Pizza and climbing, but not at the Red

Post by **rhunt** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:19 pm

with a contract, no I could not be fired without reason IF that was written in the contract.

I have no idea what the solution is to such a huge problem. I guess if I did I would be running for office.

Post by **Meadows** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:27 pm

People with dispensable skills don't get such special contracts, especially if you're applying for a manufacturing position.

Post by **rhunt** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:37 pm

yes and that is the problem(and why the USA is such a great country) and at one point in our history unions helped. Now they do more harm than good. There needs to be (I guess) better laws to protect both the employee and employer and those laws need not be enforced by a third party like a union.

Post by **pigsteak** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:10 pm

vote W..he will save your jobs.

Post by **Dink Dink** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:48 am

I love rants! Anyway, unions are necessary, but they begin to get ridiculous. My step-mothers hospital for example. She's a nurse. She's not allowed to change a light bulb because it infringes on the maintenance staff's union. She literally sat in the dark for a shift because they didn't have anyone to do it and she was told not to. Another example, my uncle works for GM. He has seniority over most people, and people there get paid solely on experience. Doesn't matter job, just how long you've been there. The people who get paid the most are teh "sweepers" because that's the easiest job and that's what the people with seniority want. I'm all about rewarding loyalty and all, but they get paid a lot of money to push a broom for only part of the day. I believe in rewarding hard work, not time. It's like anything else. People take things to extremes because they're selfish or morons. Or because they like to blow things out of proportion for media exposure or money. And America today rewards such bullshit. Coffee at McDonalds is hot? That sex offender is too short to go to jail? What the hell people? Wake up America!

Since I started this post I feel obligated to put in my two cents. But since the climbing gym is closing they're running me off and i have to go. Where else do people go to the climbing gym because of the free wireless?

Post by **tomdarch** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:26 pm

rhunt wrote:"jealous of our prosperity"? amusted maybe but probably not jealous. Coming here is probably a lot like going to Disney World or the Las Vegas strip. Great place to visit...

Someone also said something about people being "jealous of our prosperity."

A lot of the world, especially Europe, have set the balance point between work and quality of life more in favor of quality of life. America is a fun place to visit, but most people wouldn't want to buy into the 50-60 hour work week (plus time outside work taking calls and dealing with e-mail from home...) with a nominal two weeks of vacation a year (but can you actually take those two weeks?) Most of the developed world are happy to have us driving the global economy (along with the equally work-crazed Japanese), but think that we're freakin' morons for working so much and enjoying things so little. (Of course, as climbers, we tend to be different than mainstream US culture on that...)

As for an Italian company being 'forced' to move to Mexico from the US? What? For all the gripes about unions that we may have in the US, it's nothing compared with Europe! Between the laws that protect workers, the tax structure and the far greater rate of union membership and union power in Europe, the US is pretty wide open.

Post by **tomdarch** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:34 pm

Sorry to post something 'on topic' for this thread, but you should google "climbing arco"

Arco is at the north end of Lake Garda - it's about a two and a half hour drive from Vicenza, but I'm sure there are trains there, probably via Verona. It's a little town surrounded by limestone crags at the base of the Dolomites. Sounds like it's just an amazing area!

Post by **Dink Dink** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 12:03 am

Thanks, I will definitely check that out. Oh, and thanks to everyone else who responded with advice and destinations. I appreciate it greatly, and if anyone is ever gonna be over there, send me a message or e-mail or something. I'm sure I'll still need rope guns.

Post by **pigsteak** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:47 am

tomdarch..."jealous of our prosperity" was tongue in cheek..

remember Mrs Pigsteak is Scottish, and her parent gets a minimum 6 weeks vacation a year...now, overall the staandard of living is better here than anywhere else, but at what price? America is obsessed with more stuff to put in the bigger house...insane.

Post by **Dink Dink** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:01 pm

Y'know, I don't get much jealousy from the Italians. I love these people and this country. They might not get paid as well as we do, but I don't see many people hurting for cash here. Probably a lot of that is because they all stay in family units. Not having to pay rent and utility bills would free up a large percentage of your income. And from an American point of view, they are rather "lazy." Not in much of a hurry. It's always "domani." The Italians here who adjust to capitalist temptations make a killing, because they get done what they say they'll do when they say. They also have massive amounts of vacation time. Inconvenient if you need something during that time, but it's their country. Just an aspect of the Italian culture that you have to adjust to. There's no such thing as "fast" food here. Anyway, to reiterate, if anyone comes to Europe, look this place up. By the way, Arco is an amazing place to climb, Lumignana's very nice as well, and there's a few other places I've been to but I can't even pronounce their names let alone spell them, so w e'll levae it at that. I'm going to my first Italian climbing gym tonight. Should be exciting. Ciao y'all