This discussion was moved, by me, from another discussion because it has nothing to do with the origional topic.
One more time AZSAR,
For your information we have to follow all the new quality acronyms just like the rest of the country. Being an electrician I don't have much to do with the quality of the cars. If you pay attention to the recalls, you will see that it seldom has anything to do with what the union labor installs or builds on the car. It's something that Ford buys from a supplier that usually screws up.
As far as your 8.1 hour day goes; as a tradesman I am contractually obligated to work up to 12 hours a day for a period of 13 days in a row without a day off. I am contractually able to have every other Sunday off if I tell them 3 days in advance. If Ford deems it an emergency situation, I don't even get that day off.
Production workers have a different contract and can only be forced to work 9 hours a day with every other Sunday off.
Your "Blue Collar" statement leads me to believe that you look down your nose on me and my union brothers and sisters. You seem to think my job is easy. The reality is that my job is very dangerous, (there are more electricians in burn units than firemen every year). It's hot in the summer, cold sometimes in the winter when we have to work outside. We do most of our work in manlifts 30 to 40 feet in the air. If we make even a small mistake on a live circuit it could cost us our lives. I know some electricians that have had fingers blow off their hands because of a mistake someone made. That is the reason that electricians on
midnight shift earn $33.25 per hour straight time, time and one half for anything over 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week, time and one half for Saturday, and double-time on Sundays.
If you do the math you will see that I only make $69,160.00 for 52 forty hour weeks.
I made $60,540.00 last year in overtime. That's a lot of hours to be away from your family. That's why we take
many very nice vacations each year.
Without the unions setting these wage incentive precedents, everyone would be working for straight time 7 days a week. When we get something in our contract, Toyota, Honda, etc. has to pretty much match it in order to keep their skilled trades happy.
Where Ford and GM are at a disadvantage is in the structuring of the retirement program. Ford has one worker retired for every worker presently working. GM has 2 retired for every one person working. Ford says it adds $1000.00 per vehicle to pay for the pension plan. GM’s has to be higher yet. Honda and Toyota have no retirees to pay for. Therefore they can charge at least $1000.00 less per vehicle and still make a profit.
You also need to realize that for every UAW Ford worker, there are 20 others who work for our suppliers. We must make a Quality product that we can sell for a profit to keep the stockholders happy and still support us and them.
Now on to your fictitious union experience. I've been a Teamster for 6 years and a member of the UAW for 32 years. The only way you could get away with what you said is if the guy is an admitted alcoholic or drug user and is receiving treatment and monitoring by the company. In my plant, if you are AWOL for one day, you get a reprimand in your file. If you are AWOL anytime again in the next 2 years, you get one day off without pay. Miss another day in that two year period, 3 days off without pay. It's either 4 or 5 occurrences in a 2 year period and you’re gone.
So to sum up, don't begrudge me my hard earned money. And don't get hurt falling off your swivel chair after you have spilled hot coffee on your suit in your air conditioned office. Don't get your necktie caught in the copy machine. Work safe!
That guy would have been terminated unless he was in rehab under a doctors care. When I was a Teamster they, the Union, would have had a good talk to me about cleaning out my locker the next time I was AWOL. So, I don't know what "Union" you could be refering too. 
