UAW On Strike

[Jamo]

Wes, I think you are talking about a "lock down" (not a "lockout") which is SOP as soon as a strike hits (check for sugar in forklift gas tanks, etc.).

A "lockout" is another spefic term of art in labor relations. It is the opposite of a strike...the company bars union members from working until a settlement is reached. It is used for defensive purposes. For example, in Vegas, if one casino-hotel is struck in a weak-sister approach (union gets one company to sign, and then forces it down everyone elses throats) or several are alternately struck in a whipsaw approach (strike one company for two weeks, then put the members back to work while the next place is hit for two weeks, etc., all to prevent hiring a replacement work force), all of the casinos will lockout out union members until a deal is reached. The most recent example of an industry defensive lockout was the Southern California grocery dispute a few years ago...Vons was hit, so Ralphs and the others locked their union employees out.

During a lockout, employers hire temporary replacements to fill the jobs during the dispute...they keep operating. As for taking down and moving a plant...that falls under the WARN Act...a different scenario entirely.

I'm gonna see if I can get you guys Human Resource Certification credits for reading my posts.

[Wes Tausend]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Wes, I think you are talking about a "lock down" (not a "lockout") which is SOP as soon as a strike hits (check for sugar in forklift gas tanks, etc.)....

....During a lockout, employers hire temporary replacements to fill the jobs during the dispute...they keep operating. As for taking down and moving a plant...that falls under the WARN Act...a different scenario entirely.

I'm gonna see if I can get you guys Human Resource Certification credits for reading my posts.

Makes sense, Jamo. I'm not sure which term I originally heard now, lock down or lockout. The Bobcat plant would've actually been in a situation of lock down and it is my guess that the wrong term was commonly bandied about ...well, like I just did.

Human Resource Certification credits? Hey, alright.


...

[RICK LAKE]

CobraBill Bill, Solar is going to be a 20 BILLION dollar profit to someone who can make solar panels. 2020 all new building in Cali must have solar systems for the home included in the build. Electric and heating. Bill Solar right now is the only thing except for DRUGS, that has a return of 15-18%. No stocks, bonds, tea bills, even oil. They have new panels out that look like shingles and film panels that are glued to steel roofs. The rebates are getting smaller but here they are to date, $2,000 from the feds. Every state is different some are at a 50% rebate, alot are dropping to the high 30% low 40%. NJ has used up the money already for the 08 year on rebates. Jan 04 08 it was all gone. 55% of Germany is running off solar, 18% of Japan is also using solar. The solar systems are good for 20-25 years on the panels and 8-12 years on the convertors. If you go tie in on the electric and have no battery backup this will save about 5-8 grand. You will have power even is the whole area is out for days, The solar will run the house inthe daytime and the batterys at night. COMMON SENSE is needed for this. I have done all the home work for my house, the problem is the 4 big trees that my grandfather planted in the back yard, 1 white oak,1 black walnut,1 red oak, 1 pin oak, 3 out of the 4 are in perfect health. The other has save the house from 2 lightning strikes. Yes I have rods on the roof. You can write off the solar system for 5 years on taxes. What's your electric bill per month? That money could go to pay for the monthly payments on the solar system. NO ELECTRIC BILL. The system is totally paided for in 6-7 1/2 years. If you build a system that makes more power than you need, you can get either green credits or a check back every year on electric you didn't use. There is no down side to this. How about heating your house? Do you have base board hot water, I do. For $13,000 I can build a solar system to heat the whole house. Heating oil was 3.89 per gallon 2 months ago. I need 400 gallons to get through the winter months. Again 6 years and the heating of the house is free. You have been brain washed into thinking that solar doesn't work or is not worth the time and money to do to your house. Solar homes also add about $15,000 - 18,000.00 dollars to resale of a home. You can also take it with you if you want. We already have solar farms in the southwest that make power in the 500KW. All you need is the sun. The government has not put a tax on this yet. Oil companies don't want you doing solar, they could loose billions. The economy of the USA is being held together by oil. Bill solar is no different than any aftermarket part you added to your car, weather it be suspension, motor, or safety, In the beginning all these things where po-poed and yet look at what is on your car today. Solar is the future. Rick L

[Excaliber]

Here in Hawaii electricity costs are higher than just about anywhere else in the country. Even with that high cost I continue to calculate real world savings based on solar, the pay back isn't there, even with TAX breaks to install it! Solar hot water, real common here or photo voltaic. Pay back for a SINGLE guy like myself just aint gonna happen. Takes a family of four or more to even begin to think it will pay for itself.

I have no plans to live in this house for 20 years, by the way. I know very few people who have or plan to. If it aint 'pay back' in five years, it aint gonna happen. The local electric companies are in court RIGHT NOW fighting wind power generation stations. Local power refuses to BUY power from them. Forget 'credits', there are none.

[Ron61]

Ernie,

Our electric rates are out of sight and this new bill is just more gouging of the people. A couple of years ago P.G. & E. went on a big plan to help people install solar panels and such and at this time they are not efficient enough to pay for themselves before they have to be replaced. I know they are getting better but few people on fixed incomes can afford from $25K to over $75K to have this stuff put in. Some of the newer businesses in Redding had it installed when they built the buildings and it won't even run their building, let alone have any left over. And there was no buy back plan either.

Rick,

You must have darn low electric rates or you have some solar set up they haven't come up with out here yet. And just because the idiots passed that bill, don't use that to prove that Solar is the thing. It could be, but at this time it is completely impractical here. I had two solar companies come look and tell me what it would cost me for a minimal solar panel system and both told me it would be far more than it is worth. I have no trees to bother with, house is in the sun all day long, and both companies told me that I would need at least 30 years just to recover the price of the dam panels and then the batteries would need replacement. Also when we have those month long dark days during the Winter, where do I get the heat to run the panels?

Ron

[Cobrabill]

Rick-Check my bio.I live in the Sunshine capitol of the US.360 days of sun per year-no joking.Solar came & went.Right now i can not name any place that has panels on the roof.And trust me-i get around.All the plastic pieces fell apart in the sun long before any benefit was realized.There is no plastic that can stand up to the desert sun.We won't get into the years-to-pay-off time like Ron mentioned.

Also,in order for solar to be the future,it has to work the same in every corner of the country.Solar in the NW?That's a joke.They get as many cloudy days as we get sun.Solar in New England?That's funny.But not as funny as in the NW.Upper mid-west..chuckle.

There is no such thing as regional alternatives-it HAS to work across the board.And solar doesn't.

I'm not doubting your 20 billion figure,however it will be a 20 billion dollar scam.

The only solar i would consider is "solar assist" on the water heater.Solar won't even work on my pool as i have re-plumbed the pool so that it only has to run 4 hours per day to turn it over.

[427 S/O]

Ernie!!!.....never mind..........

[Excaliber]

Oh come on Perry, it's just family around these parts, I can take it, spill the beans!

[RICK LAKE]

Ron61 What companies came by to look at your house. Sounds like they work for PSE&G like the first guys that came by my house. These guys also told me about it not being worth the cost to install. Funny how my nieghbor who has both systems for 9 years now has no electric bill, only the service min of 18.00 per month from PSE&G. Think outside the box for a minute, do you REALLY think that PSE&G, or any other electric company wants you to go to solar?? Look at Biofuel for Diesels. They has attacked this from both sides. I work for GM, First thing I have to do is get a fuel sample and check the weight and numbers. Biofuel is about 85% as good as regular diesel. The cost is about 2/3 less if you can find waste cooking oil. The lubricity is not the same. The power is also off by 10-15%. The big 3 have started all kinds of trouble with using this fuel. (sidenote) Don't let GM, Ford, or Dodge catch you using a bullydog enhancer for power in your truck, or have had one on your truck. They can now check the soft ware and is if any aftermarket changes where done. We had a guy with a duramax with a knock and damaged pistons, GM pulled the warrantty for the modes made. $14,000.00 out of pocket. Yes he has a lawyer and is going to sue, not sure who he is going after yet. Ron there is a simple formula for finding how much solar you need for your house on average. I went with the max for my house at 10KW system. Did anyone tell you about having to have a sprinkler system to cool the panels in a 100f+ days? Bet they didnot. The panels get too hot just like your cobra motor and they can loose up to 40% of there charging rate. As far as my electric bill, I run low watt bulbs, all kitchen applances are energy star. Turn light on when going into a room, turn off when leaving. It's that simple. Winter time there is no heat upstairs if no one is visiting. Summer time, basement is cool. One 1 room has A/C in it the bedroom. I sleep in the basement. I don't work in A/C. I sweat more and don't have to go to the jim. I also cut my own grass. .275 of an acre, walk behind TORO. If you want I will see who is in your area and know about solar. Most conventions or on the west coast or southwest of the country. There are alot more people on solar in Maine and New England states than you think. Farmers get a real break. Throw a 15KW on the barn for 45K. Any way If you have the number or company of the guys that came to your place I would like to call them and see if they know anything about what they are selling. Thanks Rickl Cobra Bill I will get back to you tomorrow.

[Cobrabill]

Rick-GM will lose in court.Bio-diesel is another joke.NO diesel engine manufacturer recommends it.

[Ron61]

How did a thread that started out about a strike and it's effects on the people wind up with an argument over solar power?

Ron

[RICK LAKE]

Ron 61 Last time I checked this was the lounge? We are just talking. Sorry typing. We already know that the big 3 are dead in the US and building of cars is going outside the US. The unions are done. Stick a fork in them. Game, set, and match. Who's next????Rick L.

[RICK LAKE]

Cobrabill Bio-fuel works if the car or truck has software setup for the differents in the fuel composites. It just like the E-85 car and trucks. There is a sensor that checks the gas and the software does the rest. Same as a diesel with the water sensor to check moisture in the fuel. Lubrication in the fuel is the only problem. This is why all the older diesels had so much injector pump problems. Low and no sulfur fuel killed the pumps. They have that fixed. The new diesel systems are running 25-28,000 psi to the injectors. No more low pressures. It works, just needs some help. Rick L.

[Wayne Maybury]

I have a small Yanmar diesel in my sailboat. I was recently talking to the service manager at the marina and he told me that he expects all kinds of diesel problems in the near future as the marina has just been forced to switch to very low sulfur fuel. He said that hoses, gaskets, O rings, etc are all going to start leaking and will have to be changed. He also mentioned possible fuel pump problems. This will not be a lot of fun if that dependable little diesel starts to run like a piece of crap.

I was thinking of trying to buy some bio diesel for the boat just to get rid of the terrible smell, both from the fuel itself and from the exhaust when the engine is running.

Wayne

[Ron61]

Wayne,

I have another stupid question. Not knowing anything about diesel except what I read, why would the low sulphur type cause so many problems with O rings and such? Is it something like when they took the lead out of gas and and lost the lubrication properties? Does the bio deisel still have the same basic properties as the regular except for the lack of stink and cleaner exhaust?

Ron

[RICK LAKE]

Ron61 You have it right. Bio has about 85% of the lubricates that diesel at the pumps has. Yes the sulfur is just like the lead in gas motors and helps lube the injectors and pump. It's also not a silly question. If Wayne get bio fuel hope he likes eating It does smell like a beach party with french fries and fish. .


Wayne Maybury Yanmar had alot of trouble about 5-8 years ago with there motors. Burnt pistons was the top issue. The European diesel was not the same as the US fuel. The injector pumps where causing a lean condition and melting pistons. Yanmar was sued many times. Not sure how it all turned out. I would check with Yanmar before changing diesel fuels. You may need to add a stablizer or booster to the mixture. In the old days Kerosene was added to thin the diesel and help clean the injectors. Good luck Rick L.

[Ron61]

Rick,

What are they using right now to make most of the biodiesel? I see those two cars that run in the Le-Mans series and they use diesel and I think it is bio but am not sure. They are very quiet and will run as fast as the others because of their huge torque and they can run very high gears. Does the bio diesel give as much mileage as the regular and do you have to run a lot higher compression?

Ron

[RICK LAKE]

Ron61 They are using old cooking oil from the fryer vats. Any quick food place is always looking to get rid of the oil. Times are changing in my area. Companys used to get paided for removal. Now they are paying by the gallon. The good old goverment is getting pissed because they are not getting tax dollars for this. It takes about 2 days to make 40-50 gallons of bio fuel. You need space to start, a 100 gallon tank, and a steady supply of oil. The oil gets filtered twice to clean it up,and a process to make the fuel is pretty easy. There are a couple of companys out there that will sell a whole kit for maken fuel. IMO I would mix the bio and regular diesel togeather at a 50/50 mix. The cost of maken a gallon of bio fuel is about $1.25 -$1.35 per gallon. This is with the electric needed to do the refining. Diesel make great power. The problem is the transmissions have problems with the torque. They had a Dually dodge with twin turbos sequential running 12's in the 1/4 mile. The truck broke 2 transmissions before the week was over. This truck was over 6,000 lbs. That's power. Main shafts for the transmissions need to be made of tool steel. Anything less and the shaft is twisted. We are talking about a shaft with a 1 1/2" solid diameter. 1,200 ft of torque and 660 HP. You should pull up Gale banks and look at his nascar truck with a diesel. It also has a 5,500 rpm limit. THAT'S alot of weight spinning at that rpm. Diesels are catching gas motors, just like the merlin motors where caught by the turbines for power unlimited boats. Bio doesn't give the same milage or power as regular diesel about a 10-15% drop. But with the cost almost 2/3rds less. This is why a think the 50/50 mixture is the best. You do the math. You can save from $1.75 per gallon to almost $3.00 per gallon. Google Bio fuel to find the companys that sell the kits. It's easy to make, just need the space and old oil. Rick L.

[Ron61]

Rick,

I have been talking to people with small diesel cars and that was why I was wondering if you could mix the bio diesel with regular diesel in these motors and not have any problems. I am not looking for a race car, just something that I could drive and have enough power to blend into the freeway traffic easily. Actually I kind of like the newer version of the Volkswagen Bug. I know, getting old and lack of taste, but at this stage I don't mind taking 2 minutes longer to get to Redding. Do you have to make any modifications to the regular engine to get it to work and how would it come out on the smog tests?

Thanks,

Ron

[RICK LAKE]

Ron61 At this time all the info I gave you is typed on this thread. You will need to research for more. I see no problem with a 50/50 mixture of the 2 fuels. You are going to have too experiment to see what works. I did leave out 1 thing, running a second fuel filter with a hearter element if possible. There are some clubs on the internet that have alot more to give you in helping with this. Most people running Bio are using the diesel VW or Mercedes cars and all the trucks lines. Again I would talk to more people in this field to steer you in the right direction. Rick L.