[ssundet]

I believe in freedom. The Smyrna plant voted against unionization twice. The Canton plant voted within the last 5 years against unionization as well. The Union spent gobs of money trying to unionize Boeing in Charleston - adds on the radio every 5 minutes. They also lost that vote. A couple years ago VW plant in TN also voted the Union down.

If your not buying a Frontier because there not union, that means your anti freedom - IMHO.

PS - I am ambivalent to unions. Some are great, some not so much - from what I see at arms length.

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💯

I preface this saying I belong to a union. Unions are only as good as the people who comprise them, and they often go astray from their original purpose. I don't give a dam if the plant is union or not. All companies are different. All workforces are different. Support the ones you know support the community and not just themselves. How many of yours do that? Mine does. Support your unions that prioritize freedom and community, and support those who voted against them. Blanketed support is always a bad thing.

 

[TucsonFrontier82]

Not what I see in most of the Carolina's and Georgia at least.

The issue in the Southeast is they can't find enough good workers. Lots of people with basic education are moving to the Southeast to take these jobs - since there aren't enough workers here. They pay pretty well - usually $25+ starting, and the company usually trains. A fairly large company I have worked with in the past recently built a fairly large new plant in South Carolina, and they had to delay the startup because they couldn't find and train enough machine operators.

There are obviously very rural areas that have no factories to work in, so there certainly are places with zero jobs and abject poverty. Those people need to move.

Not sure where you are - everything is local.

I'm originally from Dallas, but I've traveled throughout the South. Took a greyhound bus from Dallas to Durham (NC) in 2001 and I'll never shake the memory of what I saw. Just an endless number of economically deprived small towns. Even the bigger cities (Jackson, Montgomery, Atlanta, Durham) clearly had a lot of poverty. Lived in Durham for a few months and the place was truly horrible. Hard to believe unions or unionization would be a priority on anyone's list.

I'm obviously painting with a broad brush, and the same could be said about many other areas of the country. I'm sure some of these areas have improved a little over the years. But I've never seen anything quite as bad as what I saw in the Deep South (basically east Texas to the Carolinas).

 

[Cryptic1911]

Nope. I don't give two shits. The unions had their place back in the day maybe, but not anymore. In my industry, they basically act like thugs. They hassle our guys at job sites and cause a bunch of **** because we are a non union shop

 

[abnderby]

Unions are a thing in the past and IMO should be abolished. They served their purpose but i have read where a lot of them do not give employees what they truly deserve. You take a job agreeing for what you are to be paid, straight forward. If you do not like what you are paid go somewhere else. it is because of unions as to why American cars got so expensive in the first place and no where near the quality of German and Japanese cars. America fell so far behind for a couple decades because the unions made over paid workers for what they were doing. this drove prices up and in order to compete quality went down. go read the history books. If this truck were built at GM or Ford we would pay 8 - 10k more. Why GM's are so expensive i still cant figure out since they are built in Mexico, nothing wrong with that but they should be lower priced. At least your frontier is designed and built in the USA. Sure some parts do get designed and built in Japan and that is ok too. but who is building them US employees right up the road.

 

[Frontier David]

I placed a deposit for one of these trucks a few weeks ago and I'm looking at receiving it in the summer some time.

I decided to do a little research since then and discovered the plant these trucks are built in isn't unionized and Nissan actually ran an aggressive anti union campaign a few years ago in Mississippi. It left a sour taste in my mouth to say the least.

Purchasing or not purchasing a truck and giving a company 50k is a big deal and I feel like it's one of those cases I can definitely speak with my wallet and not purchase this truck.

On the other hand the union built trucks like the Ford ranger, jeep thing, and the GMC/Chevy midsizes don't really tickle my fancy so it leaves me in a bit of a predicament.

Do you guys ever have similar thoughts when purchasing a new vehicle?

I think you mean assembled from parts made all around the world. It really makes little difference in the larger scheme of things.

 

[Lowcountry]

it is because of unions as to why American cars got so expensive in the first place and no where near the quality of German and Japanese cars.

Most all German and Japanese auto workers are Unionized - not picking a side, just saying.

I do agree with you on the American cars were junk around about 1990 though. I think there was lots of blame to go around. Its why 1 got a government bailout, 1 got taken over by Italians, and the third took on so much debt they will never pay it off.

 

[Lowcountry]

I'm originally from Dallas, but I've traveled throughout the South. Took a greyhound bus from Dallas to Durham (NC) in 2001 and I'll never shake the memory of what I saw. Just an endless number of economically deprived small towns. Even the bigger cities (Jackson, Montgomery, Atlanta, Durham) clearly had a lot of poverty. Lived in Durham for a few months and the place was truly horrible. Hard to believe unions or unionization would be a priority on anyone's list.

I'm obviously painting with a broad brush, and the same could be said about many other areas of the country. I'm sure some of these areas have improved a little over the years. But I've never seen anything quite as bad as what I saw in the Deep South (basically east Texas to the Carolinas).

Time for another bus trip. According to Zillow - the average home price in Durham NC is $417K. A lot has changed in 21 years. There is still lots of poverty if you want to go looking for it. I am not a social scientist so I have no idea why, as there are lots of good paying jobs available.

 

[Thrusty]

I’m confused. Why is car assembly hourly wage over minimum?

 

[Thrusty]

Can’t these companies invest in their employees and provide education assistance to further themselves AND the company instead of indenturing them? Maybe it would be easier if you didn’t have to pay someone $50/hr for unskilled labor…

 

[Snakebait]

Unions are a thing in the past and IMO should be abolished. They served their purpose but i have read where a lot of them do not give employees what they truly deserve. You take a job agreeing for what you are to be paid, straight forward. If you do not like what you are paid go somewhere else. it is because of unions as to why American cars got so expensive in the first place and no where near the quality of German and Japanese cars. America fell so far behind for a couple decades because the unions made over paid workers for what they were doing. this drove prices up and in order to compete quality went down. go read the history books. If this truck were built at GM or Ford we would pay 8 - 10k more. Why GM's are so expensive i still cant figure out since they are built in Mexico, nothing wrong with that but they should be lower priced. At least your frontier is designed and built in the USA. Sure some parts do get designed and built in Japan and that is ok too. but who is building them US employees right up the road.

Gigantic Bonuses for the CEOs for GM after Government bailout and United Auto Workers were blamed for it.😳 Hence the name Government Motors.

 

[Hazmatt019]

I placed a deposit for one of these trucks a few weeks ago and I'm looking at receiving it in the summer some time.

I decided to do a little research since then and discovered the plant these trucks are built in isn't unionized and Nissan actually ran an aggressive anti union campaign a few years ago in Mississippi. It left a sour taste in my mouth to say the least.

Purchasing or not purchasing a truck and giving a company 50k is a big deal and I feel like it's one of those cases I can definitely speak with my wallet and not purchase this truck.

On the other hand the union built trucks like the Ford ranger, jeep thing, and the GMC/Chevy midsizes don't really tickle my fancy so it leaves me in a bit of a predicament.

Do you guys ever have similar thoughts when purchasing a new vehicle?

No because unions get in bed with the company and quickly forget what they are they for. It wouldnt matter at all. In fact, it didnt matter because I have a one.

 

[JediRanger]

I didn’t know this, but now that I do, I’m even more pleased with my purchase!

 

[Trev27]

I understand being indifferent to this issue. But the fact there is so much negativity in this thread really shows what the corporations have done to the working class culture of the United States. This is also a truck forum and when I started this thread I didn't mean for it to get so political, so I feel like it's run its course.

 

[Lowcountry]

corporations have done to the working class culture of the United States

The only problem with working class culture in the US is too many people don't want to work at all. Those of us that go to work every day seem to get along just fine.

 

[Thrusty]

I understand being indifferent to this issue. But the fact there is so much negativity in this thread really shows what the corporations have done to the working class culture of the United States. This is also a truck forum and when I started this thread I didn't mean for it to get so political, so I feel like it's run its course.

Wait, you started a political thread in a truck forum and didn’t expect it to get political? You posted a loaded question. I was actually quite surprised at the intelligent responses and I didn’t feel negativity from any one of them…

 

[CT_Nismo]

I understand being indifferent to this issue. But the fact there is so much negativity in this thread really shows what the corporations have done to the working class culture of the United States. This is also a truck forum and when I started this thread I didn't mean for it to get so political, so I feel like it's run its course.

Your initial post was a political statement and received intense yet civil responses.

This current post also shows your bias against corporations.

I agree that we should just let it end.

 

[RyanD1966]

This is an incendiary thread as you are seeking outrage that the Frontier is not made in a union factory. I have no problem with this. Worker/management relations have changed a lot in the past decades and there is no need for unions to defend their workers.

IMHO I agree here completely. My first wife's brother-in-law worked for USPS and the union for the Gov't was absurd, you would basically have to murder someone on the job to get let go, they were some of the sloppiest, laziest folk on the planet, cause they knew they were protected. Now, I'm not generalizing about ALL unions here, but just sayin, IMHO, the time for them really really making a positive difference in employee protections, passed a good 50 to 60 years ago. Why should a union guy pushing a broom make 20% more than skilled non-union labourers, and get pension and SS retirement when he finally hangs up the broom? Something wrong here.

 

[sirnixalot]

Why should a union guy pushing a broom make 20% more than skilled non-union labourers, and get pension and SS retirement when he finally hangs up the broom? Something wrong here.

Agreed....workers shouldn't have to join a union to have those benefits.

 

[Lightingguy]

IMHO. Why should a union guy pushing a broom make 20% more than skilled non-union labourers, and get pension and SS retirement when he finally hangs up the broom? Something wrong here.

Well it begs the question of should a company be socially responsible to its employees amd provide medical insurance coverage as well as a pension and retirement benefits. This is quite common in European countries as well as Japan, seems to work OK, but its considered socialism and thats the kiss of death here in the US. As well, far too many companies here do not look after their employees welfare and its very short sighted long term, but the bottom line is dividends to the shareholders. I unionized a theater once, was a very scary and unpleasent experience, but if management had taken care of the employees with some overtime for 90 hr, work weeks, etc.... we never would have gone that route. Thats kind of how I see the need for unions, taking care of the employees when management just wants to screw them. Curious that UPS seems to stay in business and thrives with union employees, FedEx Ground uses non-union contract labor, who typically get no benefits from whatever poorly run contract delivery company FedEx hands the packages over too. Screw FedEx is my attitude, I wont use them,

 

[JediRanger]

I understand being indifferent to this issue. But the fact there is so much negativity in this thread really shows what the corporations have done to the working class culture of the United States. This is also a truck forum and when I started this thread I didn't mean for it to get so political, so I feel like it's run its course.

I don’t think its the ”corporations” that have necessarily changed the working class ”culture” as much as it is the abusive power the unions have unashamedly wielded. A prime example is the Teacher’s unions and what they have done to our children these past two years.