Quote from CaptainObvious:
Let's fire this beast up this morning. The dealing over at Caterpiller just about demonstrates everything that's wrong with our system. First the facts.
About 780 workers are on strike at CAT's Joilet, IL. plant and have been since May. CAT wants them to accept a 6 year contract(absurb in itself), a wage freeze for the entire 6 years, a larger employee contribution to heathcare package, and a freeze on pension benefits. Other than the freeze on pension bennies, this is nuts. A 6 year wage freeze is about a 12% pay cut when you consider just a very small inflation level. Add more of a contribution to heathcare and we're probably looking at 15%+ pay cut over that 6 year period. All this coming at a time when the company is making record profits, and record exeuctive pay increases and bonuses. And yet not one thin dime of these record profits will be allocated to the workers on the line. You know, the people who actually build the equipment.
This is not how you grow an economy! This is not how you strengthen the middle class! This is not capitalism! This is corporate greed at an extreme!
If team Obama had any balls they would make this issue at CAT a front and center debate on a national level. Ask Romney a couple simple questions. Is this your idea of recovery? Is this what the average American can expect as you kiss the hand of corporate America? Seems the trickle has been shut off completely.
And please, no Pavlov dog repsonses lapping up the anti union rhetoric. It's bigger than that.