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2007-03-15 Europe

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Posted by Steve White 2007-03-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Me like. While Europe was an irreplaceable trading partner, I was torn between a desire to see their idiotic policies and pretensions leading to their predictable consequences, and a reluctance to see the world economy take a hit. Now, with China surging, east Asia booming, and even Japan rousing from its slumber .... I'm quite OK with Europe achieving the economic success it has chosen as its destiny ...

Posted by Verlaine 2007-03-15 00:06|| 2007-03-15 00:06|| Front Page Top

#2 When the world's largest Airbus widebody operator and A380F launch customer (FedEx) drops you trouble is just around the corner. They pay their bills on time but when you don't deliver others (Boeing) will.
The A319/320/321 is still a money maker but not enough to cover the losses from labor problems, A380, and A400M.Which inturn dries up seed money for the A350WXB.

Posted by TZsenator 2007-03-15 00:22|| 2007-03-15 00:22|| Front Page Top

#3 It never occurred to me to ask this question:

When the Eurounions go on strike, do they strike for exactly 35 hours in each week?

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-15 00:24|| 2007-03-15 00:24|| Front Page Top

#4 I never could understand the logic of striking your employer when he's teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. They do it though. Of course, management often weakens its own credibility by giving themselves big bonus checks while/for laying off rank and file workers.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-03-15 07:26|| 2007-03-15 07:26|| Front Page Top

#5 Glenmore,
That's what killed one of my father's fomer employers. In the summer of 1982, American Shipbuilding in Cleveland got struck by the yard workers who were asking for a 1 year contract, 25% pay increase and a 4 day work week. The yard was desperately trying to get some USN business to stay open, and the Navy said no way without a 3 year contract. The workers went out, the yard closed - and the screaming about the scummy management began, led by Ohio Senator Howard Metzenbaum (and be thankful ol' Howie isn't alive and in the Senate today, he was the one who taught Dennis Kucinich everything he knows). The funny part is to this day, the union still holds its monthly meeting, insisting that the yard will someday 'have' to reopen. (The dryodcks were cobnverted to marina space years ago and the what buildings weren't torn down are now office and storage space.)

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2007-03-15 09:08|| 2007-03-15 09:08|| Front Page Top

#6 Eastern the wings of man....

Posted by Jacko 2007-03-15 10:46|| 2007-03-15 10:46|| Front Page Top

#7 My first jobs when I got out were in the steel mills of Youngstown and Cleveland - Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube.

You'd file a grievance if the boss looked at you funny. The works rules were so restrictive that you saw things like electricians (only) replacing any burned out light bulbs and machinists or millwrights changing the ribbons in a typewriter. My first year at the Tube I got 6 weeks paid vacation. A paid day off for voting, a paid day off for giving blood, etc., etc., etc.

Any wonder these outfits are gone?

Posted by GORT 2007-03-15 10:55|| 2007-03-15 10:55|| Front Page Top

#8 its troubles, largely caused by a ~~weaker US dollar and a $6.5 billion profit shortfall due to the A380 super-jumbos two-year delay~~Rube Goldberg organizational structure.

Posted by DoDo 2007-03-15 11:41|| 2007-03-15 11:41|| Front Page Top

#9 Meanwhile, recent reports indicate Boeing is looking at ways to ramp up 787 production from 7 to 10 planes a month. That works out to about a 50% increase in production rates( not exact, but real close) the amount of additional tooling and labor to achieve that is not negligible and leaves no room for failues or anything but scheduled downtime (equip. maintenance). and this is the -8 version; orders for the -9 have been increasing in the past few weeks and there is no major tooling even built yet for it. go ahead and strike you morons.
anybets who wins the USAF tanker contract? I expect the lefties to put pressure on the military to buy Northrop-Grumman; AKA Airbust 'to keep our production options open and not held hostage to only one airframe maker.'

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-03-15 15:09|| 2007-03-15 15:09|| Front Page Top

#10 Socialist lawmakers at the European Parliament...

But I repeat myself...

Posted by Mark Twain 2007-03-15 19:47|| 2007-03-15 19:47|| Front Page Top

23:52 anonaminie
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