Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have a similar story. In the late 1970s the company that employed my father ran a troublesome printing plant in downtown Philadelphia. It was grossly obsolete (about 60 years old), and the unionized workforce had a contract with work rules so restrictive that the company could not make money. His company decided to sell the plant, but on the condition that the new owner keep the unionized work force (I doubt we'd see that kind of benevolence today!) Believe it or not, they found a buyer; there would have to be some flexibility in the work rules as a condition of sale. The union balked. There were tense meetings all over. My father had to have a private line installed in his office, and his boss installed a remote starter for his car. The union refused to budge, the deal fell through, and the company shuttered the plant and dismantled the equipment. There was the expected shots on TV news with stunned union reps, claiming that they never thought the company would really close the plant. The most famous example of this happened in Philadelphia in the middle 1930s. Atwater Kent famously announced that if the CWA (Communications Workers of America) organized his radio manufacturing company, he'd close the plant. The CWA had been successful locally with Philco and RCA, so it was a natural move to move to Atwater Kent. The union won representation, and the Atwater Kent plant promptly closed after the 1936 line of radios was made. Jim Shulman Bryn Mawr, PA - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Don Dory Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 7:08 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: RE: [Leica] Central now union bashing/praising Mark, I have some inside knowledge of why owners move/shut down. In the late seventies the workers at the Bunn (coffee makers) plant in Springfield Illinois got itchy to follow their peers at the Fiat/Allis plant down the street into uniondom. George Bunn paid above union scale, better vacation/medical, no strange work hour requirements. After the usual negotiations where it was apparent the union was voted in on promises of better wages/hours George Bunn closed the plant and moved production to Iowa. Oh, and the Fiat plant closed as well so all the happy union workers are doing what in Springfield? In this specific case it was workers trying to do better by themselves but not aware of the larger forces at play. In this case, management found a better business climate. The new plant in a small farm community maintains the same deal that existed in Springfield for the workers and management has workers that are more reliable in terms of absences for whatever reason. George Bunn had experience in some of his other business's with unions and had no problem with contracts, he did/does have problems with being unable to eliminate workers who show up drunk, don't come to work a lot, harass other employees and other activities that don't make a harmonious work place for all especially the work force. Don dorysrus@mindspring.com - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Mark Rabiner Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 1:11 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Central Camera in Chicgao Yes when the workers get antsy you might as well quit if they're not going to trust your kind benevolence. If these sweet old store owners were so sweet they'd give there workers a contract. Is it more a shame these people felt so strongly about being in a union or more a shame these people felt so strongly that ludicrously their workers should only be represented by them their owners. I really think the thrill of magnanimous benevolence goes only so far. What does it take to make it crumble? A worker demanding his rights to some power. In the climate of those times any worker would be ashamed to be working without a contract and without a union and thank god for that and them. That's all we need is to go back to the humanitarian ideals of the owners who get hurt so deeply when their employees betray them by wanting a contract. Me i free lance but don't work without a contract. And I'm glad i have the power to insist on that. My grandfather i get benevolence from the people who hire me can skip it. My job is to do what i put down I'm going to do and their job is to pay me. Preferably in cold unmarked unsequenced cash. No wait.. skip that part. Why did those guys close down their businesses? Just exactly why? A kind of sad ego? Peer group pressure from the other "owners"? That's entirely possible. I'll err on the side of the workers. There are more of them then owners. Mark Rabiner Portland, Oregon USA http://www.rabinergroup.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html