On this I can assure you that you so full of feces that you have brown eyes. In 1964 Bethlehem Steel announced plans to scrap their Continous Caster Technology and announced the plans for construction of a new Corporate Headquarters. 83% of all steel is now done via the process developed by Bethlehem Steel. Clearly that decision was NOT a union decision. This was the beginning of end of the entire US Steel industry. The more or less "Official" beginning of the end of Big Steel came when a Japanese Company won the bid to provide the big structural shapes for of all buildings, The World Trade Center. In the late 80's in an attempt to preserve steel production in Bethlehem, the company spent 200 million to install a continous caster purshased from a company in West Germany. The very technology they developed only to scarp in favor of a new corporate HQ. See all of that was NOT caused by the USWA. To learn more and gain an actual knowledge of what you post
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The rest of it is a strawman argument as the decline of the shoe and garment industry was the result of the beginnings of globalization. You'll note that the more forward thinking companies like Vanity Fair still manufacture the bulk of their product HERE, Much of it in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, PA
One of the things you fail to grasp is the ability of the Sr workers "back east" is their ability to adapt and overcome obstacles placed in their way. It's one of the reasons both airlines still exist. Would have them sit idly by while the res migration continues with 160+ items on the punch list that need to be addressed? Neverminding that we are nearly 60 days out from when the switch was flipped. Are they supposed to be as complacent as their managers apparently are over the DOT stats and the myriad host of only problems? Or are they expected to adopt that "Stepford" stare that you see on the HP side? Like I said I'd rather have some semi-snooty east G/A banging on keys and getting me where I want/need to go then the patented Stepford stare I get many times in PHX. I can most times have more intelligent exchanges with my cat and he's been dead for 10 years. :angry:
What cash burn? Cash on hand at the beginning of the merger was what? 2.6 Billion and now is around 3.3 Billion, what cash got burned besides Mr Parker's legal fees??
First off PAR did what any prudent fund manager would do and that's cash out with a tidy profit when things start to look bad. Now ask yourself was it Management or Labor that made the decisions that put any company where it is today? Management makes the decisions that lead to investor confidence, NOT organized Labor. Not NOW, NOT EVER! Bethlehem Steel Management signed everyone of those Union Contacts agreeing to such clauses as 2B in the 1959 USWA master contract. Funny thing is I liken the current US Management team to the extreme arrogance of Bethlehem Steel as they were sinking like an anchor. Res Migration failure, Web site debacle, FF perks declining, Poor customer service as defined by the DOT, FFOCUS & the national media all come to mind as shinning examples of the actions of management and based on this post you want the customers and employees to just bend over and say "Thank You May I have another please"? Sorry not this blue eyed fat arsed old wreck.
You see my friend I lived through the collapse of those industries before I moved to the beach. Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton & Reading were my terrtory when I sold for Xerox. You read about it! I lived it. I saw the three pages of Home auctions and personal BK filings in the Saturday Morning Call for 5 years. I watched the 350 families sell their homes and move south to keep their jobs with Mack Trucks. It's a big part of my activism.
And if the management team doesn't turn this around there will be a few hundred more.
Oh I'm not so sure about that Pollyanna, some of it rings pretty true to me.