Caterpillar Locks Out Canadian Union Workers, Aims to Cut Wages In Half

[xchrom]

http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2012/01/02/caterpillar-locks-out-canadian-union-workers/

The Wall Street Journal has the scoop on Caterpillar, Inc. locking out union workers in Ontario, and even the conservative rag admits that the company’s behavior toward the workforce comes “despite a big recovery in earnings over the past two years.”

Caterpillar Inc. said Sunday it had locked union workers out of a train locomotive plant in London, Ontario, in a sign that the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment is prepared to get tough with workers despite a big recovery in earnings over the past two years.

Caterpillar said in a statement that workers would be barred from the Electro-Motive Canada plant until “a ratified contract is in place” for the workers, represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union. The most recent contract expired at the end of 2011, and the two sides have been unable to come to terms.

Caterpillar’s Electro-Motive Canada plant was acquired in 2010 as part of the $820 million purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel Inc., based in LaGrange, Ill.

[Brickbat]

1. Shame on Caterpillar. From what I have heard, the CAW is very strong, so I'm hoping they can keep

the scabs out. K&R for Solidarity.

[provis99]

16. the CAW bosses are collaborating with management.

this link explains more on it:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jan2012/cate-j04.shtml

[RKP5637]

2. Fuck corporations!!!

[City Lights]

8. !

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Meanwhile Caterpillar Inc. Posts Impressive Earnings,

some of the best in the industry.
Without cutting pay.

typical.

[xchrom]

4. +1

[PA Democrat]

5. Someone's got to pay for the CEO's huge compensation package.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=13387209

New Caterpillar CEO's Compensation Quadruples

Caterpillar Inc. quadrupled Doug Oberhelman's compensation last year when he was promoted to the top job at the world's largest maker of mining and construction equipment, but his $10.4 million compensation was less than half what the retiring chief executive received, according to an Associated Press review of a regulatory filing Friday.

Oberhelman became CEO last summer and added the chairman title in the fall after Jim Owens retired. Owens' compensation more than tripled in 2010 to $22.5 million, mostly because Caterpillar's board gave him a stock grant worth $16 million to thank him for his leadership.

Caterpillar's board said in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the compensation both men received was warranted because of the company's performance and because Oberhelman took on much more responsibility.

[Ikonoklast]

15. Boy, if that isn't a predictor of falling earnings, I don't know what is.

Huge Increase Of Base Pay + Huge Stock Options = CEO Who No Longer Gives Hoot, He's Set.

[Brickbat]

6. OFL: LABOUR PREPARES TO BAR SCABS FROM LONDON PLANT: MORE MILITANT DEFENCE OF GOOD JOBS COULD MEAN

WIDESPREAD LABOR UNREST IN 2012

http://ofl.ca/index.php/news/index_in/labour_prepares_to_bar_scabs_from_london_plant/

Courage!

[RKP5637]

9. Good, I'm glad to see this happening. How would workers negotiate with these

bastards without unions, HR? What a joke, HR was all we had. First out the door were those with good salaries and experience.

[MakingSense]

17. In all fairness

It isn't negotiating that is the problem, people from all walks of life in every industry known to mankind negotiate their own compensation packages with their employeers. How do you think those CEOs get those golden parachutes or how technical experts manage to get additional vacation time or allowance for remote working.

What you are refering too is not negotiation it is job security which is an entirely different beast. I realize that this seems like it is just arguing semantics to some people but this error is actually a deeper problem than we often realize. One of the big problems union supporters have in swaying over the non-union workers is a lack of ability to communicate what purpose a union serves. The days of people needing unions to negotiate are long gone in the minds of skilled workers because these people are capable of doing their own negotiation. What they are not capable of doing is securing their position, that is where the unions come in. However that is not how unions are sold to the people. The discusion is always about the negotiation which skilled workers see as a worthless benefit.

[RKP5637]

20. Excellent summary! Thanks! Yes, it is job security that is of concern.

[tsuki]

7. I hope Catepillar, Inc. gets it ass handed to them on a platter. nt

[Spazito]

10. CAW is great...

and I am glad to see the OFL mobilizing as well. The current government in Canada is far-right and would do whatever it could to support companies trying to break the unions. Here is some more info:


"The CAW has called for the federal government to disclose any commitments made during the 2010 purchase of Electro-Motive by Caterpillar under the Investment Canada Act.

snip

Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan said Ontario's labour movement is ready to mobilize to help the CAW stop scabs from crossing picket lines at the London plant.

"Workers across the province are angry and feel betrayed by their government and they are ready to fight together to defend good jobs," he said."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/02/end-lockout-london.html

[xchrom]

11. +1

[Omaha Steve]

12. Cut the boards pay too!

K&R!

[provis99]

13. Caterpillar is a blue chip stock.

rich enough to hold one of the treasured 30 blue chip places on the Dow Industrial. they should be able to afford to pay their employees for the work that they do.

[LiberalFighter]

14. May Caterpillar management and board members suffer the consequences

[Earth_First]

18. The United States' #1 export: union-busting n/t

[Rochester]

19. K. & R., Solidarity forever!

[MilesColtrane]

21. Fucking bosses.