Blogging Tory Paul Holmes is outraged -- outraged, I say -- over those obscenely-paid line workers:
Dear Auto Worker … Your Union is Screwing You
You people make $76 an hour! Holy crap, do you all eat caviar and smoke big fat cigars in top hats, too? I mean good for you for pulling this off for so long! Really, good job! ...
But what about the average Canadian? Do you honestly think somebody who makes 1/3rd as much money as you is going to be sympathetic, and want to share your pain? How screwed up is it to take money from the working poor to pay for your hot tubs and country cottages?
And then there's how it is on planet Earth:
Having worked at the Chrysler Brampton plant for three years as an assembly line worker, Rossi's highest pay rate was almost 36 Canadian dollars (29 U.S. dollars) an hour. Yet as a chef, he will not be making anywhere near that.
But ... but ... but ... $76 an hour! Aren't they all making $76 an hour? Oh (emphasis added for the truly fucking stupid):
Chrysler Canada estimates its hourly labor costs, which include wages, benefits and legacy costs such as pensions, are approximately 76 Canadian dollars. To be competitive with Toyota plants operating in Canada, the company says it needs to reduce those costs to 57 Canadian dollars an hour.
And that's why no one takes the Blogging Tories seriously. Because they're all retards.
Complete. Fucking. Retards.
AND THE BURNING STUPID RAGES ON:
- Blogging Tory Paul Holmes: "They make $76 an hour!"
- Commenter Renee: "Um, you realize that's not true, right?"
- Paul: "Of course I do. I'm not an idiot!"
Actually, yes, Paul, you are. I believe we've established that. And then there's bonus dumbassitude from Blogging Tories co-founder Craig Smith, who is adamant that he is not going to see the point here:
Um… you do realize, of course, that $76 is the total cost, including things like WCB benefits, pensions, health premiums, EI, CPP, taxes, and insurance?
Um… you do realize, of course, that THAT IS STILL A SHIT LOAD OF MONEY!!!!!!!
Yes, Craig, but the point here was that that $76 an hour wasn't going directly to the line worker. Seriously, Craig, what part of this discussion eluded you entirely? Perhaps you can get together with Paul and finally figure that out, while simultaneously agreeing that it makes no difference to your argument whatsoever. After all, you're Blogging Tories. It's what you do.
9 comments:
I read someplace that all the Japanese manufacturers put together have 3,000 engineers in North America. Most of these would be relatively junior level, supporting the production lines.
GM alone has 30,000 engineers at all levels.
It is not uncommon for an engineer, especially a senior one, to earn $50 or $60 an hour. Naturally the cost of the senior engineers (most of whom are in Japan) is not included when computing the "average hourly cost" for the foreign car makers.
Lies, damn lies, and statistics.
For a demographic in the thrall of market economics, they do often appear appallingly economically illiterate.
Worse than the socialists, who actually attempt to understand market economics before critiquing and/or rejecting it.
GM alone has 30,000 engineers at all levels.I wonder how many of those are located in Canada and how that's being factored into the hourly wages of Canadian auto workers?
Let's note that the post would be equally ridiculous even if the number wasn't so easily debunked. On what planet would getting paid $76 an hour be reason to consider oneself to have been "screwed" by the union who negotiated that rate?
In fairness, CC, on reading an article in one of the freebie papers on the way to work today, I thought something along the same lines. The report was "autoworkers have to accept a concession of $19/hr", which seemed odd to me.
I work in what is supposedly a white-collar field, and if I lost $19/hr, I'd be making well below minimum wage, so my reaction was, "Do they really earn that much?"
So while Mr. Holmes didn't do his research before spewing his thoughts all over his blog and getting it even dirtier, the way some of the articles have been phrased might give someone such an impression.
Figures for the US in 2006 hereNote that US numbers for the "cost of benefits" will include the cost of health insurance.
The Crysler/Cerberus (Cerberus being the 3 headed dog who guards the Gates of Hell) command to drop $19 is in line with the US$15 GM workers made over Honda workers.
And the fact remains, under 8% of the cost of a car is the labour.
It's kind of like letting the $700 BILLION bailout go by with not a single tossed teabag, and then going ballistic over something that amounts to about 8% of that.
It's just good old fashioned union busting. Give Steve a majority and we can get rid of those annoying laws that give CAW rights over the Crysler/Cerberus plants even if they closed, even if they are sold, and even in case of bankruptcy.
But what is really annoying is why can't I quote something in italics and then leave a line and comment on it instead of having it run together?
Grrrrrr!
We should form a union.
But seriously, how do the people of Oshawa/Whitby explain voting for Jim Flaherty even after he told the world not to invest in Ontario?
But seriously, how do the people of Oshawa/Whitby explain voting for Jim Flaherty even after he told the world not to invest in Ontario?Because they were mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore!! Just like Dim Jim.
Honestly, I have no idea. I guess they thought their taxes were too high. Well, they won't be much longer, will they?
But...but...but...ADSCAM!!!!1!!!
(I'm getting a lot of mileage these days out of the "but...but..." formulation.)
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