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| Federal Judge Enjoins Pratt & Whitney From Leaving Unionized Connecticut |
| 2010-02-06 |
| A federal judge in Connecticut has sided with a Machinists union in its legal fight to block jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney from moving 1,000 jobs out of the state. U.S. District Judge Janet Hall issued a permanent injunction Friday, stopping the company's plans to shift the jobs to Columbus, Ga., Japan and Singapore. The Machinists union, which represents 3,700 workers, sued to block the subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. from moving the jobs elsewhere. It accused Pratt & Whitney of failing to comply with the contract that required it to do everything possible to preserve the jobs. Executives testified in court they had no alternative but to shut two Connecticut plants. They insisted they followed the contract. The East Hartford-based company did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Somewhat like an injunction forbidding slaves escaping to free States. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #11 There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary to public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute or common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back. - Robert A. Heinlein |
| Posted by: Formerly Dan 2010-02-06 16:49 |
| #10 That's why most union members "Work" is a pejorative word in this case. |
| Posted by: regular joe 2010-02-06 14:20 |
| #9 The judge has interpretted this one as a suicide pact. They all are. That's why most union members work for the government. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-06 12:23 |
| #8 Maybe the judge owns stock in Airbus. Realistically, the economy has changed dramatically ... for the worse. That type of change will always threaten the viability of previously marginally profitabe enterprises. Union contracts are not flexible. The judge has interpretted this one as a suicide pact. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2010-02-06 12:17 |
| #7 I inagine the IAM out here in Seattle is looking at this very carefully regarding not only the 787 manufacturing split ( setting up a second plant in South Carolina) but also the next-gen 737 and and new products (USAF tankers perhaps). The WA state legislature introduced a bill that would have killed Boeing's already granted tax credits if 787 production in WA fell to less than 50% of the total.. Thankfully, that bill died in commitee. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-02-06 12:16 |
| #6 Columbus, GA won't matter, nothing in the South or in 'Right to Work' states matters these days. Japan and Singapore might have something to say about this "enjoiner" from a fair trade and US Gov't Bond standpoint however. I suspect it will be quickly overturned. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-06 09:47 |
| #5 ...CyberSarge speaks wisdom - this will survive exactly ten seconds upon appeal. And even if it were not to do so, P&W need simply wait until the contract expires. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2010-02-06 09:41 |
| #4 Appeal and it will be struck down. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2010-02-06 09:23 |
| #3 The Duchess of Hartford Janet Hall issued a decree Friday... fixed it for you |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-06 07:26 |
| #2 Directive 10-289 "In the name of the general welfare," read "Point One. All workers, wage earners and employees of any kind whatsoever shall henceforth be attached to their jobs and shall not leave nor be dismissed nor change employment, under penalty of a term in jail. The penalty shall be determined by the Unification Board, such Board to be appointed by the Bureau of Economic Planning and National Resources. All persons reaching the age of twenty-one shall report to the Unification Board, which shall assign them to where, in its opinion, their services will best serve the interests of the nation. "Point Two. All industrial, commercial, manufacturing and business establishments of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth remain in operation, and the owners of such establishments shall not quit nor leave nor retire, nor close, sell or transfer their business, under pentalty of the nationalization of their establishment and of any and all of their property. "Point Three. All patents and copyrights, pertaining to any devices, inventions, formulas, processes and works of any nature whatsoever, shall be turned over to the nation as a patriotic emergency gift by means of Gift Certificates to be signed voluntarily by the owners of all such patents and copyrights. The Unification Board shall then license the use of such patents and copyrights to all applicants, equally and without discrimination, for the purpose of eliminating monopolistic practices, discarding obsolete products and making the best available to the whole nation. No trademarks, brand names or copyrighted titles shall be used. Every formerly patented product shall be known by a new name and sold by all manufacturers under the same name, such name to be selected by the Unification Board. All private trademarks and brand names are hereby abolished. "Point Four. No new devices, inventions, products, or goods of any nature whatsoever, not now on the market, shall be produced, invented, manufacturerd or sold afer the date of this directive. The Office of Patents and Copyrights is hereby suspended. "Point Five. Every establishment, concern, corporation or person engaged in production of any nature whatsoever shall henceforth produce the same amount of goods per year as it, they or he produced during the Basic Year, no more and no less. The year to be known as the Basic or Yardstick Year is to be the year ending on the date of this directive. Over or under production shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Barod. "Point Six. Every person of any age, sex, class or income, shall henceforth spend the same amount of money on the purchase of goods per year as he or she spent during the Basic Year, no more and no less. Over or under purchasing shall be fined, such fines to be determined by the Unification Board. "Point Seven. All wages, prices, salaries, dividends, profits, interest rates and forms of income of any nature whatsoever, shall be frozen at their present figures, as of the date of this directive. "Point Eight. All cases arising from and rules not specifically provided for in this directive, shall be settled and determined by the Unification Board, whose decisionswill be final." |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-02-06 00:40 |
| #1 failing to comply with the contract that required it to do everything possible to preserve the jobs. and on what legal basis did that ruling come about? Should be interesting seeing the judge's basis on the actual contract wording |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-02-06 00:16 |