billybud wrote:LOL...I get along well with the Florida IBEW guys...I consulted with them on labor bills. Their lobbyist was involved in many hours of policy discussions.
It is sad, but the trades have no political power in the south..AFL CIO, IBEW, etc. The business lobby calls the shots.
You can hardly find a graduate (within the last ten years) of a Florida electrical apprenticeship program. Union labor isn't used, few places for apprentice placement.
Trade unions are not what they were 40 years ago.
Unions in the North excelled, IMO, more due to the business and infrastructure development growth rate that accompanied Labor Union development and growth. The South suffered further due to Carpetbagging related development and Northern Entities competing in Southern contracts...a northern company tending a contract in Atlanta has no long term need in easing future relations with the Locals.
I have said for years that Unions need to reinvent themselves. This country is severely lacking in technical and trade education. Their 1st step should be to go past OJT, which needs adjustment too as these programs are too long and serve interest outside of technical development. They need to turn themselves into schools. Then leverage usable knowledge and draw comparisons to worthless college degrees and secure accreditation. They should then ensure the word "labor" is not associated with their technical offering. I would then widen the umbrella to include electronics and system technicians and have associate memberships for engineering students and junior engineers who could use much more hands-on development. They then really only need to concede some productivity minimums, settle for very fair rather than non-existent. (I'd go beyond this and seek to take business from Manpower and other "indentured service traders." And offer qualified and sincere temporary workforce. Yeah, you can get people for $9 per hour now...but you may go through 30 to get 5 acceptable workers over a 1 year period. My idea would be to get a company 5 really good ones right now, but it does cost $12/hr.)
My basic approach would be to capture all of the start-up "labor" market, outside of food, landscaping, and janitorial service. I'd do what colleges have done for years. Colleges are a value added industry. The first way they add value to people is...they don't...they just sort. If you take the best 25% input, you stand a good chance of having a really good output compared to those using the remaining!!! And the beauitiful thing is I can use a simple school of 3 classes as a filter for low-tech jobs like assemblers and line workers. Before I even give those 3 classes a name and a curriculum I know I can sort out 60% of the poor performers for businesses...those that don't show up regularly. Step 2, those who don't accept responsibility or fault. Step 3 measure effort towards goal and the level of care. Step 4, those who will take the lead or follow with distinct awareness and drive. Still don't have a curriculum but I already have 5 to 7/8ths of the output of college. And due to a bit simpler class...I can do it even better. And I can do it exponentially cheaper! I can charge a kid $90 for 1 class with $45 deferred to their first job placement. I can get good Adjunct Instructors for $19/hr. (And my classes, something like; 1) Processes, Methods, and Procedures , 2) Quality & Ethics, 3) Efficiency and Effectiveness.) When I send a kid over to you, you have one that shows up, cares, has ethics, thinks, has pride in their work, is sincere and wants to grow.
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
R. Reagan
Do you mute the other 2??
