Camillus Strike ends

nmikash · Post by **nmikash** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:19 am

We have not really mentioned much about the Camillus strike here so I thought I would post this. In case you didn't know workers have been on strike for 6 months. The end of the strike is bittersweet as only a handful of the employees will return. A damn shame...

Camillus Cutlery Strike Ends:
Camillus Cutlery workers tried to return to their jobs at the troubled company this morning after union members voted overwhelmingly to accept a new contract with their employer.
A company official locked the employee entrance as 50 members of Steelworkers Local 4783 attempted to enter the building to begin their 7 a.m. shift.
Union and company officials then met for about 10 minutes.
When union officials returned, they told waiting workers that the company will call about 15 of the 78 union members back to work.
Those workers will be called today and tommorrow.
The company will lay off the remaining workers, which allows the Steelworkers to apply for federal training and extended unemployment benefits available to workers who lose their jobs to foreign competition.
Members voted Wednesday to accept the same contract they had rejected at least twice before. The agreement cut wages, took away four paid holidays and two weeks of vacation, and requires workers to pay more for their health insurance.

http://www.news10now.com/content/top_st ... ArID=86278

longbeachbum · Post by **longbeachbum** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:42 am

Thank you for posting that.

15 workers out of 78 being retained...

No matter what I think it's pretty safe to assume this won't be the same old Camillus, not by a long shot. I'd heard they were planning to stop manufacturing knives and start selling imported knives with the Camillus name. Their staffing needs would appear to be consistent with this business model, or something similar.

nmikash · Post by **nmikash** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:52 pm

It seems they are already well underway as chinese Camillus. Check ebay for a flood of Camillus Camco chinese knives.

MITCH RAPP · Post by **MITCH RAPP** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:06 pm

M A N ! This is a Damn Shame!

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:28 am

This is so sad.

I hope the 63 workers that need new jobs are not to old to learn new things. I fell some gave Camillus Co. their best years of their life and service. For the returning 15 workers they must be felling like the are walking on EGG SHELLS at work too.

It is the competitive free market working again. I fell the Unions will fail ever time now do to old Bill Clinton opening up the gates to COMUNIST CHINA. This is hard to under stand cuz right now in U.S.A. we have more jobs, higher average pay to the workers, less unemployment than ever in the history of USA.
Soon we will have a $1.00 minimum wage increase.

Its up to use consumer’s to pick and pay for high quality products. See what happened to Japan. First they made JUNK. Now the come here and build their cars using USA workers. We can NOT keep giving TAX brakes to get foreign co. to come here and set up shops.

Oops their I said a mouth full best to stop now.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:20 am

justold52 wrote: It is the competitive free market working again. I fell the Unions will fail ever time now do to old Bill Clinton opening up the gates to COMUNIST CHINA. 1. This is hard to under stand cuz right now in U.S.A. we have more jobs, higher average pay to the workers, less unemployment than ever in the history of USA. 2. Its up to use consumer’s to pick and pay for high quality products. See what happened to Japan. First they made JUNK. Now the come here and build their cars using USA workers. We can NOT keep giving TAX brakes to get foreign co. to come here and set up shops.
Oops their I said a mouth full best to stop now.

I think I can fill in some of the blanks for you.

1. The United States considers you employed if you work only 16 hours a week. In Europe, (s-k may help me here), the last I heard, you were not considered employed unless you worked 32 hours a week. So, if you compare unemployment rates with those of Europe's, it's like comparing apples to basketballs.
2. In China we have a sleeping monster, different than Japan. Japan has no natural resouces of their own, they import nearly all raw materials. China has a wealth of natural resouces, BUT, they are buying on the open market, forcing prices up of all raw materials in the US and worldwide. In 20 years, in 2026, China has been predicted by many to pass the USA and become the worlds new economic world leader and be able to control the worlds trade policies. Why not, they will have the manufacturing capacity we had in WWII and we will have....not much (comparative). We are not manufacturing what we are capable of, we are a consumer entity and we feed off China. In addition, at the same time, China's population will exceed 2 Billion by far and it's army could be so numerous as to equal the total of all the worlds remaining armies.
Richard Nixon first broke ice with China, but many consider Bill Clinton to be the Ultimate Politition. If his wife is elected president, I would then agree. I read to much, but much of what I'm writing can be found in business journals. Now, back to QUALITY KNIVES1

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:17 am

Hukk ; O yes (Richard Nixon first broke ice with China, but many consider Bill Clinton to be the Ultimate Politition.)

Tricky dick was the first Pres to walk in china (but that was mainly a front to try to cover up WATERGATE.

How nice of you to place the to X Pres that go down in history as bad EGGS together.

OOps I should have said IM peaches.

Again Hukk is RIGHT. back to AAPK.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:30 am

Hukk wrote: 1. The United States considers you employed if you work only 16 hours a week. In Europe, (s-k may help me here), the last I heard, you were not considered employed unless you worked 32 hours a week. So, if you compare unemployment rates with those of Europe's, it's like comparing apples to basketballs.

FYI-
This is not true in the State of Oregon, (as of 2 years ago), which goes by federally established standards set by the US Dept of Labor. Full time employment is considered 32 hours per week. This info is was true as of when I retired from the Oregon Employment Department in 2004. It may have changed a little since then, but I don't thnk so. 16 hours per week would be considered 1/2 time employment.

Dale

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:03 pm

orvet wrote:
Hukk wrote: 1. The United States considers you employed if you work only 16 hours a week. In Europe, (s-k may help me here), the last I heard, you were not considered employed unless you worked 32 hours a week. So, if you compare unemployment rates with those of Europe's, it's like comparing apples to basketballs.
FYI-
This is not true in the State of Oregon, (as of 2 years ago), which goes by federally established standards set by the US Dept of Labor. Full time employment is considered 32 hours per week. This info is was true as of when I retired from the Oregon Employment Department in 2004. It may have changed a little since then, but I don't thnk so. 16 hours per week would be considered 1/2 time employment.

Dale

It may differ by source, I'm not sure. I am quoting a renowned Ivy league Professor, Scott Fuller (John Scott Fuller, degreed in the US and United Kingdom) from whom I was lucky enough to take a Sociology course (Social Problems class) from in fall of 2004. He has both studied and taught worldwide before settling in Santa Rosa. It may be that his information is old, but he is so well read that I tend to doubt it. I do know that in CA, my ex wife is gauranteed 16 hours a week by the Retail Clerks Union, she needs to work 16 hours a week to retain full benefits. They are considered fully employed by the state of CA for working 16 hours. I do note that Professor Fuller's political views are to the far left (bleeding heart liberal).
So, I'm wondering if it's possible that each state account for unemployment differently.
If I am mistaken, I do apologize, I do not intend to mislead, I am quoting what I learned in college (yeah, a liberal college).

MITCH RAPP · Post by **MITCH RAPP** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:03 pm

Camillus Cutlery has been manufacturing American made knives

since right after the American Civil War. 100 plus years! Today,

November 2006, this is what they have come to. Another Chinese work

of art.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:28 pm

Hukk wrote:It may differ by source, I'm not sure.

No doubt you are right Hukk. Not that it really makes a great deal of difference. Just a reflex response on my part.......sorry. There are a lot of people who do statistics and as my Freshman math teacher said; "The most important thing to remember about statistics is that you can lie through your teeth with statistics."

The most significant issue is just what Mitch posted; a Chinese knife with the Camillus name on it.

This is what is ahead for a lot of American workers if we continue to buy products made overseas just because they are less expensive.
What has happened to Camillus will happen to other companies;
Salary cuts,
Cuts to vacation time,
Paying more for health insurance,
Reduced workforce.

I could go on about this, but this forum is about knives.
What Mitch posted is the results of the policies & politics; A fine old American company who has been making knives in excess of 100 years is now basically just a shipping and distribution point for products made overseas.
Anyone who has even a couple USA made Camillus' in their collection will know the difference.

Just my $.02,
Dale

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:38 pm

orvet wrote: Anyone who has even a couple USA made Camillus' in their collection will know the difference.

Just my $.02,
Dale

Sadly, you are 100% correct on that, I think we can all agree on that.