Extreme Greed: Caterpillar Locks Out Workers

[sanitydotorg]

Yes employers who want to pay $1hr less are greedy. Employees who want to earn $1hr more are not greedy.

Who created that job for you to begin with? If you want to blame someone, blame the government for pushing the planet to the brink of destruction. You love the state, because it lets you take things you didnt earn. No one owes you sociopathic scumbags a living. If you dont like what the company pays go work somewhere else. Or you could start your own company...oh wait...that would be work.

[gripitandripit87]

This plant is now closed and this government could not give a shit because it's always big business with conservatives. Being an apprentice in a trade we always here from politicians that there's going to be thousands of jobs opening up and not enough man power for them after the baby boomers retire. How can you believe that when this type of shit is going on? All these jobs in residential and infrastructure? Give me a break...Full support to the CAW.

[mfornelos]

@gripitandripit87 There are lots of jobs, just go out west or east where they are, what do you think you will find in Ont, the CAW has driven out all the jobs.

[gripitandripit87]

@mfornelos Yep, like everyone else I'll probably head out west. Large construction projects are hard to find in this province. Not many jobs. Atleast until nuclear refurbishment is booming again..

[famasmaster2000]

Lets see the politicians take a paycut......all those fuckers do is get pay raises along with all the extra fringe benefits like spending our tax dollars on travel expenses and dinner outings.....I feel sorry for these guys !!! You have my full support !!!

[copperheadmarine]

@LLB9977 Socialism?

[warmfreeze]

after you protest i would look for another job instead of wasting ALL your time protesting..some people just cant seem to cut their loses and move on. it's called ADAPTING. it's no different from telling your cheating wife of 10+years to go fuck herself and find a different wife..

[kitfoxflyer]

EMD gone

Employess all lost jobs

Who won

[GSkid2000]

The guy talks about shareholders getting $330 million a quarter is greedy ?!?! How about employees buying shares so they can share in the profits? The company does well, you do well.

Greedy is demanding the money on the front end (that being high wages) instead of getting the money on the back end (profit sharing). There should be a base pay for a job and the rest should be based on how profitable the company was.

This forces workers to be accountable and encourage efficiency on their part.

[GSkid2000]

I'm glad to see this happen. You talk about greed?!!? Union greed is the worst!

If someone will do their job for half their wages, that's the free market. Do these same union people think about if they are giving a fair price for goods when THEY buy things?!? Hell no! They shop around for the cheapest price when they buy a house, car and other goods and services. Caterpillar is only doing the same but are somehow "bad" when they do it.

Union Hypocrites!

[mfornelos]

@GSkid2000 Could not have said it any better!

[javelin1010]

Thank you CT, Mark's, TSC, etc. This IS a wake up call to all working CANADIANS. Out of a job yet HARPER!!!

[mfornelos]

@javelin1010 So what did Harper do to make this company leave town?? & why were you guys no mad at Chretien or Martin when factories that they gave tax breaks to left for the USA???

[BoredomCorner]

@mfornelos Wasn't Harper elected to fix Liberal screw-ups and build Canada into a strong country?

Harper LET these guys scoop up yet another Canadian industry -- with tax breaks, to boot -- and less than two years later just walk out the door.

[mfornelos]

@BoredomCorner Do you honestly think Harper can stop a private business from buying another private business & doing what it wants with it. The second govt starts getting involed in private business & telling it what it can & can't do, is the second not one company will ever think of locating in Cnd. & if you don't offer tax breaks to corp then whats their incentive to come here? high taxes & a unrealistic caw?

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos There's a problem here, Corporate Welfare. This is another good example of it. And, the thing is that there's no end to it. They moved from London to... Wherever, Indiana. Some right to work state. Then, they'll move to Mexico. I agree with you, the CAW is on drugs. But, I really think there's got to be a better solution than just shrugging your shoulders and saying "It's the only way"

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo No one is shrugging their shoulders & saying "its the only way" What the CAW won't tell you & the horrible mickey mouse local news wont tell you is, that there are lots of non union plants going strong, like Brose, Formet & Presstran. Where their wages are $18-22hr, which is around 50-60k a year. A true middle class income & a good one when you factor in their benefits & pensions. Look at what plants leave, they are unionized ones. We can & do compete here just fine.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos Just you wait until Harper pushes for Free Trade with China. Honestly, I hope you and everyone else can keep their jobs, but, I really think that's going to be impossible. I guarantee companies will leave. You can pay a Chinese Worker 64 Cents an hour. Union or no, it will not matter. 64 Cents an hour, and, they MOST Likely work a minimum of 10 hours a day. There's no overtime, there's no benefits, there's no bonus. Even with the cost of shipping goods back here... Walmart = Future

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo You should really get your facts straight, i hope you understand that the doom & gloom scenarios that the CAW brainwashes you with are to protect their own "greedy" interestes. Thinks about, there are about 250,000 CAW members who pay about $1000-1200 a year to the union, Do the math, you wonder why the CAW tells lies about workers in China, however about 80% of the parts in American cars are from China & they are ok with that. Non union jobs will stay & thrive.

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo Also, walmart future, HAHA! love that one. You want to make 100k go to Newfoundland, the economic boom out there might come to a slow down because they are short about 77,000 workers, or go to Alberta or Saskatchwan. The unionized manufacturing sector is dying in Ont, so if your unskilled with nothing more then a grade 12 education but want to make what an educated person makes, then theres your 3 places to go, or like you said take your grade 12 & work at walmart.

[AmandABaR444]

And way to go Marks Work Wearhouse/Canadian Tire!!! That better not be a temporary shelf pull, permanent results with a little announcement will be very effective to Londoners, and improve your company image amongst all Canadians, not just London

[AmandABaR444]

WOW fucken Indiana are u kidding me!!!!!???? Fucker Harper, while ur playing with Pandas in China, you have citizens that lost their jobs, benefits, and your tax dollars. Just wait untill,all the construction companies have to replace their bigger machinery, all the large London area construction companies and contractors will not repurchase that product. This move by CAT will haunt them for a while.

[ConrailSD70MAC]

If Canadians want to get Caterpillars attention, all contracts with companies using CAT products should be dissolved. Go out and support companies using Komatsu. Komatsu is CAT's Japanese rival. I like Komatsu's motto from the 90's. "encircle Caterpillar". Costs are too high CAT says about London? How about the salaries of Caterpillar Group President and CFO Ed Rapp and CEO Doug Oberhelman? Take your salaries and use it on all those families you've ruined.

[allahisgod1000]

@ConrailSD70MAC HERE HERE!!!! I like the sound of that!

[mfornelos]

@RetroCaptain Seeing as most of their product is built outside of north america, i would say their quality & profitability will be doing just fine. I am definitely going to buy stock in the company because that is a safe & smart investment.

[allahisgod1000]

This is the end of the middle class...... GO TO HELL CATERPILLAR!!!!!

[mfornelos]

@allahisgod1000 Tell that to the middle class who still work at places like Brose, Formet or Presstran. This is not the end of the middle class, this is the end of unions. Which is what this country needs, the people who can go to hell is the CAW.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos I'm not sure if the end to the Unions is what this Country needs. There are all types of Unions. In BC, there's the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, they simply provide all the resources for the Electrical Trade, provide training, help Journeymen and Apprentices look for jobs, and help companies find Trades people.

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo Your right, i shoud have been more clear, but i would say in 20 years the caw will not exist, and once that happens you will see companies start coming back into ontario offering good jobs at fair middle class wages, $17-20hr. the caw seems to think & wants everyone else to think $35-40hr is a middle class wage.

[lakeerie90s]

@mfornelos $20/hr is below the poverty line (only 40K/year). that would be a fair wage for you though.

[mfornelos]

@lakeerie90s You should get your facts right before posting coments. $40k a year is about $25k over whats considered the poverty line in Cnd & is right around the average income for a Cnd.

[lakeerie90s]

@mfornelos those are only your facts idiot!! 15K/YR is considered the poverty line only by the stupid government. the real poverty line depends on personal circumstances, but for a family with 2 kids, it is about 40k/yr (before tax). A family income at 40K/yr (which means about 30k/yr after tax) cannot make ends meet without either going to food bank or piling up more and more debt. mortgage, food, gas, utilities, clothes, car insurance, property taxes, etc, and that 30K is gone.

[mfornelos]

@lakeerie90s So if you only have a combined income of 30k a year, why do you have two kids, a house, car etc. You are obviously living above your means. & further more, why is it the corp responsibility to pay you more so you can have nice things in life. If you want a better life & nicer things, then go to school, get an education or a skilled trade & earn more money, you are such a typical union person, think you can get a grade 12 education & make 80k a year.

[BoredomCorner]

@mfornelos That's a hell of an assumption on your part. How do you know that lakeerie PLANNED on his/her life turning out like that?

For that matter, if you honestly think education helps you get a good job anymore, you clearly haven't had to look for work lately. I have four years of college -- all with honours -- under my belt, and no one will even talk to me. Even going back to take up a trade, is like pissing into the wind, because there's just no room for it anymore.

[mfornelos]

@BoredomCorner The CBC just reported that there are 250,000 skilled jobs unfilled in Cnd & Newfoundland economic boom might slow down because they need about 77,000 workers, from skilled to unskilled, & seeing as not one of my friends & i who went to university or college is unemployed, i would suggest you start looking outside of Ont or take course in something that is in demand. There are alot of well paying jobs out there.

[allahisgod1000]

@mfornelos I would say you are either a manager or just an idiot troll, get a life, are you making money off peoples pay cuts??

[mfornelos]

@allahisgod1000 How am i making money off peoples pay cuts? & i dont want anyone to lose their jobs. However the caw & its members need a dose of reality. The days of exploting these companies for unsustainable wages & benefits are over. You simply have to look at all the plant closures in our area, they are the unionized, while the non union factories are still going strong. Whats that tell you, the caw is now a powerless union.

[LegendTellerFilms]

I didn't just lose 50% of my wages under the Hitler, er Harper government. I lost my job as Hitler, er Harper allowed PostMedia to be bought out by 92% American investment contrary to Canadian Law. What is more disturbing is that my newspaper, the Calgary Herald was profitable and now with our jobs going to people earning less than 50% of what I earned, the paper is making the likes of Paul Godfrey and his American consortium more money than they need. What a farce! What a sham Canada has become

[mfornelos]

@LegendTellerFilms The gov't had nothing to do with this, you really need to open your eyes & stop listening to the bs your union is feeding you. Where were Chretien & Martin when the factories in SW Ont closed that they gave direct tax breaks to, to get them here. I dident here you or the caw bashing them for not doing anything. & were you the skilled trade who was going to make $34 instead of $38, thats not 50%, why was the union so secret about the contract offer?

[allahisgod1000]

@LegendTellerFilms How are these wages unsustainable, the company is hugely profitable, so we should all work for half our wages, then what? We have half the money to spend in the local economy, we all start buying only made in China crap we can afford with our new lower pay, then it snowballs.

[allahisgod1000]

@allahisgod1000 The worst thing we have done in this country is take off tariffs on goods from countries that have people that work for 2 bucks an hour, the cost of living there is low for those workers, how can we compete??? This is nothing more than corporate greed. For the record I am not a former employee nor do I even live in Ontario, I just feel this is a huge issue for the country as a whole!

[MrSupertwo]

@allahisgod1000 Interesting, I was just thinking along these same lines last night. It snow balls... China provides us with Cheap Crap to keep inflation down. We make a Crappy wage because that manufacturing job goes to China, and, it keeps spiraling further down.

[copperheadmarine]

@allahisgod1000 So you cant be trusted to not buy chinese on your own? Maybe the govt needs to make your decisions for you? I think we should do away with corporations!....Oh wait...what about all the people who work for corporations? Do we want the Govt to take them over? Yeah look at all the things to do with money that the govt runs that are effitient...Oh wait I can't think of any...I think socialism is the way to go! That way the sorriest worker in Canada gets paid the same as the hardest?

[allahisgod1000]

@copperheadmarine Are you an idiot?? In my comment I stated the loss of buying power will take the decision away from consumers.  If you dont make enough to afford Made in Canada then you dont have a choice.

[copperheadmarine]

@allahisgod1000 I'm the biggest idiot the Northern Ontario School system could produce! In the best education system in the world....Has to be...we were told almost every day at school how superior Canada was to the rest of the world...And if the school system wasn't brainwashing you then it was the CBC...But I know its upsetting to loose your job.......I really do..The Govt should have never Allowed the sale of Algoma steel for sure..

[northerbrewer]

Solidarity brothers hold the line.

I did 1 year against VALE you can hold on too.

[m00se321]

Just Send the Plant too Communist China.Even a Minimum Wage Job ,Can't compete With Communist China!!Factory  will Save Millions and Millions!!!

[mfornelos]

@m00se321 Non union plants can & are competing here just fine against china, mexico & india. Just look at Brose & Formet, my friends mom works there & makes $22hr driving forklift. They have always vote no to unionize, which would explain why she works 40+ hrs a week & has no worries about losing her job at all. Just look, since 2008 how many non union plants vs unionize have closed, if you are non union your job is pretty much safe & secure.

[MrSupertwo]

Is this a result of Free Trade?

[allahisgod1000]

@MrSupertwo YES IT IS!!!!!

[mjwally2112]

STAND TALL BOYS.....I SUPPORT YOU

[rwcbanzai]

TrailerTrain (TTX) did the same thing (lockOut)....

[TVACdotCA]

Amazing that a highly profitable company with Billions in assets and lots of corporate welfare (Harper's tax cuts) is able to do this with impunity.

Harper's vision of Canada is low-wage work under a corporate-run government. No health care, no benefits, no pensions and low wages. Glad to see all the support and a GREAT VIDEO!

[mfornelos]

@TVACdotCA This is a horrible one sided bias video, The CAW has lied the whole way throught this video. All they talk about is a 50% wage cut for everyone, not true, there are five different pay scales based on your skill, unskilled will make $16.50, while skilled workers will still make $35. & lets be honest $16.50 for an unskilled job that anyone with nothing more then a high school education is a very good and fair wage.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos Hi, I was wondering if you could direct me to finding more info about these wage pay scales. Much appreciated.

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo Its very hard to find, because the unions dont want you to know the truth, if they did, they would release the actual offer from CAT for everyone to see. If you go on AM 980 website they found a copy of the offer and talked about the different pay scales & how less then 100 people would actually make $16.50hr. & those people are the unskilled labour, which is a very fair & standard wage for unskilled labour today.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos Thanks for this, I'm still having a hard time finding it, but, I'll take your word for it. You know... I find it very hard to justify wages. I mean, how much is any job really worth? It's worth whatever someone is willing to accept as a wage... The thing that scares me, in the end, they could just send all the jobs to Mexico, and how was are we supposed to compete?

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo The bottom line is, when you are doing a job that requires no skill or education, you should not be making $30hr or more, it is not feasible for a company to compete globally. & if you look at all the factories that have closed in SW Ont, since 2008, they are the unionized ones, because their wages & benefits are to high to compete, the non-union factories are still going strong with $17-20hr wages.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos (1) Yeah, I understand. First off, thanks for responding, I'm interested in listening to your point of view here. 2ndly, I worked in the Automotive Industry(not anymore), it was Skilled Labour, I had my liscence after 5 years, and, I worked 9 hour days to make 50grand a year. Really working hard for it. My point is this... Corporate GM and GM Dealerships will try and drive everyone's wages down as much as possible, doesn't matter, it's all supply and demand.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos (2) So it's about how well you negotiate a deal for yourself. And, these people had a great deal negotiated for themselves, and, now, they're going to have a less great one I guess.

[MrSupertwo]

@mfornelos (3) The thing is... what happens when they say "Well, we're moving out factory to China." Even a minimum wage job here in Canada can't compete with that.

[mfornelos]

@MrSupertwo We can compete here, just cant do it with $30hr wages & dealing with union b.s. There are plenty of factories that do very well here with $17-20hr wages, like Brose & Formet. These factories pay fair wages & benefits, which keeps them competitive. Look what happened to Sterling, went union, 3 strikes in 5 years doubled wages, less productive, so the left for Mexico. I dont blame them & as a CEO I would have done the same.

[lakeerie90s]

@mfornelos 17 to $20/hr is a fair wage only if the CEO is making less than $100/hr. But the CEO of Caterpillar is probably making millions/year. so I say fuck Caterpillar, the CEOs, the banks, etc. Harper & greedy corporate supporters are destroying the middle class of Canada. Instead of tax cuts to greedy corporations, harper should cut taxes to lower and middle income Canadians. bring back Chretien, HIS government cut personal income taxes more than any other government in history.

[copperheadmarine]

@mfornelos Well you know how it is? Somehow no job is better than A job?

[lakeerie90s]

@mfornelos I'd like to see YOUR wage cut by 50% you FUCKING GREEDY FAT CAT ASSHOLE!

[mfornelos]

@lakeerie90s Please provide proof of whos wages are being cut by 50%. There different pay levels depending on your skills, So from what was leaked, skilled guys who were make $38hr were offered $33hr, thats not 50%. So the people who were offered $16.50hr would be the unskilled workers & i doubt they were making as much as the skilled workers. So instead of name calling, how about you provide proof & prove me wrong. Show me whos taking a 50% pay cut & how many of them.

[SuperOffgrid]

@mfornelos very good point. I would trust to protest this stance by Cat. that any and all union pension funds have sold off all Cat. investments.

[mfornelos]

@lakeerie90s Im still waiting for that proof?

[Samvalrok]

Ça me rappel ce qui s'était passé à Flint, Michigan bien documenté dans le documentaire Rogers and Me de Michael Moore...

[saltiresteeler1]

@hotcanadiancpl I'll tell you why because I've been through it. The national will control the flow of information to the membership leaving you wondering, when they already know the answer. We had a closure agreement ,dumped our pension and took cuts. 5 months later and a couple of days before the closure date the "committee" pulled out a run-out agreement.

[joecanukk]

what is the average hourly wage at this plant? Thinking these union workers do all right, plus benefits.

[Bogie956]

You should check out what CAT has done to the UAW member contracts in the states. I worked at aurora Illinois facility. They did get away with cutting benefits, pay, retirement and going with a two tier pay scale. What will really get your goat is the board members voted in a phantom stock for themselves so they could sell all they got per year or quarter and still have the ghost shares to stay on board. (The question when is enough, enough. CAT response NEVER. VP CAT Aurora plant meeting 2004

[darryl2154]

This video is the first item on conservative Joe Hueglin's Daily Digest e-mail today. Hope the readers watch it. Maybe the "grassroots" will wake up and realize what is going on. $5M in tax cuts to a U.S. company just so they can pack up and leave! Where is the accountability? The U.S. has a "buy American" policy but we Canadians just throw our hands up and say "oh, whatever." We're too polite. We're the best country in the world and it's about time we started to look out for our own.

[copperheadmarine]

@darryl2154 Yeah we are brain washed into thinking we are the best alright...From it pounded in our heads at school and our radio and the CBC...If you want to keep believing that I recomend not traveling around the rest of the world...

[yzkid74]

Canada is waking up now to im starting to feel better now

[saltiresteeler1]

Tell these workers the truth Lewenza.

Don't let them believe that anything more than a closure agreement is in thier future.

Stop misleading these workers.

[hotcanadiancpl]

@saltiresteeler1 why do you think the workers are mislead? They know the score.. Noone wants the plant to leave London.. But noone is going to allow their wages to be cut by 50% + ( they actually want more than just the wage cut its alot more lost ) It would drop the Standard for the entire Country .. they will not work for this disgusting underpaid wage for skilled work.. and they wont allow anyone else to either!! If its a plant closure agreement needed .. so be it. everyones aware

[MouseRitch]

watch this pll your next

[djcsr]

I can understand their shock and indignation. I'd be pretty pissed off too if I made $35 an hour and some greedy company out of the blue asked me to cut down to $16. The only people who won't likely feel sorry for them are the masses of people in this city working their asses off who don't ever have a hope of getting $16/hr.

[hybridtheory2004]

@djcsr yeah you know, these people don't work their asses off at all and don't deserve what they make.

[Dale13Bruce]

The Monetary system at it's best.

[jfsttp]

I'm surprised that the '' I'm against labour'' minister Lisa Ratt ( no I did not misspell her last name) hasn't forced you back and called it a blow to the economy. I wish you all good luck and keep up the fight.

[squirrelywrath2]

How about we just let them leave and go to Indiana. The US economy is so rock solid right now (sarcasm), so let them jump in that boat.

[robynozz]

And this is how it's done. Take it or leave it. Tax base goes down, pension contributions are halved, disposable income disappears.... we become a country of minimum wage earners. How much does the CEO of Caterpillar make? How much do the shareholders get?

[hotcanadiancpl]

@robynozz shareholders are getting cuts exceeding $300,000 every 3 months.. and the Ceo took home $10.4 million last year ......

[TNMamaBear]

note the irony...the threat used to be we'll shut down and move to Mexico or China...now they have so abused the American work force that the threat is to move to the US? wow. that is how bad things have gotten.

[ccraigd89]

@TNMamaBear yeah it's pretty sad..just like the ikea plant..Swedish workers were making 16 dollars an hour while american workers were making 8 to do the same exact work.

[jordler]

operation comme should be the name of thus channel

[ccraigd89]

@jordler learn how to spell