Enough of Made in China

[oneof79]

I got a Wal-Mart gift card that didn't work when I tried to use it for gas. After having customer service fix it I went to the Sporting Goods area to see it I needed anything. First thing to jump out at me was a Buck knife just like I had when I was a kid. I thought "cool", bought it and some .22 short ammo. When I got out to my truck I opened the package and started looking at my new knife. Opened the long blade, tested for sharpness, turned it over looked at the other side, opened the second blade ,tested it for sharpness, turned it over and all I saw was CHINA. Really!!! WTF!!! A Buck Knife with CHINA written on it.

I sat there looking at that knife for 5 whole minutes knowing that at any minute the world would end, I mean Really!!! a Buck Knife made in frickin CHINA.

I took it back into the store and returned it for cash. I guess I am going to send an email to whoever makes those knifes and give them the whatfor next.

I got two other pocket knifes for Christmas, one a Case and one a Schrade both say USA on them.

 

[Parks 788]

Oh look another reason to blame the working middle class.

Seriously you need to get out of Rush's box and open your eyes.

I must have offended a union worker. Not sure where I blamed the middle class here. Maybe you can enlighten me a bit.

I don't see how it can be denied that the unions have not played a major role in companies shipping production overseas. The cost of labor is generally the biggest reason that companies ship their factories overseas to China, India, Mexico and other countries where labor is cheap. If you were the President of a major manufacturer of goods and it costs your company $30-$60 / hour (salary/benefits)per employee to make your product in the USA or you could pay a cheaper labor force in another country less than half that to make the same product and still sell said product for the same price, you wouldn't do that??????????? If not, I sure hope your company is privately held and not publically traded.

Organized Labor does a great job of getting the best wages and benefits for their workers. That is an undeniable fact. Unfortunately it is at the expense American industry and manufacturing in our country.

 

[yukonjack]

I agree 100% !! Organized labor killed the manufacturing industry in the USA.

 

[Dr_Mitch]

The brass valves sold for cold water supply shutoffs are made in China. And good grief are they worthless garbage. You get two to ten actuations, and then the valve handle and stem tear apart, spraying water everywhere.

Surely someone with some screwcutting machines and CNC equipment SOMEWHERE in America could churn out untold thousands of small valves at a reasonable price. I have no idea what the margin is, but it's always larger in manufacturing than lending.

 

[AKmoose]

Does China have an EPA, OSHA or DOT? Or how about Workers Comp? Not saying these are bad but were not working with a level playing field. Do you think Chinese companies get fined or shutdown for polluting or safety? And if one of them gets hurt do you think they get compensated?
Yeah Unions don't help but I've seen some ignorant SOB's be promoted just because of connections and there's got to be checks and balance somewhere. My and I'll get off my

 

[Cue]

I must have offended a union worker. Not sure where I blamed the middle class here. Maybe you can enlighten me a bit.

I don't see how it can be denied that the unions have not played a major role in companies shipping production overseas. The cost of labor is generally the biggest reason that companies ship their factories overseas to China, India, Mexico and other countries where labor is cheap. If you were the President of a major manufacturer of goods and it costs your company $30-$60 / hour (salary/benefits)per employee to make your product in the USA or you could pay a cheaper labor force in another country less than half that to make the same product and still sell said product for the same price, you wouldn't do that??????????? If not, I sure hope your company is privately held and not publically traded.

Organized Labor does a great job of getting the best wages and benefits for their workers. That is an undeniable fact. Unfortunately it is at the expense American industry and manufacturing in our country.

So your all for unsafe pre-union america work environments as long as it makes a quick buck? People still try to say that unions have lost their place in america. Yet companies everyday move their jobs to countries that have notoriously unsafe, and underpaid work environments.

How come compania that "outsource" because of union costs just move to Oklahoma? It is a right to work state. Since your so enlightened on Rush's teaching, you obviously have to have an answer for this.


Also can you explain why companies such as Haliburton moved their headquarters to Dubai? That surely has to be with the cost of union workers right?

 

[Cue]

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf



I hardly think that 12.3% of the workforce represents the working middle class.

Anyway the link is an interesting read about the state of unions in the US as of 2009. Worth the time to take a look.

Please look up the origins of the term.

 

[Parks 788]

So your all for unsafe pre-union america work environments as long as it makes a quick buck? People still try to say that unions have lost their place in america. Yet companies everyday move their jobs to countries that have notoriously unsafe, and underpaid work environments.

How come compania that "outsource" because of union costs just move to Oklahoma? It is a right to work state. Since your so enlightened on Rush's teaching, you obviously have to have an answer for this.


Also can you explain why companies such as Haliburton moved their headquarters to Dubai? That surely has to be with the cost of union workers right?

Boy, you sure seem like a bitter union honk. You seem to have the typical defensive attitude that most union works and union reps have towards others who are not union.

Unions do have their place in America and thier original intent was to protect the employees form rogue company management, which they should be protected. Unfortunately, the most unions have evolved into a mega powerhouse in which they never want to have a paycut when times are tight, never what to have furlough days, never want to negoiate salary or benefits to help a struggling company viable again.......well chit, the list goes on and on and on.

Also, companies that are moving to Oklahoma are moving from other states that have put absurd amounts of of burdens on companies with excessive taxes, unrealistic envirnmental controls and a general unwelcoming business climate. California, for one, is a great example of said state. I would never think of opening a business in Cali because of how focked the regulations are here.

Haliburton moving? Don't know anything about it. My guess is that it does not have much to do with unions. My guess is that if they have infact moved their head quarters to Dubai it probably has to do with tax incentives and the like. Dubai probably has a very lucrative business invironment and makes it very enticing for companies to open shop in their country unlike the United States.

I'm all for workplace safety and would want the best for my employees. The vast majority of CEO's, IMO, want the best for their workers but if said workers are costing the company too much money then something has to be done. One, the company renegotiates the unions contracts to make the company more profitable (rarely happens) or two, the company moves overseas for cheaper labor. Typically, the unions will not come to the negoitating table and hold their ground. In doing so, they loose their jobs because their employer moves the company overseas. Way to go.

Cue. Do you happen to know what the number one objective of any President of a publicly trade company is? Answer: TO MAKE MONEY FOR THE SHAREHOLDERS. They are the people that invest money into your company allowing you, as President of said company, to grow your business, buy capital assets, etc. If you can save your company hundreds of millions of dollars every year by moving it overseas you do it.

So yes, Unions have their place but at the same time they can be very detrimental to American business.

 

[Cue]

Boy, you sure seem like a bitter union honk. You seem to have the typical defensive attitude that most union works and union reps have towards others who are not union.

Unions do have their place in America and thier original intent was to protect the employees form rogue company management, which they should be protected. Unfortunately, the most unions have evolved into a mega powerhouse in which they never want to have a paycut when times are tight, never what to have furlough days, never want to negoiate salary or benefits to help a struggling company viable again.......well chit, the list goes on and on and on.

Also, companies that are moving to Oklahoma are moving from other states that have put absurd amounts of of burdens on companies with excessive taxes, unrealistic envirnmental controls and a general unwelcoming business climate. California, for one, is a great example of said state. I would never think of opening a business in Cali because of how focked the regulations are here.

Haliburton moving? Don't know anything about it. My guess is that it does not have much to do with unions. My guess is that if they have infact moved their head quarters to Dubai it probably has to do with tax incentives and the like. Dubai probably has a very lucrative business invironment and makes it very enticing for companies to open shop in their country unlike the United States.

I'm all for workplace safety and would want the best for my employees. The vast majority of CEO's, IMO, want the best for their workers but if said workers are costing the company too much money then something has to be done. One, the company renegotiates the unions contracts to make the company more profitable (rarely happens) or two, the company moves overseas for cheaper labor. Typically, the unions will not come to the negoitating table and hold their ground. In doing so, they loose their jobs because their employer moves the company overseas. Way to go.

Cue. Do you happen to know what the number one objective of any President of a publicly trade company is? Answer: TO MAKE MONEY FOR THE SHAREHOLDERS. They are the people that invest money into your company allowing you, as President of said company, to grow your business, buy capital assets, etc. If you can save your company hundreds of millions of dollars every year by moving it overseas you do it.

So yes, Unions have their place but at the same time they can be very detrimental to American business.

Would you like examples of unions taking concessions?

Bakc to the question, why do the companies move overseas instead of moving to a right to work state? It is not the unions fault that a company wants to pay their workers 5 dollars a day.

 

[vvvvvvv]

It is not the unions fault that a company wants to pay their workers 5 dollars a day.

It's not the company's fault that most people prefer the lowest price over highest quality.

Businesses have one goal: profit. If you can eliminate unnecessary expenses, you create more profit that can be invested into more ways to make more profit.

If you don't have the ability to move a reasonable amount of product made by union labor at a price that the market is willing to bear, then you go non-union.

If you still can't move a reasonable amount of product with American labor and/or subject to American regulation at a price that the market is willing to bear, then you go overseas.

It's pretty simple. The majority of the American market won't bear American union prices.