Had a discussion with a machinist friend of mine today and he brought up a valid point. How many of you Union members are driving a union Made car/truck? How many hire Union contractors to do work on their homes? How many buy Union made products whenever they can? HOW MANY SHOP AT WAL-MART??? Are you just looking for the cheapest price or are you supporting your Union brothers and sisters?

My friend made a parts delivery to the Chrysler plant in Belvidere Illinois and said that about 75% of the employees cars were Toyota, Honda, Kia, Nissan, Subaru Etc. Why are they not supporting there Unions by buying Union made cars???


I think this could be a very good discussion but lets keep it civil...............

__________________



Look on the bright side of things.

We will not have to travel half way around the world anymore to fight Socialism and Communism.

We can do it right here at home from our front porches and in the streets of our own nation.

Fight for Liberty will not be a slogan of a noble idea but a reality of daily life.

Socialism and total Government control are not knocking at the door anymore, they have walked in, invited by the huddled masses who are determined to "vote"themselves the things they want.

I drove past a parking lot in MI once that said on a big sign...........


UNION MADE VEHICLES ONLY

__________________

I have worked a couple of teamster jobs, and my father is uaw. MOST people there tow the union line. I had a screwball steward back in michigan who was a toyota driving republican, but he was a smart guy, AND his toyota was UAW made.

Toyota and Mitsubishi all have union made vehicles, log onto the uaw web site to see. And there are the Canadian Auto Workers as well. I think the CAW covers some other foreign cars, like suzuki.

No, most union members i know dont shop at walmart. I STILL won't shop at walmart, even though for now im working MAINLY non-union. I'm just a casual at a union shop until i get some seniority.

It's really NOT hard to find some other place to shop than walmart. I used to live in michigan, and they have a regional store there with comparable prices and "little" bit higher quality stuff called Meijers.

Now i live in Western New York, and my girlfriend, along with most of the other buffalo natives, dont shop at walmart very much either, it seems everyone is VERY loyal to local markets and stores around here. Walmart could pack up and leave and i dont think it would bug too many people around here. Walmart can't put a dent in Wegmans higher quality foods, and they cant touch the locations of the Tops around here either.

So i would say, YES, most union members i know support other unions. They drive American made cars and no one likes walmart. I have not talked to anyone about house work, but i sort of doubt that they have mexicans working on their house.

I personally drive a UAW made car and I shop at union retailers (pick n save and costco). I'll go to walmart to shoplift before I go there to shop and I'm a former walmart (scam's club) employee for what it's worth. Costco is 20+ miles from the house and I'd rather go there than scam's club which is a few miles away. Also, it seems that costco has lower prices than scam's, not to mention that service at costco is a million times better than the best scam's club in the area.

I have never had to contract out any work on my house, but if I did, it would be union.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a union man shopping non-union, either. We (teamsters) aren't affiliated with all of the unions out there, and a select few unions are exactly model unions.

Who says you cant do both?

__________________
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 200

My f150 was UAW made - in louisville KY

my Vrod was UAW made - in Kansas City

my Buell was union made - in Wisconsin

my softail was union made - in york PA (have to check - it may have come from milwaukee)

I have a rack of union made firearms (sturm ruger / colt / springfield arm.)

When out shopping I tend to avoid (but I do shop) at walmart...

I buy the groceries at Kroger (union) - as well as buy my gasoline at the local Marathon (owned by locals - and an Ohio based company)


I try to buy locally - and union as often as possible - but it is not completely possible.


now to counter - the wife needed a new car last year - and of all the SUV's we tried out - we choose the hyundai sante fe...

it is made in alabama - non union (I believe / assume).


regardless of who makes what - and where it comes from - I prefer to spend my money on quality things that last...


I invest in low yield domestics - and keep all my roth and 401k options as domestic and conservative as possible (save for the "new tech" funds focused on the north american brain trust).


As a foreign born american - I take more pride and effort in our economy than most "red blooded amurahcaaaaansssss" out there.

__________________
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

I might as well post this also -


these are UAW/CAW made vehicles

UAW CARS

Buick Lucerne
Cadillac CTS
Cadillac DTS
Cadillac STS
Cadillac XLR
Chevrolet Cobalt
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Avenger
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Viper
Ford Five Hundred
Ford Focus
Ford GT Ford Mustang
Lincoln Town Car
Mazda Mazda 6
Mercury Montego
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
Mitsubishi Galant
Pontiac G5
Pontiac G6
Pontiac Solstice
Pontiac Vibe
Saturn Aura
Saturn ION
Saturn Sky
Toyota Corolla *
UAW PICKUPS

Chevrolet Silverado *
Chevrolet Colorado
Dodge Ram *
Dodge Dakota
Ford F-Series *
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Ford Ranger GMC Sierra *
GMC Canyon
Isuzu i-Series
Lincoln Mark LT
Mazda B-series
Mitsubishi Raider
Toyota Tacoma *
UAW SUVs/CUVs

Buick Enclave
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Escalade ESV
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Suburban *
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chrysler Aspen
Dodge Durango
Dodge Nitro
Ford Escape/Escape Hybrid
Ford Expedition
Ford Explorer
GMC Acadia
GMC Yukon XL
GMC Yukon/Denali
Hummer H1 Hummer H2
Hummer H2 SUT
Hummer H3
Jeep Commander
Jeep Compass
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Liberty
Jeep Patriot
Jeep Wrangler
Lincoln Navigator
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner/Mariner Hybrid
Mercury Mountaineer
Mitsubishi Endeavor
Saturn Outlook
Saturn VUE
UAW VANS

Buick Terraza
Chevrolet Express
Chevrolet Uplander
Chrysler Town & Country *
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan *
Ford Club Wagon Ford Econoline
GMC Savana
GMC Savana Cargo
GMC Savana Passenger
Saturn Relay
Ford Freestyle
CAW CARS

Buick Lacrosse
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chrysler 300
Dodge Charger
Ford Crown Victoria
Mercury Grand Marquis
Pontiac Grand Prix
CAW SUVs/CUVs

Chevrolet Equinox
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge Magnum
Ford Edge
Lincoln MKX
Pontiac Torrent
Suzuki XL7
CAW PICKUPS

Chevrolet Silverado
GMC Sierra
UAW/CAW Vans

Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan
CAW VAN

Ford Freestar
IUE SUVs/CUVs

Buick Rainier
Chevrolet TrailBlazer
GMC Envoy
SAAB 9-7x



and these are other UAW made products

http://www.uaw.org/uawmade/index.cfm

__________________
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

Not to pick your post apart but i have to agree with you. American auto manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up with quality and i would like to figure out why. Some of it seems to be the Union Entitlement attitude which is costing the auto manufacturers billions of dollars. For example i have heard figures of 50-65% of the price of a new vehicle goes towards employee retirement. What ever happened to taking care of yourself? I for one would not want a corporate retirement. Remember Enron? The wages at big UAW companies are very exorbinate. Most UAW employees make more per hour than the mechanics that work on them a few years down the road! What is a more skilled job? Putting a car together or figuring out what is wrong with one when it won't run?


FWIW my wife worked for Nissan Forklift for 4 years and it was probably one of the best jobs she EVER had. She would still be there today if my job would have hung around. at least 2X a year some employees would get together and try to Unionize but the bennies and insurance that Nissan gave was better than what the Union was offering! Hell my wife had an accounting degree paid for in full by Nissan! If you did your job and did it well everything was good but if you didn't you may get canned and that is why a few employees kept wanting the Union in. Protecting F-Ups is one of my biggest issues with Unions and i believe it is one of the bigger issues that is hurting them. If you don't do your job you SHOULD be fired!!

__________________



Look on the bright side of things.

We will not have to travel half way around the world anymore to fight Socialism and Communism.

We can do it right here at home from our front porches and in the streets of our own nation.

Fight for Liberty will not be a slogan of a noble idea but a reality of daily life.

Socialism and total Government control are not knocking at the door anymore, they have walked in, invited by the huddled masses who are determined to "vote"themselves the things they want.

Ford F-350 (My ride)
Saturn VUE (Wife's ride)
Ford Mustang (Daughters ride)

THAT statement sums it all up. I don't care if it's Union of not. I'm looking for quality, and I'm willing to pay for it.

I spend an extra $100 today, and save 3-400 over the life of the product, by NOT replacing it every 2-5 years.

__________________
.
I'm gonna kill the next SOB who tells me I look stressed out.

--Unknown

I know you well enough to know what you own Don. Good job! (now quit supporting China Mart)

__________________



Look on the bright side of things.

We will not have to travel half way around the world anymore to fight Socialism and Communism.

We can do it right here at home from our front porches and in the streets of our own nation.

Fight for Liberty will not be a slogan of a noble idea but a reality of daily life.

Socialism and total Government control are not knocking at the door anymore, they have walked in, invited by the huddled masses who are determined to "vote"themselves the things they want.