Odoyle - I am not so quick to bad mouth Chinese products. After all they are following the same progression as other countries that have gotten into manufacturing. I remember when I was a kid that anything made in Japan was termed "Japanese Junk" Now some of the best products come from Japan. Then there was Taiwan. Now Taiwan is a step up from Chinese. I have seen a radical improvement in Chinese quality over the years. Harbor Freight is our local supply for Chinese products. At one time I only bought hand tools that I would probably use only once or twice during my life time from them. An example is ¾ " drive sockets. Now most hand tools from Harbor Freight come with lifetime warranties and I would put them up against Snap On any day (for a lot less money).
I see home hobby shops with tools now that once businesses couldn't afford such as car enthusiasts with overhead lifts in their back yard garage. I look at all of the appliances and tools I have in my house that my parents could never afford because they were made in America. I cringe when I hear politicians wanting to bring manufacturing back to America. I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to afford to buy anything anymore. My motto was always let everyone do what they do best.
In addition, I am at a point where I have gotten so fed up with American quality produced by greedy, lazy, union workers who could care less about quality and look to do the least amount of work that they can get away with. Hell we even have to bring over quality standards and methods from Japan into out manufacturing facilities. Contrary to a lot of people when I see a "Made in America" sticker on a product I just walk away from it anymore.
I know a lot of people may not want to hear that but those are the "cold , hard, facts".
Those arent cold cold hard facts about bagging on the union folks like that. Obviously you’ve never been in any type of union and were raised getting fed stupid lies. I’ve been in the union since 1984. Retired in 2017. I still pay my dues, and am not tied into the unions health care program as I’m under my wife’s plan. Does that sound like I’m greedy, just handing over dues to a union? They’ve taken care of me by providing a decent wage to live on and support my family. They promised me back in 1984 if I worked hard and worked steady for 25 years straight, and once I hit 55 in age, I could pull out and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I can say with my chest sticking out, that I’ve never ever collected unemployment in my entire career. So, before you throw out your cold hard facts, maybe do a bit of research on unions and what they’re all about before spewing out stupid facts you’ve been given all your life.
Since were on the subject of health care, I’m going to assume you have it. You either pay out of pocket for your own or its company provided, which I guarantee comes off the top of your wages. Are you happy with your health care? If not, it’s because you have low tier health care cause your company doesn’t want to pay for it, or you don’t want to pay for it. Health care is the biggest money feeding monster that will never be satisfied. In all the union meetings I’ve been at, every spare nickel that’s left after allocations of raises have been dispersed always goes to health care. Am I happy with my health care? You bet. Ive got the best money could pay for. Do I wish more of that went onto my check, sure, who wouldn’t. But when my kid can wear braces and it only cost me a $10 co pay for my wife to give birth to my child, it’s at that moment I say the union has been good to me.
You get what you pay for. I guarantee if our bridges, high rise buildings, hospitals and office spaces were being solely built by unskilled, untrained non union folks I guarantee there would be way worse problems. A lot of people don’t even think about the 10,000 lb hvac unit hanging above the t-bar ceiling just a few feet over their cubicle, or over their children’s head in school. If they did realize that was above their head, they’d be happy to know it was installed not by some yahoo guy that flipped burgers the week before, but by a certified hvac mechanic who went thru years of apprenticeship training and learned about engineering, design, earthquake restraint codes, and proper fastener usage. I’ll end this paragraph by saying a fact- not all non union are unskilled. The ones that are were either union at one time, or learned the skill set thru military training, or actually paid out of pocket to go thru a tech program. The unions actually try and recruit those folks. It’s the guy that used to be a hamburger flipper that the next day is now working for his contractor uncle, wiring up the electrical to a panel. That’s who I’m talking about.
I don’t know or care what you do for a living, but would you not want to be paid top dollar for your skill set?
Im going to end my soap box reply to the stupid comment you made towards greedy, lazy union workers by saying this- if you had it your way, what do you think a highly skilled, highly trained union worker should be paid? And if your in the range of $15/hour to $30/hour, I want you to ask yourself if you yourself can live on that, and still provide for your family and put your kids thru top tier schools. Yeah, I didn’t think so.
There are lazy people, greedy people, in all walks of life, and in all ages. Union or not. What do you call the guy on the street that’s got all functioning body parts, in his early 40’s with a sign that says “why lie, I need a beer” begging for $$? Now think about the person getting up each day, 5 days a week at 8-10 hours a day. You’re saying they’re the same?
