Something BIG is happening in Mass

You are full of shit. I worked Union for 22 years, busted my ass. Show up unqualified on a job...get sent back to the hall. Happens more than twice...MANDATORY retraining or GTFO. Get a "statue report"...... called back to the hall. A LOT of the bids my company won...were against NON UNION companies! The non union companies were paying their monkeys peanuts, but bidding higher than the Union contractors. Bet you have no problem giving head to the boss to keep your job?
Placed on ignore a while back for a reason. For some reason prevailing wage is alive and well. Somehow the unions couldn’t carry the load so onto the private sector for competitive bibs.
I worked briefly for Methuen Construction on a sewer job thru a swamp in Dracut that was great money back in 87. I was not a good fit for the company so I left. Next job I was hauling thru Bedford for a small private digger and I had my old boss from MC standing on the fuel tank for a ride saving him a long dirt walk on 225. I was shocked he remembered me and jumped right on for the lift. He was rather happy we bumped into each other.
 
How many factories have moved overseas due to a union as opposed to how many have stayed because of a union?

Is it the presence of a union that drives a company to move factories offshore, or is it the opportunity to pay slave wages and no benefits in order to reap "shareholder value" and bigger bonuses? Often two sides of the same coin, but which perspective do you take?

I am a stockholder, you are a stockholder, all of us here in NES are stockholders due to the death of pensions and the emergence of IRA and 401k plans. Personally, as a stockholder I am willing to accept a little less return in exchange for more societal stability. I believe in the rising tides raises all boats theory.

Problem is, the exec class has paid the political whores to remove the barriers to sending our jobs off shore. Others talk about unions paying off pols (and they are absolutely 100 pct right) but do you think unions are paying them to move jobs overseas? To kill their member base? C'mon, who really wants labor to forever be in a position of weakness?

The guy with a Harvard or Yale MBA who gets a new Mercedes every 2 years and has a summer home in Marina del Ray and a winter home in Aspen
They guy who "worked for everything he's got" building a company who now has a car collection, a cottage on the lake, and a cigarette boat that would make a cartel jealous. All they while the guys doing the work have no retirement contribution (never mind a plan) and has barely affordable health care?

Unions have many negatives. No doubt. But they are one of the last mechanisms for maintaining income parity (not equality) among the classes, and that parity contributes to societal stability.

Should the business owner or CEO make 25 times more than the average worker. Perhaps yes. In the case of the business owner, he took the risk and should certainly be rewarded if he succeeds.

Should that same gentleman make upwards of 100 times what the average worker makes. No way.

What if he only makes 50 times more while his workers pay less for healthcare and maybe make a little more? Would that be a bad thing?

Should an iron worker, welder, truck driver, or equipment operator make $250k a year. No way, and if those guys in the private sector join a union to grind that out of a company, they will all soon be on the unemployment line wishing they weren't so greedy.

Once again, the rising tide and the fleet of boats. If the corporate pigs brought some factories back here, and paid some of our poorer, less educated countrymen to produce material there would be less need for social welfare programs, fewer burning and generally devastated cities, and all in all a much more stable nation
 
But they are one of the last mechanisms for maintaining income parity (not equality) among the classes, and that parity contributes to societal stability.

Many would not be where they are today without them. There would likely be a distinct lack of the middle class, otherwise.

Although, over time, it has become absurd in some cases.

I was 'written-up' once for filling the coffee maker with water. Not allowed. Union job (department administrator's responsibility).
I was not allowed to touch a screwdriver (unless behind closed doors). Because union job.
Even outside of work. You paint that house, you're taking food out of my kids mouths. Union job.

Caterpillar actually did a pretty good job tempering expectations of their union back in the eighties. After an extended strike, they had negotiated things in a way that encouraged them to look the other way. Part of the union members' bonuses was based on piecework with a defined quota. Exceed the quota, bonuses all around. The line goes down, can't solve the problem, give that man a screwdriver...
 
Is it the presence of a union that drives a company to move factories offshore, or is it the opportunity to pay slave wages and no benefits in order to reap "shareholder value" and bigger bonuses? Often two sides of the same coin, but which perspective do you take?

I am a stockholder, you are a stockholder, all of us here in NES are stockholders due to the death of pensions and the emergence of IRA and 401k plans. Personally, as a stockholder I am willing to accept a little less return in exchange for more societal stability. I believe in the rising tides raises all boats theory.

Problem is, the exec class has paid the political whores to remove the barriers to sending our jobs off shore. Others talk about unions paying off pols (and they are absolutely 100 pct right) but do you think unions are paying them to move jobs overseas? To kill their member base? C'mon, who really wants labor to forever be in a position of weakness?

The guy with a Harvard or Yale MBA who gets a new Mercedes every 2 years and has a summer home in Marina del Ray and a winter home in Aspen
They guy who "worked for everything he's got" building a company who now has a car collection, a cottage on the lake, and a cigarette boat that would make a cartel jealous. All they while the guys doing the work have no retirement contribution (never mind a plan) and has barely affordable health care?

Unions have many negatives. No doubt. But they are one of the last mechanisms for maintaining income parity (not equality) among the classes, and that parity contributes to societal stability.

Should the business owner or CEO make 25 times more than the average worker. Perhaps yes. In the case of the business owner, he took the risk and should certainly be rewarded if he succeeds.

Should that same gentleman make upwards of 100 times what the average worker makes. No way.

What if he only makes 50 times more while his workers pay less for healthcare and maybe make a little more? Would that be a bad thing?

Should an iron worker, welder, truck driver, or equipment operator make $250k a year. No way, and if those guys in the private sector join a union to grind that out of a company, they will all soon be on the unemployment line wishing they weren't so greedy.

Once again, the rising tide and the fleet of boats. If the corporate pigs brought some factories back here, and paid some of our poorer, less educated countrymen to produce material there would be less need for social welfare programs, fewer burning and generally devastated cities, and all in all a much more stable nation
I saw an interview with a rich guy who was on a few boards... he stated he voted several times to move production offshore. The main driver was the cost, and labor was a huge part. I guess when you figure unions into it, it does have an impact.
But he also stated something along the lines: As an American, he didn't like it, it didn't feel right, but as a board member he was compelled to vote for the move, as it was the best thing for the company and shareholders.
So, I iimagine if he voted no on the moves, he'd soon find himself off the boards and out of the lucrative $$ he'd receive by being on them. Kind of phony if you ask me. He's getting paid to be on the board, voting a factory out of the USA potentially boosts his stock value, and he gets even more money in his pocket.
 
Thanks for the concern but it's not needed. Being in sales I can control my income. But there are a vast number of people who didn't get a raise this year, and are lucky to still have a job. And it's a bit tone deaf for public employees to be agitating for their raises when they have suffered no job loss, furlough or loss of income. I'm sure they are home with their stimulus check too.

Nice addition of the armchair psychology, though. I will let my employer know he doesn't value me. I'm sure they'd love to get rid of their top manager, but while I'm delivering him $15m a year in POs I'm all set. If that dries up, THEN I will start sucking at my job and get into one of them public union rackets.
So you know ...... I didn't sit home one day during the past year , we worked through this whole thing. It's an essential position , worked every day , had to be around people who were infected , told we were limited to time off ( vacation , holidays). You are free to think whatever you want , but we aren't the people who were sitting at home getting paid , or standing around holding up brooms and shovels.
 
Nah, youre right, a bad contract is still a contract. I just object to the tone deaf nature of his whining.

If you're in union you still have a choice. My choice would not be this bad of timing. ESPECIALLY when he know he'll get arrears paid for crissake.

To paraphrase Rick Blaine: I don't object to a parasite. I object to a cut rate one.
So you believe that because I will eventually get my $$$ , that it is okay for the state to hold on to it as long as they please? Well that's bullshit ....
 
Meanwhile back at the OP's topic, this is commies helping commies. Look for the commie states to do very well out of this while America suffers.
 
I have no problem with unions. As long as they don't affect my ability to work. As a Non Union contractor. That has done multiple jobs in The city. I have been told I don't belong there. I'm not welcome in this building. My truck has been vandalized. I've always had the opinion. Don't f*** with me I won't f*** with you. They don't seem to get that though they think. Me just trying to earn a living is f****** with them.
My wife's cousin is a big union guy. Every other Facebook post is something about the Union Rah Rah Rah!! Or the Right to work bill. But when it comes to his own $$$ he is A total hypocrite. He had a bunch of illegals build a stone retaining wall around his pool last year. I called him out and he said his reason was he couldn't find anybody else that was willing to do it.
 
Meanwhile back at the OP's topic, this is commies helping commies. Look for the commie states to do very well out of this while America suffers.
Commie states won't do well. They aren't spending the money on catching up on deferred maintenance of critical infrastructure, removing infrastructure bottlenecks, replacing costly obsolete systems or facilities with more efficient ones, or any other spending which leads to greater economic activity or lowers operational costs. They are pissing the money away, not fixing any existing problems, and adding to debt/future spending obligations.
 
I saw an interview with a rich guy who was on a few boards... he stated he voted several times to move production offshore. The main driver was the cost, and labor was a huge part. I guess when you figure unions into it, it does have an impact.
But he also stated something along the lines: As an American, he didn't like it, it didn't feel right, but as a board member he was compelled to vote for the move, as it was the best thing for the company and shareholders.
So, I iimagine if he voted no on the moves, he'd soon find himself off the boards and out of the lucrative $$ he'd receive by being on them. Kind of phony if you ask me. He's getting paid to be on the board, voting a factory out of the USA potentially boosts his stock value, and he gets even more money in his pocket.

exactly! so it mostly comes down to maintaining his lifestyle. Greed. Even though I would bet at his income level if he invested conservatively he could retire at a modest income below his current income level and never work another day in his life. But for many Americans, that's not enough, is it?
 
Placed on ignore a while back for a reason. For some reason prevailing wage is alive and well. Somehow the unions couldn’t carry the load so onto the private sector for competitive bibs.
I worked briefly for Methuen Construction on a sewer job thru a swamp in Dracut that was great money back in 87. I was not a good fit for the company so I left. Next job I was hauling thru Bedford for a small private digger and I had my old boss from MC standing on the fuel tank for a ride saving him a long dirt walk on 225. I was shocked he remembered me and jumped right on for the lift. He was rather happy we bumped into each other.

I did a number of projects as a sub company for MC back around 2008 - 2013. Some were Town (and a few private multi-unit property) water treatment plant & system projects.

So yes = Prevailing Wage projects were, and still are everywhere.

I ended up being able to get on a bidding list for a lot of similar large projects, and ALL of them were prevailing wage pricing & bidding.
(I was regularly sent work scope spec information for bidding and had the current PW lists).

To be clear, I only did work for MC and priced everything under them and never bid on the other independent projects (I was too busy with guaranteed contracts to waste a lot of valuable time with submitting "bids").
 
I did a number of projects as a sub company for MC back around 2008 - 2013. Some were Town (and a few private multi-unit property) water treatment plant & system projects.

So yes = Prevailing Wage projects were, and still are everywhere.

I ended up being able to get on a bidding list for a lot of similar large projects, and ALL of them were prevailing wage pricing & bidding.
(I was regularly sent work scope spec information for bidding and had the current PW lists).

To be clear, I only did work for MC and priced everything under them and never bid on the other independent projects (I was too busy with guaranteed contracts to waste a lot of valuable time with submitting "bids").
They are all over the country now. Met a guy in a local pub up Moosehead one evening a few years back who worked for them who told me.
 
NES is a completely different forum once you put 2-5 people on ignore.
Cape Cod Canal Tunnel,
or go-home.
It would cheaper to plug in new prefabricated bridges immediately next to the existing ones than rebuild the two old bridges the state didn't bother maintaining. Add a third bridge while they are at it.

Cape Cod Canal Tunnel is special permit only and none of you are that special. :cool:
 
Something BIG is happening in Mass. I'm part of local gov't and I keep my ears to the tracks. Mass has received an injection of funds from the Feds. They're referring to it as "Rapid Recovery Communities". It's related to COVID. It's going to impact all communities in Mass:

Rapid Recovery Communities

It sounds innocuous on the surface level, but there is too much money and energy behind this thing for it to be innocent. There are dates of rollout for it. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but the state gov't thinks it's important for a reason.
Phases, planners, plan "facilitators", SME's......I bet all of this consumes 90% of the funding.

Central planners gotta plan!
 
New Bedford is getting 68 million in aid, all will probably go to the downtown area since that is all the city cares about..... or to creating more pot holes. Maybe even making Kings Highway an even worse road than it currently is.
 
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