reasonable_Argument]

14. Because

The narrative has been hijacked by the right. The rich are now "job creators" and we should all be thankfully for what we get according to them. If you want to go a long way towards rebuilding the middle class remove the free trade agreements.

[RedStateLiberal]

28. Any ideas how we can take the narrative back?

It seems people are so thankful to have a job these days that they're perfectly willing to be corporate slaves and never ever question the "job creators."

Showing how income inequality has risen so suddenly should help.

Pointing out how corporations are hording billions instead of really creating jobs might help.

Stories like this OP should help because it's obvious these workers are getting screwed.

We know these facts but how do we frame it to the general public in a clear concise way so they'll wake up?

[think]

3. Why must corporations be so fucking greedy?

[HughBeaumont]

12. It's the Criminal CEO Class that runs them. It's the low-wage useful idiots that defend the CEOs.

Too much is never enough with the CEOs and the useful idiots completely ignore the miles-long odds that they'll be part of the "Big Club" someday.

It's the Great American Legacy of Greed. Some of us are just not content with merely living a secure life in the middle/working class. They want quick riches while munching Cheetos.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. With a large pool of unemployed, the capitalists are in heaven.

"....the company is using replacement workers" AKA..scabs.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. SCABS!

[HiPointDem]

6. kr

[Blanks]

8. This is why a high income tax rate is so important.

You can either pay the employees more, or the executives can pay federal income taxes on almost their entire bonus.

We should have never done away with the 91% tax bracket.

[snappyturtle]

9. I think these strikers are screwed. What in the hell can they do?

They most likely can't get loans for start up businesses?

Will their skills fulfill needs elsewhere?

What do they do when their money runs out?

I re-phrase my question: What in the hell can WE do?

I don't think we can reason with greed. The outcome is
not going to be pretty. imho

[nichomachus]

10. "Replacement workers? We used to call them "scabs." n/t

“After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he made a scab.

A scab is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a waterlogged brain, a combination backbone of jelly and glue. Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotten principles.

When a scab comes down the street, men turn their backs and angels weep in heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of hell to keep him out. No man has a right to scab so long as there is a pool of water to drown his carcass in, or a rope long enough to hang his body with.

Judas was a gentleman compared with a scab. For betraying his master, he had character enough to hang himself. A scab has not.

Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Judas sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver. Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a commission in the British army. The scab sells his birthright, country, his wife, his children and his fellowmen for an unfulfilled promise from his employer.

Esau was a traitor to himself; Judas was a traitor to his God; Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country. A scab is a traitor to his God, his country, his family and his class.”

--Jack London

[99Forever]

17. Thanks for posting that.

I stashed a copy for future use. It's been too long since I read JL , I'll have to fix that.

[dangin]

25. A scab

Not only a scab, but a caterpillar scab from the strike in96.

UAW gets two hours pay each month from each worker. That is their war chest.

UAW ended that strike when they needed that money to support a tire manufacturers fight so they screwed the workers and sent them back with no contracts. All the strikers who made enemies during the strike lost their unprotected jobs quick when UAW quit protecting them. Jack London can call me what he likes.

Also, if you don't know Peoria Illinois. It is an armpit because caterpillar can't cover it's union expenses from decades ago, and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost over the past 60 years. The unions bear responsibility for this failed economic model too.

Unions are good for exploited workers.

I got fired as a tv producer, got a scab job two days later for more than I made producing television, but for 1/4 of what union employees got with an 8th grade education.

Now I have two more post graduate degrees, and am a member of the 2% and am still a liberal and vote against my tax interests.

Just giving you all the ammo you need to call me a scab.

Oh, and those upright union members poured oil paint on the driveway to the plant so your wheels kicked it up on your car paint simply driving to work.

[Uncle Joe]

15. "Caterpillar, which has significantly raised its executives' compensation"

Caterpillar, which has significantly raised its executives’ compensation because of its strong profits, defended its demands, saying many unionized workers were paid well above market rates. To run the factory during the strike, the company is using replacement workers, managers and a few union members who have crossed the picket line.

That kind of asinine reasoning and distorted sense of value is one of the major reasons as to why our economy is screwed and our national moral compass adrift.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[flying_wahini]

24. Caterpillar is doing what American Airlines has been trying to do for years. Break Union Labor.

The CEO's gnash their teeth about the price of fuel and labor costs but still had plenty of bucks for the big boys -
who incidentally, will make out like bandits when they SELL OUT to US Airways later this year.

Of course all the "real" employees have taken pay cuts (years ago) and worked without contracts for Years. Also, in order to
"cook the Books" they just bought 10 boeing 777's, and have another 42 state of the art Dreamliners 787's.

Little wonder that the bottom line didn't look so good so NOW American is trying to strip retirees and current employers of their
pensions and health care.

The Big Boys are licking their chops waiting to rake in more cash ala Bain Capital.

Caterpillar employees are fucked.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. $4.9 billion and of course they will start outsourcing

Workers need to start to stand up all over the country. We are just fodder.

[Egalitarian Thug]

23. If only we could channel the energy of the gun debate into repealing Taft-Hartley...

This nation might actually get a little better. Of course neither party will even talk about this.

[Selatius]

31. The amount of money needed to undo Taft-Hartley would be tremendous.

Business interests managed to buy off so many politicians in both parties that it survived a veto attempt from Truman, and it takes a two-thirds majority from both chambers of Congress to reverse a veto. That should give one a glimpse of what kind of money we would need to amass to buy the politicians to repeal it.

[Egalitarian Thug]

33. Or, the one thing we still nominally possess, our voices.

This is why our binary political system is fatally flawed.

If we don't fundamentally change our political system, and soon, we are well and truly screwed.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

26. "Caterpillar says it needs to keep its labor costs down to ensure its future competitiveness."

Against who?

A rival manufacturer?

More like a rival Wall Street fund they're in deep with.

[TBF]

32. After they break the union wages will drop even more -

folks have no clue what they're in for. Stupid, stupid, stupid ...