Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Coal miners strike - Brookwood

Have you ever worked a shift in a mining operation at all?

Losing your pension is part of the risk. If these people wanted a pension that wasn't going to disappear in a Bankruptcy they should have worked for a different employer. Jim Walter went bankrupt several times over decades. Anyone who works there should have known that. If not that's their fault for being a sheep.

People have to take responsibility for their own situation. My 401(k) ALL at risk under Joe Biden's dumbarse. Social Security never happens..... that's why I have a retirement plan or plans. That's why I save money and don't have all my eggs in a single basket.

The smart thing for the Union would have been to negotiate a higher wage and NO PENSION. Very simple. But they don't want to do that. They want to use the pension as some kind of carrot on a stick so that everyone thinks in terms of service not in terms of the quality of the work they are performing. Work 10 years and we've got a lifetime of checks headed your way. Sign right here and you can start tomorrow.

Everyone since the 1960's has known that's a bad deal from the employer's perspective and not a guarantee. What I am telling you is that the Unions are the ones at fault for demanding pensions in many of these situations. They should never have been implemented in the first place.

Coal mining? Risky as hell. Who doesn't know that either? Live in Brookwood and can't get another job? MOVE. That's what I did.

Both these groups are at fault don't feel sorry for either side.

Above ground yes, underground no and nothing in coal. I've done a ton of manual labor in my life before I decided that I'd rather manage operations than do the physical labor. I was made the GM of a large foundry and machining division at age 34. Before I took the job, I insisted that I be given 6 months to work in every department of the foundry, because I was not going to try to manage and direct people without fully understanding what they did and having personally done their jobs. I worked in purchasing, maint., mtl handling, pattern shop, melt, core, casting, knockout, shakeout, processing, heat treat, machining, engineering, sales, QC, and shipping. I dont mind working long hours or getting dirty and found that your employees have a lot of respect for you when you, as the boss, are willing to work along side them. That was a non-union shop. Did well and was asked to take over another. It was a union shop. I can promise you that my non-union shop was at least 50% more productive than my union shop and at times double.

Have you ever been the top guy or even one of the top 4 or 5 guys actually running a large company and trying to keep it open and profitable while dealing with ridiculous government regulations, foreign and domestic competition, union employees, non-union employees, equipment parts shortages, customers filing bankruptcy to avoid paying you, managing cashflow issues, ever increasing equipment, R&M, labor, benefits and insurance costs, decreasing demand for the product your producing, all while trying to make sure that those 800 plus people working for you actually have a paycheck to take home on Friday and a job to come back to on Monday? I didnt think so. It's just a little more complicated than having to pay more for your health insurance.

Someone posted earlier that it is pointless to argue with you two. They were right and I'm done.

I was a production manager for 6 years until my company was bought by a bunch of foreigners and they called me in the office the day they took over and told me they didn’t pay production managers as much as I was getting payed so I asked what my options were and they told me a 20% pay cut or 2 years pay and benefits and I could walk.I gladly walked.

So what makes the miners any more special than you?? If you and Ruffin understood the entire COMPLEX issue you would understand the US Government is making it really damn difficult for an organization to remain profitable. Business owners are getting kicked in the balls a lot here lately. From the Obamacare debacle, to increased emissions regs, increase in supply cost, etc. none of that matters to the union though. They still want, want, want.

Why do you think auto manufacturers keep moving to the south???

Edit:
I just reached out to an associate (in the know) in the coal business. Production is in fact up at Brookwood Mines with non union laborers. Cost per ton has dropped significantly.

All these stories have a common theme. Management thinks everybody makes too much money. I started at the bottom, I’m talking just above minimum wage and worked my way up to a plant manager role. Union or no union, the 1 thing I can promise you, is that anyone above you that has a salary over about 150k a year hates you. I’ve noticed it at every job I’ve had. Once these people get above that 150k mark and into the stock options and bonuses, their entire job focus becomes reducing labor costs. I’ve seen some of these asshats screw up and sell a 17 million dollar contract at a negative 8% margin, and shrug their shoulders at it, but man if somebody asks for a raise , they panic like a crack head that just spent his last 5 dollars.

And did you go share that unearned money with all the underpaid laborers? Or did you line your pockets just like those rich investors when they sold out?

Dude I'm just kidding, I'm only trying to stir the pot and get this thing to 20 pages. I would have done the same thing 😆😆

You sir are exactly right I’ve seen several wasted expenditures in my time and according to some of these folks the hourly workers should be punished for wasted spending that they neither knew of or had any control of.

I’m not going to lie other than my children being born that was the best day in my life that is how miserable I was.

Dang, they're so dedicated that they don't even want other people to work!

That’s the ugly part of a strike you don’t want to have to cross that line to go to work.Every strike I’ve ever heard of you have this.

Their right to strike DOES NOT supersede someone else’s right to work. That’s a perfect example of the bad taste people have towards unions. That and they drive up cost unnecessarily.

Wow someone even broke out the old wrist-rocket!

You are correct.

Yup

Probably a convicted felon that can't possess a gun.

Hey it gets ugly I’ve got a friend that crossed the line to go to work several years ago and some of the stories he told me and several others were insane.

My small experience with unions wasn't very positive, at the same time, I can kind of admire folks standing together in support of one another. My company has threatened to fire me in the next month or so and I doubt anyone's gonna stand up for me and speak, or if it would even matter.

So this makes it right!!!! That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

If I hear how coal miners have the hardest most dangerous job, especially Brookwood coal miners, I am going to puke. There are plenty of jobs that are dangerous and hard work. I don't know that having a job that could kill you everyday you go to work is something that i would wear as a badge of honor.

I didn’t say a thing about it being right at all the whole thing sucks for everyone involved.