National Auto Radiator

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• Nice post David. First of all, I can't speak for everyone but I don't have any "certain" attitude that you refer to. I want more jobs in the city just as much as everyone and I don't see where my comments would suggest otherwise. What I posted are cold-hard facts and reality. Yup, unions in general sometimes get a bad rap for everything and despite what you think they are not all about bleeding a company dry. Oh, and please explain to me how I or anyone else is putting people out of work- I'd like to hear this one. In fact, last time I checked, the auto industry has BY FAR lost the most jobs in this city so why don't you tell that to those people? All I want to know is where was all of this attitude and hatred toward the manufacturing workforce 10-15 years ago? It seems like over the past 5-10 years there has been alot of dissention towards those people for whatever reason and they are the ones who have lost the most jobs? That's what boggles my mind. Again, please explain in detail about the "attitudes" of union people and also in regards to your last statement- if all of those people were out of work, I'd bet you'd suffer and this city would turn into another Flint Michigan. Lastly, how do you know I am "one of those" people? Actually I am not but I do have several family members who are and I support them.

• Read Guido's first comment. He later said they are union, but his first comment is, "They have a reputation of mistreating their employees. "

  So, instead of the CAW believing in the company by saying they make a great, high quality product, the first thing he does is make a negative comment. The topic becomes why we need a union instead of promoting the company. This is a common thing with unions. It's all about justifying the union. Big business is inherently evil and therefore we need a union. It's this prejudice and bad vibe that turns customers off from dealing with that company. Which in turn means less demand for products and ultimately layoffs and plant closures.

  You talk to anyone who works at Toyota and they're gonna stand behind the company and say they make a great product and they believe in the company. That's why they're doing so well. They know that you get out of it what you put into it and they don't want a negative union environment. It's this negative union vs. management environment that causes the business to fall apart. Productivity goes down as union workers carry this negative attitude againt management. Expenses go up and new staff needs to be hired like a shop foreman and staff to deal with the union. It comes to the point where the company is losing money, and if they're not being bailed out by the government the plant gets shut down.

  How can you not see this? Union brainwashing?! Look around you. Union plants are getting shut down unless they're being put on temporary life support with government aid. The Big 3 is asking for tens of billions of dollars from the government to avert bankruptcy from all the loses. Yet, the non-union plants in Canada like Toyota are turning a profit and not asking for government aid.

  You are not entitled to a high paying job. It's a priviledge to those who make a profitable product for the company. This is not a communist country. If you think you can do better, work somewhere else, start your own company or live by your wits and become a salesperson. Ask not what your company can do for you, ask what you can do for your company. A phrase to live by if you don't want to see your company go under and lose your job.

• David your so out of touch and undeducated.
  FYI- The plant will be in Woodstock, Ontario, about 30 miles, or 50 kilometers, southwest of Toyota's operation in Cambridge. The plant is expected to open in 2008 and will cost about 600 million Canadian dollars, or $487 million, including 125 million dollars in incentive money from the governments of Canada and Ontario.

  Read the rest of the story and educate yourself:
  http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/24/business/toyota.php

• Here is another FYI:
  Newser) – Even Toyota—with its array of popular gas-sipping vehicles—is struggling in a slumping global economy, according to the latest figures. The world’s No. 2 automaker today reported that earnings for the last quarter fell 28% to $3.05 billion from $4.2 billion a year ago, reports the AP. "We are facing a severe business environment," said Toyota's president.

  Read this story here: http://www.newser.com/story/26878/us-woes-drive-toyota-profits-down-28.html

  So three items you said:
  No layoffs at Toyota their doing great- proved wrong!
  No government funding Toyota does great without handouts- proved wrong!
  No loss of profits Toyota is making money- proved wrong!

  Some business person you are.

• Wrong, you've twisted the facts and your arguments proves nothing:

  1) The articles made no mention about layoffs at Toyota in Ontario.

  2) Not the same thing. This is an apples to oranges comparison. The $125 million from the Ontario government is for opening a new second plant in Woodstock, not for their existing plant in Cambridge. The Big 3 are asking tens of billions from Congress to keep their existing unprofitable unionized plants open. Also, in regards to Ontario from the article, "Ford Motor of Canada was recently given 1 billion dollars to rework a 51-year-oldfactory near Toronto that makes minivans. General Motors of Canada has received 2.5 billion dollars for its operations in Oshawa, Ontario..."

  We are talking about dozens of times of the amount of money that Toyota got just to keep the existing BIG 3 plants on life support. Toyota is not asking for money to keep their plants on life support. It's not the same thing.

  3) According to the article, Toyota saw a 28% drop in their net profit because of the high dollar. But, they are still turning a profit. THE BIG 3 IS NOT TURNING A PROFIT. That's why they're asking for handouts.

  Geez, some business person YOU ARE. Is this what they teach you at union meets? But, you don't need to know anything about business or care about it when you're in the union. You just need to justify your counter-productive and counter-competitive unions with this specious nonesense until the plant is shut down. You're digging your own grave, my friend.

• You are a waste of time I will not bother. You have your head so far up you know where!

• That's just what I was gonna say about you.

• Now that's what I call solidarity! :)

• To David

  LOLLOLOLOLOLOLOL you are sooo out of touch with things. NOT EVERYBODY AT TOYOTA WILL STAND BEHIND THIER COMPANY.if you read newspapers David the machinst union were trying to unionize the cambridge plant back in april and toyota found a loophole around it it will be eventually become unionzed and they even have forums to talk about the bad work conditions at the ontario plant.The reason why the big three are asking for loans is because they need it to develop new technologies.
  SO MR BUSINESS MAN EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE YOU RANT ABOUT HOW BAD UNIONS ARE.There are plenty of average people who depend on the big three in the usa and canada,these people don't give a rat's a@$ about business people like you.They care about putting food on thier tables and supporting thier families.TOYOTA WILL NEVER EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THEN FORD CHRYSLER GM AND ALL THE SPINOFF JOBS

• and you havent comment about the article about the BUSINESS OWNER WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULT HIS EMPLOYESS and if it wasn't for the caw local 444 pratas would never of been charged.GEE I WONDER WHY YOU DIDNT RESPOND TO THE ARTICLE MAYBE ITS BECAUSE THE BIG BAD UNION HELPED THESE PEOPLE.UNIONS WERE BROUGHT IN FOR A PURPOSE TO DEAL WITH SCUM LIKE THAT.LIKE I SAID BEFORE All David cares about is management and how to please them.