I don't understand people...

[Gumby]

GranCuda1970, I am a Republican. Just got the last parts in today to convert my 3rd SAIGA-12 shotty. A Fuglystick FREEZE hand guard, and a Torpedo vented barrel piece. I have many other "items", including a USAS-12 that I had to get fingerprints and photos to supply my local police and the ATF with. I am on Diane Fienstiens most wanted list, lol. I don't think that you could even EVER pry them from my cold, dead fingers. Sometimes you really do need Unions to protect you. That's all. Barry Sotoro can kiss my A$$, with all of his EO's. Here I was worried about this thread turning into an anti union thing! ROFLMAO! Don't worry buddy, I'm on your side.

[tommyg29]

Barracudadan, you hit the nail on the head. I am NOT complaining. I actually LOVE my job, and I could not see ever doing anything else. I really try and give 110% whenever I can. Just one trip alone, started on a Sat at 7:30 am , ended on Mon at 10:30 am. 51 hours away from home. ONE trip, and I still have the rest of the 2 weeks to go. lol. Yes, I get compensated well. In fact, many people biotch and moan about how much I get paid. Fact is, they would not put up with it for one second. I have missed many birthdays, weddings, football, wrestling, basketball events, and even funerals. I put in more hours away from home on one trip, than most people work in a week. Like everything else in life, it is a trade off. But it is a lifestyle, being on the road, that never gets old. Different people every trip. (that is a huge bonus). That said, when a person has pay discrepencys (bad SP) or any other problem, the Union is ready to help out. It is extremely hard to keep up with issues that might arise when you are away from home and don't have computer access. For years, I worked 3 pm to 11 pm. I was talking to a coworker one day, and he told me that his son was graduating, and he didn't even know him or get to see the kid grow up. Every day he would go to work when the kid was coming home from school. Every night, he would get home and the kid was in bed. On weekends, the kid was with his friends. All of a sudden, the kid is 18 and graduating. THAT is sad.

Wow, I would not have made that decision. In fact, I made the decision to have a career that allowed me time to be with my kids as much as I could. I am self employed and set my own hours, but never pushed hard and even turned down some work from time to time. Dont get me wrong. I love what I do and I think I am good at it, but...
I never missed a soccer game (in fact coached for 2 or 3 seasons) or cheerleading (well, maybe missed a few of those)
I am sure I could have made more money. Maybe we didnt take great vacations each year, or have money to spend on mountain homes or other luxuries, but I would never do any of it different. I couldnt imagine doing whatever it is you love so much.

[GranCuda1970]

I knew that!  EO is equal opportunity laws not excecutive orders.    Barry can Piss up a rope ! I am saying Unions are not needed all that is needed is good EO laws like minimum wage , work hr per wk restrictions, maybe even a Cost of living minimum wage increase someday.

Laws can / will work to protect employees w/o union money funneling to crooked politicians and thier horseshart promises.

gun law example proves my point. I know your not liberal. 

[Gumby]

Wow, I would not have made that decision. In fact, I made the decision to have a career that allowed me time to be with my kids as much as I could. I am self employed and set my own hours, but never pushed hard and even turned down some work from time to time. Dont get me wrong. I love what I do and I think I am good at it, but...
I never missed a soccer game (in fact coached for 2 or 3 seasons) or cheerleading (well, maybe missed a few of those)
I am sure I could have made more money. Maybe we didnt take great vacations each year, or have money to spend on mountain homes or other luxuries, but I would never do any of it different. I couldnt imagine doing whatever it is you love so much.

I'm in the middle of the US, 10 miles from the exact middle to be exact (from the 100th Meridian). There isn't a whole lot goin' on around here, ya know? lol. I work for a RailRoad. I'm an engineer. Don't take this the wrong way, but I pay more in taxes than a lot of people earn around here. I typically make around 4 round trips every two weeks. I am usually home around 50 hours or so in between trips. We do get vacation time. The sensation of being out on the road, with no Manager looking over your shoulder (although they do have GPS and automatic downloads now), and working with a different conductor every trip - it is hard to describe. Every trip really is different. Different type of train, different people, You get to meet a lot of interesting people. If something comes up that you really, HAVE to be there, you have vacation days. In between trips, it's like a weekend off. This type of job gets ingrained into a person. It really grows on you. I can't describe it, but I could never go back to a "9-5" job, with the same people at the same place. EVER. The run I make has beautiful scenery and lot's of wild life. Very little people involved. It's cool seeing the changes from spring to fall to winter. I really can't describe it to you. No one would understand. You either love it, or you hate it. I can't believe that I get paid to do this. That's how I feel about it. Tommyg29, the person I was talking about was from an earlier job where I worked 3 pm to 11 pm. Not affiliated with the railroad at all. Just pointing out that not all jobs are good, kid wise.

[Gumby]

I knew that!  EO is equal opportunity laws not excecutive orders.    Barry can Piss up a rope ! I am saying Unions are not needed all that is needed is good EO laws like minimum wage , work hr per wk restrictions, maybe even a Cost of living minimum wage increase someday.

Laws can / will work to protect employees w/o union money funneling to crooked politicians and thier horseshart promises.

gun law example proves my point. I know your not liberal. 

Why do you need work hour restrictions? Some people might want to work those extra hours to earn more? OOPS, obamacare will force many companies to restrict to less than 37 hours. Cost of living raises are good, but typically get hammered by cost of medical prices, etc.  Per example, I got a COL allowance in January of 2.5 percent. Our medical went up 3 percent. Many people don't get any raise or COL allowance, and stuff keeps going higher. We are not even treading water. We are sinking. People say that inflation is 3%. Then how come peanut butter has gone from around $3.00 to $6.00 for cheap wal mart brand? Tuna has gone from $1.00 a can to $2.00 a can? Kraft Mac&cheese used to be 4 for a dollar a few years ago, now is 5 for $5.00? lol. $.25 cents a can for corn, now $1.00 plus for a can of CORN? No matter how much you make, you are being gang  - ah, better term would be scammed for more than you can make up for it. THAT"S why I appreciate my job so much. I really have a hard time seeing how people with kids make it these days. If, as you say, unions only make up 6% of the work force - how in the hell are they the cause of these problems? 

[GranCuda1970]

What we need is protection from wasteful governmenrt spending and policies that keep driving the costs of everything through the roof! Prices do not always need to be going up, Can they just stay the same for while Gheesh!! in 100m yrs a loaf of bread will be 1000 bucks at this rate and the average home would be 2 or 3 million bucks. Price stability would be nice.

[erat340]

Gheech, Grancuda1970, welcome to the world of free market rule!

[GranCuda1970]

Gheech, Grancuda1970, welcome to the world of free market rule!

 We have not had free market rule, we have had demigogin politicing and corruption on levels never seen before by the above the law and out of control elitists on both sides of the political spectrum. Nafta, Afta, Solyndra +9 all these free trade agreements have done is ship jobs overseas. All of the stupid regulations have scared the wealthy business owners into the hands of our foreign competiters. I personally feel that if the nation can make it past the next 15 yrs we will have massive growth. The last 8yrs of political circus is not amusing at all. Boy we are getting to see how the hotdog was made and it isn,t pretty at all. Morons I tell yah! morons. 

[moparmaniac59]

 

[LAA66]

 The current system is not sustainable IMO. Unrealistic extraction from the middle class is taking it's toll. As this resource runs out the only option left is to print money.

[Gumby]

Reference Greece, to see how this will all turn out. Good thing that we have the 2nd Amendment.

[GranCuda1970]

Reference Greece, to see how this will all turn out. Good thing that we have the 2nd Amendment.

  That isn't stopping them from trying thier darndest to strip that right before they collapse the whole economy SNAFU, FUBAR style. Too many stupid descisions being made recently as well as have been made over the past 30yrs or so for it to be gross incompetance.

[Gumby]

Only something like 3% upheld our rights to make this Country what it is back in the day. Most stood back and did nothing. Over 50% disagree with where we are heading now. I don't think that most will remain silent. Time will tell.

[GranCuda1970]

Considering most that support all of the Communist crap are either burning out in thier 60's - 80's and still spitting on joes from Vietnam and few justin beiber style string bean brainwarshed masses not enough to stop BuBBa if they take it to that level. Most of the lost burnt out meth addicted Dipsharts from the 80's and 90's that survived would not even make good cannon fodder.

[GranCuda1970]

Perfect example of one of the lemming's here absolute brainwarshed dumbshart!

      http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/10/cnn-anchor-asks-with-straight-face-is-this-asteroid-the-result-of-global-warming/