"Eric R Snow" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 03 Sep 2005 16:34:55 GMT, "Wayne Lundberg"
---snip---
an ad for an "Outside
Machinist" that was for the Washington State Ferries. The woman I
spoke with told me that and "Outside Machinist" was actually a diesel
mechanic. I guess anybody who manipulates machined parts is a
machinist.
Eric R Snow

There would be no problem if the unions accepted the simple fact that
tooling, horsepower, automation and robotics were a fact of life and learn
to use these tools instead of putting themselves in the way of technology.
As a manufacturing engineer in all of my projects I accounted for the
potential loss of a job by showing that the increased productivity and cost
reductions would evolve into greater sales so that the machinist at the
cutoff saw would now be promoted to receiving inspection.... but the unions
never paid attention.

Case in point: Back in 1985 when robotics were just getting a start our
Chapter 299 of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the San Diego City
College launched an "Automation Technology" course that would produce an
associate's degree in two years of evening classes. I was with Solar
Turbines, a division of Caterpillar, and wanted to post an announcement of
this course along the passageways at the plant to recruit students and to
let people know what the college was doing to help promote efficiency in a
difficult time when work was already going overseas. I was told "No way!" by
the union and our feeble, weak-kneed HR people went along with it. Why?
Because there was no classification for Automation Technologist in the union
papers, rules or regulations and they were not about to support an effort
that would reduce the number of man hours to accomplish a task. No matter
what.

Graduates of the first few years did find rewarding employment, but not
enough. The course has since gone into outer space. And over 80% of good
paying manufacturing jobs in San Diego have vanished.

Wayne