'Joe the Plumber' Wurzelbacher gets union job with Chrysler Group

[Omaha Steve]

Source: toledoblade.com

BY TOM TROY

Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher - a.k.a., “Joe the Plumber" - announced today on Facebook and earlier on his Web site that he has landed a union job with Chrysler Group LLC.

Mr. Wurzelbacher, 40, of Springfield Township, who once was vilified as an "unlicensed plumber," said he was on his fourth day today and taking a smoke break at the time, when he was accosted by a co-worker as a “teabagger,” a derogatory term used for Tea Party members.

In long message, Mr. Wurzelbacher said, “I was just recently hired on at Chrysler,” and explained that while he's known as a conservative, he's not an enemy of private unions.

“In order to work for Chrysler, you are required to join the Union, in this case UAW. There’s no choice – it’s a union shop – the employees voted to have it that way and in America that’s the way it is,” he wrote.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2014/02/17/Joe-the-Plumber-Wurzelbacher-hired-by-Chrysler-Corporation.html#HLrwoUK91rPfYB2L.99

[cyberswede]

1. My first reaction: he doesn't deserve it...but

I thought about it, and really ALL workers deserve collective bargaining. So, good for him.

He's still an asshole, though.

[INdemo]

40. Here is my argument against union members that are consevative

guess this day and age they are "Teabaggers"...I have argued this point with my fellow union members but I have without personal attacks and yes I have shown professionalism (for the most part)
Workers that are members of a union, pay dues,elect their union leaders (or delegates in some cases to elect those leaders) and then ask those leaders to negotiate the best possible wage and benefits package they can get through bargaining with the employers, whether it be with a large corporatation such as the auto industry or a small company or skilled trades unions (of which I am a member)
My argument : The member wants all of the above and I will be damned,come election day, they will step into a voting booth and pull the lever for the guy that wants to take all of that away from them. And then the very next day go into work and expect those living wages and benefits. That person that I just described does not deserve to carry a union card and belong to a union that works for their best interests.Period
So no not all workers deserve collective bargaining if they vote those bargaining rights away every time they step into a voting booth.
...Heres one for you..When the right to work law or some other anti union law is being considered by a state or on a Federal level and union members are asked to join in on a protest at the statehouse or wherever to carry a sign or just be present for a show of solidarity..well guess what that/those members that I just described is always busy doing something else.

[dotymed]

43. Reminded me of a funny story.

I was still an active Union carpenter. I was installing cabinets in a new hospital in Indy.
This was a couple of days before the first g.w. bush selection.
A plumber and his apprentice were in the same room installing sinks. Of course we were talking politics while working.
The apprentice said that he was voting for bush because his minister said it was the right thing to do...
He said in response to me that he loved being in the Union and how much it had helped his family, yet bush was a man of God.

After the election, I ran into that same apprentice. He had just been informed that he was being laid off due to financial cut backs at his company. it was directly related to some bush policy (I forget which one).
I asked him if he would vote the same way now?
He said, "God (bush I guess) will take care of me and my family."

People like this are beyond reason.
The story was funnier at the time...

[INdemo]

47. While I was working with

Republican union member side by side and it was mentioned that " it was because of Clinton's economic policy" that we were able to have the project work we were on. It was 1996. The guy told me that no it was Reagan's policy that brought this all about. So I asked him "Do you mean it took 16 years for this to "trickle down"? His answer yep.

I think today the younger union members carry with them the right wing ideology they were brain washed with growing up. (I was going to say bred into them but was being nice.) Throughout their childhood they were taught to hate liberals and unions but I don't know of any young member that has returned their union based pay check yet.

[rwsanders]

46. Apology here to my late brother in law...

He was a union carpenter and we both grew up in St. Louis. Going through college it was very hard for me to get a part-time job because even the grocery stores at the time were union, which left fast-food, or retail. Retail was actually hard to get at the time.
So not knowing any better, I just to say negative things from time to time about unions and actually voted poorly based on ignorance at the time.
So anyway, I know better now. Unions, while not all of them are perfect, have an honorable history of fighting for our freedoms and it saddens me that churches will put on a big show for memorial day and hardly mention labor day.
Anyway, my brother-in-law killed himself about 16 years ago, so I never got a chance to tell him he was right. Sadly my sister and her kids are all now tea-bagger crazy, as she is married to a RW union guy (works for a Dierburgs in St. Louis).

[Omaha Steve]

2. Look who he is working with...

http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2011/06/03/James-the-Jeep-Worker-to-be-face-of-campaign.html

[Mr.Bill]

13. Would those be the Jeeps

that Romney said would be built in China?

[AtheistCrusader]

33. I'm sure joe will roll with it.

Probably come out on top with another shit-eating grin and a book deal in his hand.

People like him just never get theirs.

[Stargleamer]

3. Hypocrite. . .

when I benefit--good
when others benefit--Love me Some Tea Party!

[adieu]

23. Exactly

I have a friend who has worked his whole life in government jobs: navy seaman, then fire department. The latter, of course, is a union job. He's a 110% tea-bagger and chides me because I advocate for union, despite the fact that I have never belonged to a union (except for the 14 months I was teaching and was part of the teacher's union, for which I received a pay-out of my pension contribution, since it was so small it was not worth administering for them). Most of my work life have been working at start-ups and other very volatile high techs and my own business. I'm the quintessential start-up/entrepreneur person and I'm very much in favor of unions and higher minimum wages (for a time, my employees were paid more than I was, as I was living off the retained earnings of my business).

My friend has no clue how vulnerable, how fickle capitalism can be on a person. While I am too involved in the entrepreneurial spirit to ever consider going back to a union position, I can completely understand how and why others should join unions. Being a shark constantly swimming, seeking out the next bite is a lonely and terribly ineffective way to go through life. Much better to join forces and live well-fed.

[ffr]

30. X2

And as soon as he's done with that job, he'll be badmouthing unions again. PATHETIC! He should have to wear a scarlet letter "H."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. He's only doing this to infiltrate the "Obamacar Conspiracy" for Glenn Beck.

[muntrv]

5. So, how does Joe feel about the Obama auto bailouts of 2009?

[JEFF9K]

6. There's DUMB and there's DUMBER ...

There's DUMB and there's DUMBER ... and then there's Joe The Plumber!

[Plucketeer]

16. +1000

[SummerSnow]

7. fake

Wasn't he running for public office one time? Oh he lost. Didn't he drop out the Republican party? And what kind of conservative activist (as he calls himself) likes unions? What a phoney.lol

[jmowreader]

17. I think he likes eating more than he hates unions

And since the plumbing thing didn't work out so well...

[Warpy]

32. This is the first real break the poor bastard has gotten

He was used by the GOP as long as they could and then dropped like a sack of something that didn't smell too good. I have a feeling reality really set in when the party didn't do jack shit for him during his run for public office.

I wish him success at a union job and I hope the union is able to get through to him how he has been used by the worst people in this country.

[okaawhatever]

8. I wonder if his positions will change??? I'd like to see an interview before the 14 or 16 elections

to see what he thinks then.

[dotymed]

44. not me.

That loud mouthed liar has already had his 15 minutes.

[Yavin4]

9. He wouldn't have that job without the auto bailout in 2009

All because of that socialist Obama.

[Dopers_Greed]

10. What happened to his plumbing career?

I guess he was one of the "losers" of the free market.

[rurallib]

11. Has Sarah the P. called to congratulate him yet?

would make a great segment on Fox.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

31. Her husband was union.

another hypocrite.

[DRoseDARs]

12. "...teabagger, a derogatory term used for Tea Party members." Excuse me? No. Fuck you, Tom.

The tea party activists called THEMSELVES "teabaggers" from the very fucking beginning, only later being told it's true gamer slang origin.

[LittleGirl]

14. this thread was worth its weight in gold

thank you for the snickers and chuckles. unbelieveable....

[Blue Owl]

15. Jesus H. Chrysler

n/t

[llmart]

18. It's not even an American company any longer....

so how does he feel about that?

[47of74]

19. Hypocrisy, thy name is teabagger.

[Fred Sanders]

20. Joe was NOT "once villified as an unlicensed plumber", he was villified because he allowed himself

to be exploited by McCain and Palin, desperate for anything to deflect from their own miserable campaign failures on the issues.

[CreekDog]

21. if he becomes an advocate for workers and unions, that would be nice

i'd be willing to have new thoughts about him if he'd have new thoughts about unions and blue collar workers belonging to them.

perhaps a remote possibility, but we can hope.

[littlewolf]

22. I know he came out as a conservative. never saw where he was

against private unions. however I have been wrong before.

[alp227]

24. Stop calling him a plumber already dammit! nt

[TexasTowelie]

25. Exactly!

He never obtained his license and doesn't deserve any other designation besides "scab".

[MisterP]

28. or Joe, for that matter!

[Wolfmanwon]

26. Joe at work

Last edited Thu Feb 20, 2014, 03:53 AM - Edit history (1)

WSPD Libertarian talk show host

To this:

[NoGOPZone]

27. Joe No License's fame should have expired fourteen minutes ago. nt

[SoapBox]

29. Shouldn't that last name be spelled Weaselbacher?

It would fit him better.

[TBF]

34. Good - maybe he will learn something. nt

[Botany]

35. So he has a union job thanx to Obama's auto loan program?

BTW I thought he had a plumbing business???

[Berlum]

36. Hypocrisy is a CORE Republicon "value"

as they show over and over and over.

[marble falls]

37. Joe's just looking out for Joe.

[bahrbearian]

38. He got a Union Job , but does he pay his Union Dues?

[Brother Buzz]

41. It's a closed shop - he pays

If he union dues weren't deducted from his paycheck you know what he's do.

[bahrbearian]

42. Good, Open shops suck.

[Javaman]

39. joe is a moron...

and will continue to hold on tightly to his moron creds, but me thinks that now he's getting union wages with union benefits, there will be a slow thaw in joe the morons brain.

It won't be anytime soon, but I have a feeling, after he gets his first paycheck and benefits that someplace deep down in the lizard part of his pea brain, something will spark.

[JHB]

45. Does Chrysler make busses?

Joe may help build the bus he'll be thrown under for not being sufficiently anti-union.

[That Guy 888]

48. Isn't this going to interfere with the business he was going to buy from his boss? n/t

[UTUSN]

49. R#17 & K n/t

[Wolfmanwon]

50. Joe-the-Plumber Toledo Jeep Worker

Joe-the-Plumber Toledo Jeep Worker
http://swampbubbles.com/blogs/mrindependent/20140215/joe-plumber-toledo-jeep-worker

[Wolfmanwon]

51. Joe the Plumber no longer works at Jeep

Joe the Plumber no longer works at Toledo Jeep. Apparently joe was either allegedly fired for absenteeism or quit. Joe had worked for ten months as a Temporary Part Time worker TPT on the Jeep assembly line. TPTs were working some 50 hours a week. Joe has been seen stumping in Idaho for Republicans as late as October third. I think Joes self described work ethic has taken a beating. Working as a UAW assembly line worker is real work that takes a real work ethic.