Sunday night the workers were locked out by the American company. Happy New Year

The view of one worker..............

Sitting at a table at a Tim Hortons, where she's stopped almost day on her way to work at London's Electro-Motive Diesel plant, she talks of the uncertainty ahead.

A single mother to an 18-year-old daughter, Gordon has been a welder at EMD since 2005.

Like her colleagues, she stands to lose a lot, both under a proposed contract that would gut workers' pay and benefits, and by being locked out.

"I'm just numb," she said Sunday.

Since she entered the workforce more than 20 years ago, finding a stable, well-paying job has been a struggle for the 39-year-old.

With only a high school education, she tried to make ends meet for her and her young daughter by working multiple part-time jobs, until her step-father suggested she go to school for welding.

That was 13 years ago.

Since then, Gordon has tried her best to work her way up the manufacturing chain. She's held welding jobs at a variety of local plants and factories, many of which closed to move to the U.S.

For most of her life, she worked a part-time job at a grocery store besides her full-time jobs, because she couldn't make ends meet on $15 an hour.

When she heard about a job opening at EMD six years ago, she took action.

"Getting into Electro-Motive was really, really hard," she said. "I went back to school to practice, to make sure my welding and my test was going to be perfect . . . I reviewed blueprint notes and theory notes just to make sure I was on top of my game . . . Jobs like that don't open up everyday. I just wanted to make sure I didn't mess up that opportunity."

Gordon said many people don't understand jobs such as those at Electro-Motive take years of work to get.

"This is not an entry-level job. Everybody who works in that plant is very, very skilled."

Now, with a threat her $35-an-hour wage will be cut to $16, Gordon is panicking. She picks up her last pay cheque this week, unsure of her next move. She knows she won't be able to make ends meet on strike pay of $200 a week, but she also knows how hard it is to find work in a city with 9.8% unemployment.

"I know how hard it was to get a job when I was laid off before, and nobody's going to want to hire me now that we're on strike," she said.

"Most of my jobs are union jobs and when you have that on a resume and you go to a place that might be hiring . . . but they're only paying $10 or $15 an hour, they don't want to hire you . . . because they know the first chance you get to get out of there, you're going to be gone."

When she was laid off from Electro-Motive in 2008 for 20 months, Gordon had to go on social assistance and frequent the food bank. Still trying to climb out of the hole she found herself in then, Gordon said she doesn't have much savings.

She estimates she pays about $1,500 each month in bills, rent and insurance. Tack on food, gas, and clothing and her expenses get pretty high. She gets no child support from her daughter's father, who she left 16 years ago, and worries about being able to help her daughter pay for college.

"She's going to have to start off her own life in debt, all because of corporate greed," Gordon said.

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And before the knives come out at this woman, remember she did everything everyone says to do. She took care of herself and her child. She got a better education. When work was not there she worked where she could. She did it all the right way and then along comes another American company and after buying the Canadian location they decide to move south (that's their real plans), after making record profits last year.

I don't know how these company owners and stock holders sleep at night. After all, the workers who made them their money are only human beings........and they're expendable like a trash bag.

Who kows?  Just mebbe in a small town somewhere i the Staes or Mexico,  a local ewspaper or tv reporter is at this moment interviewing a lady named Kate.  She is sitting on a chair at the local cantina or Dunkin' Donuts.  A single mother to an 18-year-old daughter,  she stands to gain a lot, Since she entered the workforce more than 20 years ago, finding a stable, well-paying job has been a struggle for the 39-year-old.  With only a high school education, she tried to make ends meet for her and her young daughter by working multiple part-time jobs, until her step-father suggested she go to school for welding.

That was 13 years ago. 

For most of her life, she worked a part-time job at a grocery store besides her full-time jobs, because she couldn't make ends meet on $6 an hour.

When she heard about a job opening at EMD next year, she took action.

"Getting into Electro-Motive will be really, really hard," she said. "I am going back to school to practice, to make sure my welding and my test was going to be perfect . . . I reviewed blueprint notes and theory notes just to make sure I was on top of my game . . . Jobs like this don't open up everyday. I just want to make sure I don't mess up this opportunity."

 Many people don't understand jobs such as those at Electro-Motive take years of work to get.

"This is not an entry-level job. Everybody who works in that plant is very, very skilled."

She also knows how hard it is to find work in a city with 9.8% unemployment.  She is very grateful to the CAW Union for beeing inflexible and motivated by greed.

Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. "Warren Buffett"

The handwriting has been on the wall - unfortunately - for EMD for a few years now. Greenbriar methodically pulled dept by dept of salary jobs out of London and moved them to LaGrange over the years. Folks had to know it was NOT a good move when the place was sold to Caterpillar.

Compare to the other locomotive maker in North America - GE, in Erie PA - who ratified their contract last June for 4 years:

http://www.ueunion.org/unity2011_summary.html#wages

$15 X 40 X 52 =$31200 a year. She has a daughter and is a single mother therefore she is paying very little in income tax. also as a single mother she was getting about $175 a month in baby bonus until age 18 (my kids started working at 15 so I assume the child is now working at least part-time)

this leaves her about $2500 a month to live on.

If a family of 2 cannot live on $2500 a month (shot me now) they need to change their way of life a little. Maybe let the car get older than 3 years before a new one and maybe they do not need a new TV in every room and maybe they could cook at home rather than eat out.

I can see math skills aren't particularly high around here.

Let's relook at this.

So her pay works out to around $31,000.

Drop that amount by 20% for taxes (both income and retail purchases):  we're left with around $24,000

About $2,000 a month.

Food for two:  about $400

Rent (2 bedroom apartment in London): about $850

Internet: $100

Medical and dental: $100

Clothes: $200

Car payment, insurance, gas and oil, repairs: $200

Savings (RESP, RRSP etc): ???

Hmmm...pretty close to the line and not much in there for any major surprises. Particularly as her pension, if indeed she has one, is not likely to be guaranteed in todays corporate climate.

Amazing how far from the poverty line $15 per hour is, and yet how little it provides for folks to actually prosper!

It's this type of modern engine unfortunately that will displace those made here in London.

Gas turbine electric. Click on the video link, this thing rocks! 

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLD ONTO YOUR SOCKS Holy Bullet Train Batman!!! Want to go for a ride? Here’s the deal: You have to appreciate the speed from the shot from the bridge. You thought the train from Paris to Avion was fast at 300 km/h, but this is something else. I wonder how far back it has to begin slowing down for the station. Imagine going through a station at full speed! This is a high speed train built by the Alstom rail group in Belfort, France. They share manufacturing facilities with the GE Energy Products Europe (EPE) Gas Turbine group. The video was provided by the GE EPE Chief Engineer in Belfort .

The train hit 574.8 Km/h which works out to 357.2 MPH or Mach 0.482...wow! In particular, watch the train going under a bridge with people watching. This is FAST!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVMKmx4Cshc

Money can't buy back your youth when you're old Or the loss of a loved one or a love that's grown cold Make one thing for certain when it comes your time You leave this old world with a satisfied mind

High speed will not be used for hauling freight - that will be for the fast-track commuter trains that are in the works to carry commuters the long distances they have to commute now to their places of work.

About $2,000 a month.---$31,000 less EI and CPP and about $1,000 a year in taxes leaves her with $2350+ a month and then add in "baby bonus of about $175.00 a month leaves her with $2500 a month

just went and did the calculations for you--on $31,200 in income with and eligible dependant she would pay $1910.91 in CPP and EI and $724.21 in federal taxes and $411.96 in provincial taxes. this leaves her with $28,152 or $2346 a month. plus baby bonus of $219 a month and HST rebate of $53 a month. so $2618 a month--now with even YOUR calculations she has almost $800 a month extra

perhaps she has some expensive habits/addictions we're not aware of which take precedence over all other expenses.

STOP the subtle innuendos. What is wrong with you people!

I was talking about the habits and addictions comment mikey.

Drop that amount by 20% for taxes (both income and retail purchases):  we're left with around $24,000---sorry wrong as she gets to claim her daughter as 'eligible dependantso she would be paying income taxes as if she was only earning about $8,000 a year. or about $1,000 a year

Again, please read what I posted.

That includes her income tax AND retail taxes (HST), which is light.

On average, the typical family pays out 40% of their income on taxes.

And internet is a necessity: it's a choice between high speed and lower speed/capped downloads.  I'm assuming, for $100/month, she is able to get a VOIP phone as well.

And that doesn't address cell phones/text messaging for a teenager which is almost required.

Teens in high school and part-time jobs.  First, the money my teens earned was their money. Not household monies and not monies for necessities. So quit counting that against the household income.

Second, part-tme jobs for students are tough to come by in this job climate. So that is a bit of wishful thinking.

And finally, many parents don't encourage part-time jobs as it takes away from schoolwork and lowers grades. And assumes the young lady has no social life, has no interest in sports programs etc.

So no, my figures aren't off. And a subsistence living at $2K per month is not right.

Medical and dental: $100-- ever heard of OHIP that pays medical and a blue cross plan for a family of 2 would run about$50 a month MAX

Go to the Blue Cross site: pump in the details on a single mom with a teenage daughter.

Basic coverage starts at $143.24 per month (assuming non-smoker).

That doesn't include dental.

Now factor in dental at $200 per visit.  Once every three months at a minimum. Factor in X-rays and any dental work, and you start very quickly approaching $1K for the visit.

And try to find a dental plan that provides reasonable coverage.

Good luck.

"

On average, the typical family pays out 40% of their income on taxes."

Said 30k single parent is paying anywhere clsoe to 40% in taxes.  Anyone hard up is getting mroe back in hst rebate then they can spend on hst taxbale items