Union's Obsolescence Never More Apparent....

Boeing's unions seems to believe it is still 1957.  That's OK, I'm sure Boeing South Carolina will welcome the 777x....

From the WSJ:

Boeing Union Rejects Contract
Decision May Lead Jet Maker to Consider Locating 777X Project Outside Its Puget Sound Base
JON OSTROWER Updated Nov. 14, 2013 5:00 a.m. ET

SEATTLE— Boeing Co.'s largest union rejected an eight-year contract that would have guaranteed the plane maker's updated long-range 777X jetliner and its wings are built in unionized facilities in the Pacific Northwest.

The rejection brings fresh uncertainty to the process of finding a manufacturing home for the 777X. Boeing threatened earlier to look outside its traditional Puget Sound base should the contract vote fail.

Voting Wednesday, the 32,000 unionized members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, also known as the IAM, rejected the deal by a 67% to 33% margin.

Chaos marked the announcement here: The union's International Aerospace Coordinator Mark Johnson shared the results with assembled members, then quickly left the meeting hall to boos and chanting from members. The national leadership of the union hadn't endorsed the contract, but had repeatedly asked members to consider it on the grounds of long-term job growth.The union's local leadership had been under apparent pressure from national leadership. Local President Tom Wroblewski was to address the media after the results were announced, but a spokesman said immediately after the announcement that he wouldn't do so.

Mr. Wroblewski did offer a written statement, saying, "It is my belief that we represent the best aerospace workforce in the world and hope that as a result of this vote Boeing won't discard our skills when looking to place the 777X."

The contract, which was to take effect in late 2016, extracted deep concessions from the union, including significant changes in retirement benefits and the end of the defined-benefit pension. Accruals for the pension would cease at that time and would shift to a 401(k)-style defined-contribution plan.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Ray Conner said in a statement, "We are very disappointed in the outcome of the union vote. But without the terms of this contract extension, we're left with no choice but to open the process competitively and pursue all options for the 777X."

...... the new uncertainty will likely set off a feeding frenzy among states vying for the valuable 777X work.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a news conference after the results were announced that the state will now bid for the 777X.

"The game is afoot and we intend to compete," Gov. Inslee said. On Monday, he signed an $8.7 billion package of incentives that had been announced six days earlier in tandem with the proposed union contract, aimed at landing the 777X.

Boeing said that both the incentives and the contract were required for it to select Washington for the final assembly of 777X and fabrication of its new carbon-fiber composite wings.

The machinists' existing contract, agreed to in late 2011 in a deal to keep manufacturing of Boeing's single-aisle 737 Max in unionized factories, is in effect until 2016. The company sought additional wage concessions at the time and was hailed as a model for future negotiations.

In 2011, Boeing opened its first nonunion final-assembly plant—in South Carolina—where it now builds some 787 Dreamliner jets. Industry officials have said the site is being considered for the 777X work.

Boeing has long envisioned building the 777X in Washington, where it has infrastructure and an experienced workforce; analysts see any other option as risky and expensive.

Many union members opposed to the contract saw the company's threat to look outside Puget Sound as a bluff, but now "nobody here knows what's going to happen," said Jim Levitt, a 34-year machinist. "It's like we're playing chicken with a driver who is not rational." [emphasis mine]

The last statement makes one wonder  if he's talking about Boeing or the union?  The union members are apparently smart enough to build on the most sophisticate machines in the world, but still too stupid to read the hand writing on the wall.  Do they really believe they are going to be allowed to keep their old fashioned pension plans in perpetuity? The auto unions have long since given those up.  The only people left on them are these Boeing employees and federal government employees.  

I have to admit, I like the idea of Boeing building the 777x in South Carolina, if even for the selfish reason that we own a vacation home there and it'll increase the tax base and our ability for short term summer rentals.  Come on down ya'll!

And they can't figure out why we believe they are out of touch...?

[Senate Majority Leader, Harry] Reid [D-NV] signals government jobs must take priority over private-sector jobs

By Pete Kasperowicz - 10/19/11 10:16 AM ET

Thehill.com

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday indicated Congress needs to worry about government jobs more than private-sector jobs, and that this is why Senate Democrats are pushing a bill aimed at shoring up teachers and first-responders.

"It's very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it's the public-sector jobs where we've lost huge numbers, and that's what this legislation is all about," Reid said on the Senate floor.

I'm sorry, but has he had a head injury we've not been told about?   Does he really believe this or is he just saying so others might believe it (i.e., lying to the "masses" in hopes no one will use the internet to find out )?  Obamacare alone authorizes 16,000 new IRS agents.  If total government jobs are down, it is because state and local governments, who cannot print their own money, have had to cut their payrolls because their revenue is dropping like a rock.  I mean, with 14,000,000 people unemployed and up to another 10-11,000,000 underemployed, tax revenues at all levels are down.  


The simple facts are, Harry Reid and all his Democrat buddies need to get the unionised employees back to work in order to collect the dues which then get used to fund their campaigns.  It is this unholy alliance that Scott Walk is breaking up in Wisconsin.  Don't believe me?

Reid reiterated his emphasis on creating government jobs by saying Democrats are looking to "put hundreds of thousands of people back to work teaching [NEA] children, have more police patrolling our streets, firefighters fighting our fires, doing the rescue work that they do so well … that's our priority." He said Republicans are calling the bill a "failure" because they are "using a different benchmark for success than we are."  {Links added by me.}

All unions are nothing more than money laundering schemes for the Democrat Party.  The problem is, recent history has shown that private sector union memberships are dropping like a rock, so only public sector unions are available to increase their membership and thus their dues and thus their contributions to the campaigns of Democrats......  See how easy it all is?

This is what happens when adults run things....

Here are some things you won't see in the MSM:
(Note:  I could have put links on each of these, but it's too time consuming and most of these links also contain links to the other references.)

Ashland School District - saved $378,000 on health insurance;

Kimberly School District - saved $821,000 by dropping WEA Trust Insurance;

Edgerton School District - dropping WEA Trust, expecting to save at least $500,000;

Baraboo School District - dropping WEA Trust, expecting to save at least $660,000;

Dodgeland School District - dropping WEA Trust, expecting to save $260,000;

Elmbrook School District - changing health care provider, savings estimated at $878,000;

Mequon-Thiensville School District - saving $49,000 on dental insurance coverage;

Marshfield School District - saving $850,00 by dropping WEA Trust;

City of Sheboygan - Mayor Bob Ryan says collective bargaining reforms will provide  enough savings to make up for the reduction in state aid;

Wauwatosa School District - tax levy decreasing, no programs will be cut, class sizes won't increase, thanks to the reforms in collective bargaining;

Manitowoc - Laid-off city workers may get their jobs back due to the wage/benefit reforms contained in Walker's budget. Changes to overtime rules saving the county $100,000;

Pittsville - will see a 9% decrease in the school portion of their property tax levy. "This is the first year we have not needed to short-term borrow," stated Board President Strenn;

Appleton School District - will save $3.1 million just in health insurance costs due to being able to bid out the coverage and being able to drop WEA Trust;

Racine County - inmates can now be used to perform tasks such as landscaping, painting and shoveling sidewalks. Executive Ladwig states, "...this is a win/win for the inmates and the county. It frees up county employees for other tasks, gives the inmates a sense of value, and helps the county maintain property that has been neglected."

Kaukauna School District - hiring additional teachers, reducing class sizes, enacting a merit pay system, and due to Walker's Budget Bill, Kaukauna's operating budget has moved from a negative $400,000 to a positive $1,500,000. Much of this savings was due to being able to drop WEA Trust.

Hartland School District - switched from WEA Trust and saved $690,000;

Hudson School District - saved $832,000 on health insurance due to ability to bid the insurance.

KSTP did a study of the savings in Sheila Harsdorf's 10th Senate District. They found that Ellsworth, Prescott, Menomonie, Somerset and Hudson school districts are all reporting large savings due to the changes signed into law by Walker.

Keep in mind, WEA TRUST is a union insurance company, a company that has obviously been ripping off the school districts for years, thanks to collective bargaining that prohibited school districts from seeking insurance coverage from any company other than WEA Trust. How much tax money would we have saved if school districts had been "allowed by the unions" to bid out their insurance over the years? I'd say probably many, many, many millions statewide. It's the union money train running off the tracks, finally, and Shelly and her union don't like it.

WANT MORE GOOD NEWS??

Walker just signed an Unemployment Insurance extension adding 13 weeks of UC benefits.

Passed a state budget on time, without tax increases, that leaves WI in the black for the first time in over 10 years.

Turned a $3 billion deficit into a $300 million surplus.

Cut bonding by nearly 20%.

Cut more than 1,000 government jobs, including 735 long-term vacancies.

In the first 6 months of 2011 WI showed job growth more than twice the national rate.

Protected our votes by requiring a picture I.D. at the polls.

Became the 49th state to recognize our 2nd Amendment right to carry concealed weapons.

Paid off WI's $60 million debt to MN under the former tax reciprocity agreement.

Paid back over $200 million to the Injured Patients and Families Fund. This is money that Gov. Doyle unconstitutionally raided from the Patients' Compensation Fund.

Walker expanded the prohibition against tax money being used to subsidize abortion.