The Road To Recovery: Eliminating Unionized Jobs

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: bctbct
...You mean to tell me that your father installs a manufacturer roof that does not carry a lifetime warranty, yet he warranties the material and labor for life??

He did. He's partially retired now. He hasnt spent a dime on advertising since the early 80's, but his phone still rings off the hook. He will only get up for work for two reasons: To honor a warranty, or to work for someone whos willing to pay a serious premium because they dont like hiring anyone else. I've never heard of him having to honor a warranty.

Most of his company was sold off. Some of his crews bought equipment from him and spun off thier own businesses. Some became more specialized (kitchen and bath) some became more generalized (went for both industrial + residential, whereas my dad preferred industrial, maybe filled a time gap here and there with residential)

For instance a very popular roof system is Duralast which has a 15 year warranty

I am familiar with "duro-last" (duralast is something else, like car batteries or what not), and no thats not it. Duro-last, depsite the marketing hype around it, is not the best material out there. Other companies had better products out long before duro-last. 15 years for an idustrial flat roof is crap. 30 year has been the industry standard since before I was around. Hell even shingles have been promising 30 years for a while now.

He used, likely several manufacturers. A lot of the stacks came from companies like Owens Corning, he tried bigger companies like GAF but was unhappy with the quality. He bought his caulks and glues from Kole(sp?), which had a local warehouse, I remember that part cuz I had to drive down and get them a lot. Wood and nails came from 84 lumber. I'm not even sure if they are local or something bigger.

If you wish to make your case you will have to let us know what type of roofs he does. It can't be dura-last, modified bit, built up, EPDM, and I can think of no standing seam roof that goes over 50 years on warranty.

Manuf warranty. But my dad is not a manuf, he just ensures its installed properly. The vast majority of roofs that go bad do so for bad installation long before the material gives out. It's not unheard of (maybe today it is) for installation companies to warranty something themselves, or beyond what the manuf warranties.

Just just dont see how that claim can be accurate. How could he warranty a 300,000 sq ft roof for life if the materials fail in 15? Maybe you meant life of the manufacturers warranty?

Because my dad wouldnt get caught dead using duro-last? Because he knows that if a good material is applied properly it's actually going to last 75-100 years. He was doing flat roofs with rubber when most companies were still using tar and torches, or even tar and gravel!

I could drive you around my hometown and show you flat roofs my dad did years before I was born. (I'm 29) and have not been touched since.

Modified bit is an excellent roof for the money. I am still not seeing your dad warranting a 300,000 EPDM for life.

 

[jersiq]

Originally posted by: bctbct

non-Union employees dont pay into the same pension fund, so we know on that point its not "exactly the same"

Sure, I get to take my bonus and invest it in investment vehicles that I choose.
I think my returns will outstrip a pension. Greatest thing is that I don't have to rely on someone else to "manage" it.

So I guess that would make it better than my union counterparts.

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: jersiq

Originally posted by: bctbct

non-Union employees dont pay into the same pension fund, so we know on that point its not "exactly the same"

Sure, I get to take my bonus and invest it in investment vehicles that I choose.
I think my returns will outstrip a pension. Greatest thing is that I don't have to rely on someone else to "manage" it.

So I guess that would make it better than my union counterparts.

Well since they also have the same 401 that you do and a DBP, I expect they still come out ahead.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: evident
i test drove a CTS yesterday w/ a friend, and i couldn't help to notice that the interior was plastic garbage, my accord has a more luxurious interior than that!!! it sounded sweet and handled well though, but still, they still have a long way to go before competing with the euros or japs.

Shens, 2008 CTS owns all!

Seriously though, did you test drive the new CTS or the previous model, which has been known to have a subpar interior.

it was either a 2006 or a 2007. i was just like ugh...

 

[Svnla]

IIRC, GM signed the last contract with UAW that allow them to hire new people with lower pay scales.

IMO, Unions were good things back then (40 hrs work week, better working condition, better treatment, etc.) but now it is becoming more and more like dinosaurs (not right away but slowly).

I can't speak for other trade unions but the GM UAW, I can say that they are reaping what they sow (not all of them of course). UAW was not alone in the decline of domestic automotive industry (bad mgt such as bet on big trucks/suv and ignore the small cars segment) but they sure did play a major part.

BTW, at my former plant, you didn't have to be in the UAW, but your name would be in the back of their monthly newspaper for everbody to see.

I used to work along side with UAW for almost 10 years, not heard from my dad/uncle/friend/friend of friend/etc.