Thursday, August 27, 2009

IAM Union Should Accept Mercury Marine Offer

Mercury Marine, an outboard-engine manufacturer, has 1,900 employees at its headquarters in Fond du Lac. Like many other companies, it has been hurt by this recession. In order to save jobs, Mercury offered a contract that kept wages at $20/hr while hiring back laid-off employees at $13/hr (same wage for new hires).

No surprise that the union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 1947) overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. That short-sightedness and greed will come back to bite them in the ass, because Mercury will now likely move to Oklahoma, which offered to pay for moving expenses (estimated to be several million dollars) and doesn't have a union to deal with (at the Stillwater plant).

I repeat: the union's shortsightedness and greed will be its own undoing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that there has been talk of a re-vote. The members would be wise to change their mind. Otherwise, why should anyone feel sorry for them?

Monday, August 10, 2009

Congrats Mad-City Ski Team

For the fourth straight year, the Mad-City Ski Team won the National Show Ski Championship, which took place this past weekend at Shorewood Park in Loves Park, Ill. Check out full results and a highlight video from the state championship on the team's Web site, madcityskiteam.com.

We are fortunate that we can watch the team perform for free every Sunday in the summer on Lake Monona (by the Monona Terrace). Bring a lawn chair and your own snacks!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Catch those bicyclists

Many bicyclists forget that they must obey traffic signs as cars do. This is easily apparent when bicyclists blow through stop signs/lights, go the wrong direction on one-way streets and don't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

(Recently, a bicyclist didn't stop at a stop sign and got hit by a car on the near-east side. It was the bicyclist's fault.)

In an article in today's Capital Times, Madison police are starting to crack down on these bicyclists, who really mar the image of otherwise good people. I like that Madison is bicycle-friendly; I just hate when the few idiots out there feel empowered to do whatever they want.