Good News, Bad News: UAW is thrilled Cat is recalling

First the good news:

Whatever it takes to thrill the leadership of United Auto Workers Local 974, the prospect that a couple thousand of its members could be back to work this year ranks near the top.

“This is definitely good news. We’re thrilled to hear it,” said Local 974 President Dave Chapman after learning that Caterpillar Inc. believes it can recall 9,000 or more of its laid-off workers worldwide — including close to 3,000 in Illinois — by the end of 2010.

Added Wes Hogsett, Local 974 bargaining chairman: “It is always good news when Caterpillar’s business picks up. That’s because our members can get back to work and get back to earning the paychecks they need to support their families.”

Now the bad news:  Caterpillar's business is picking up due to order is mostly foreign markets.

Caterpillar chairman Jim Owens spoke during the U.S.-Saudi Arabia business summit in Chicago last week and, during a question-and-answer session, said the company believes the recalls are likely because business — particularly in foreign markets — is regaining strength.

While about 6,000 of the recalled workers are in those foreign markets, including Asia and Latin America, where the growth is strongest, thousands of workers at U.S. plants that export their products will be brought back as well. The bulk of those are in Illinois. [Emphasis added.]

In either case, though, Cat's rehiring is good news.

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“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

For more news and views on today’s unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.

The Private-Sector Cost of ObamaCare: One-quarter of a billion dollars and a thousand jobs so far…

It's been only three two days since President Obama signed his "landmark" (not-quite-done-yet) legislation and the costs are only now starting to emerge over the White House's ongoing problem--jobs.

The tally so far (and we're just getting started) is that the health care legislation will cost two companies one-quarter of a billion dollars this year and a third company about 1,000 jobs:

From the Wall Street Journal:

Even before President Obama signed the bill on Tuesday, Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone. Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers. Now Verizon joins the roll of businesses staring at adverse consequences.

In an email titled "President Obama Signs Health Care Legislation" sent to all employees Tuesday night, the telecom giant warned that "we expect that Verizon's costs will increase in the short term." While executive vice president for human resources Marc Reed wrote that "it is difficult at this point to gauge the precise impact of this legislation," and that ObamaCare does reflect some of the company's policy priorities, the message to workers was clear: Expect changes for the worse to your health benefits as the direct result of this bill, and maybe as soon as this year. [Emphasis added.]

This is just the beginning.  Add John Deere to the list, as well:

Deere & Co has become the second US company to warn of a loss to President Barack Obama's controversial US healthcare reforms, saying that the legislation will cost it $150m in earnings.

The maker of John Deere tractors said the hit would be taken primarily in the February-to-April quarter, for which analyst had been expected the group to report earnings of about $450m. [Emphasis added.]

The administration is freaking out that this is leaking out in dribs and drabs:

...Gary Locke, the US Commerce Secretary, condemned as "premature and irresponsible" the Caterpillar and Deere statements, saying that some the details of the package were still being ironed out.

"A lot of the regulations on how this will affect big business haven't even published yet," Mr Locke told television channel CNBC.

Translation:  We don't to hear bad news because we still need to sell the already-passed legislation to voters before the mid-term elections.

Since many of the workers at the companies cited above are union workers, it might be helpful for their union bosses who pushed ObamaCare so hard to remind them of President-elect Obama's election night speech:  “It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.”

Now, that's change you can believe in!

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“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

Follow LaborUnionReport on Twitter.

For more news and views on today’s unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.

Cross-posted.