Mercury Marine Union in Fond du Lac, "...they failed their membership,"

[WhiskeyGirl]

"A second vote on a labor contract at Mercury Marine Inc. came to an abrupt halt Monday afternoon when union officials said there was no longer anything to vote on."

Some union members were upset with District 10 officials for stopping the vote.

"I am angry and disgusted with our union. They fought us tooth and nail all week long in our effort to get a re-vote," said Fred Toth Jr., an IAM member and Mercury Marine employee.

Toth said he did not blame the company or Lodge 1947 for the cancellation of the second vote, but he was upset with District 10 officials in Milwaukee.

"As far as I am concerned, they failed their membership," Toth said.

Mercury officials said the second vote came too late, since the company's contract proposal expired at midnight Saturday.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/56366717.html

Do unions create jobs?  How many good union jobs will be coming to Fond du Lac in the next few years?

How many union and other jobs have been lost in Wisconsin, and the nation, over the past twenty/thirty years?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Did Mercury Marine trio save jobs or betray union?
Reactions split on those behind contract revote
By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

However the three are viewed, it is clear that the efforts of Rick Schmidt, Fred Toth Jr. and Felipe Rodriguez led to the referendum Thursday and Friday in which Mercury Marine employees accepted a wage freeze and other concessions - and preserved the status of the outboard engine-maker as one of the biggest employers in the Fox Valley.

"When the time comes to fight for your job and your family, that's what you are going to do," said Toth, 46.

"Give us something to build on," Toth said. "If Mercury wants to bring more work here, as the company has said, then we have jobs and our union. But if they leave, then we are all out of work. There would be nothing left to fight for."

"They fought us tooth and nail all week long," Toth said after union leaders pulled the plug on the second vote. "They lied to everyone about a bylaw that never existed, and they didn't come clean until it was too late."

But there was plenty of support for the petition drive among the rank and file, organizers said. Some union members cut their vacations short and drove back to Fond du Lac from Wisconsin Dells and Madison to sign the petitions. Others called the petition organizers at home, asking how they could help the effort. People stood in the rain in parking lots gathering signatures even as hope for a new vote had nearly vanished.

"The company wins because it still has a quality workforce," Toth said. "The workers win because we still have jobs. And the union wins because it still has union people paying union dues."

http://www.jsonline.com/business/57576272.html

When I read this story about the second vote, it was like the union didn't want the jobs to stay in Wisconsin.  There are thousands of union and non-union people who have lost their jobs in the past few decades.

Does a McJob, if you can find one, pay as well as the contract these folks were offered?

I'm not sure why big unions exist.  Where does all the union dues money go? 

Who regulates the health and welfare funds?  Why are they looking for government bailouts?  Where did the money go?

I had a job right after high school, it paid minimum wage, and you had to join the union...for a minimum wage job.  It's like paying taxes twice.

[WhiskeyGirl]

"Scott Swick column: Of heroes and real estate in Fond du Lac"

There were a lot of heroes in this "battle." Not the least were the brave efforts of Rick Schmidt, Fred Toth Jr. and Felipe Rodriquez who led a grass-roots effort against their own union leadership to mobilize a second vote, which led to the final third vote that was the "charm." These guys were truly amazing!

Then there were community leaders like State Sen. Randy Hopper, City Manager Tom Herre, and County Executive Allen Buechel, who literally ran between the union leadership, the petitioners and the company's management to get the second vote under way, and then the third and final vote last Thursday and Friday.

You also can't help but admire Mercury Marine President Mark Schwabero (and his management team) who, when faced with the inequity of an aborted second vote, authorized a third vote that would take precedence because they clearly heard the cry of the union workers who wanted a real and meaningful vote in full.

Make no mistake about it, these are the guys who went against their own union leadership, against their own sense of self-preservation, and voted "yes" to a contract that wasn't in their immediate best interest. They made the personal sacrifice that none of us could make to ensure that their friends, neighbors, children and grandchildren, and extended family could enjoy a more stable and prosperous future in the long run.

http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20090908/FON03/909080346/1327

When I read this story and the one from the Journal Sentinal I want to cry. 

It was a sad day when I read "Did Mercury Marine trio save jobs or betray union?" 

Why would ordinary folks who are working to save their jobs, families, and communities, betray their union?  What exactly is a union?  How would the union benefit the workers, if their jobs left forever?

I worry for those three and others.  Will their homes and property with be vandalized, their families threatened? 

The Journal Sentinal, like a lot of papers has watched as their circulation dropped, they've cut loose a number of employees, and struggle to gain lost ground.  I grew up reading this paper, and during the past few years have stopped following the stories on the net and buying the paper. 

It looks like the labor papers my family used to receive due to their union memberships.  All labor...

They're not my mommy and daddy's unions anymore.  My Journal is gone forever.

imho

[GreatOwl]

Certainly the unions no longer have the strength they once had.  I am not sure what direction anyone can take to ensure job security any longer.  I am close enough to Fondy to hear much of what has been going on.  Fortunately, in this instance I am one county away.  The Fond du lac County Board is now seeking a .5% increase in the sales tax lasting at least 12 years. ( Has anyone ever seen a tax rollback??)  This is to partially pay for the incentive package that was offered to Mercy Marine so they would remain here.  That amount is to generate 6 to 7 million dollars per year to partially cover the expense of MM staying.  We are subsidizing companies to keep there jobs in American.  In this case, it was never thought that the jobs were going to stay in Stillwater OK.  The thought was it was just going to be a stop over until operations ended up in Mexico.

We need to begin to penalize companies that feel they can take jobs out of the country.  Tariffs need to be high enough to return the goods that it supports the idea of keeping them here.

As to your comment about newspapers.  We joke often about receiving out daily "newsletter" now.  Some days our good old daily paper is only 4-6 pages.  We use to have advertising inserts that were that large a few years ago.