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Mercury offer still on table

August 26, 2009 By

Neither side budged Tuesday as the heads of Mercury Marine and its employees union met about the company’s proposed contract changes. The offer remains on the table, but Mercury’s contract proposal to union employees that would keep manufacturing jobs in Fond du Lac is growing cold.

Mercury President Mark Schwabero met with Machinists Local 1947 leaders Mark Zillges and Dan Longsin for more than an hour and a half Tuesday. Schwabero says while they had a good conversation and an open dialogue there were no modifications made to what he calls Mercury’s “last, best and final offer.”

AUDIO: Mark Schwabero (:17 MP3)

Union members overwhelmingly rejected Mercury’s proposal last Sunday, but Schwabero says it will remain on the table through midnight Saturday. He says if the union was to take another vote and the contract was approved it would change the company’s decision to consolidate manufacturing jobs to their Stillwater, Oklahoma facility.

AUDIO: Schwabero (:20 MP3)

Schwabero says as long as the company remains cost competitive keeping manufacturing jobs and the headquarters in Fond du Lac would cause the least disruption. There’s no word yet from the union on whether they will hold another vote.

Submitted by Bob Nelson, KFIZ

Filed Under: Business

Brewers late comeback falls short

August 26, 2009 By

The Milwaukee Brewers scored five runs in the 9th inning to force a 6-6 tie, then fell to the Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 13-innings at Miller Park.

Joey Votto and Laynce Nix clubbed solo home runs off of Todd Coffey in the 13th to pull out the win for the Reds. 

The Brewers had a chance to win in the 9th, but Ryan Braun ran threw a stop sign at third base and was tossed out at the plate.

AUDIO: Ryan Braun on his 9th inning base running decision :09

Felipe Lopez had four hits, including his 8th home run of the season for the Brewers.  Jeff Suppan returned from the disabled list and struggled, pitching just 4 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits.

AUDIO: Ken Macha on Jeff Suppan’s performance :10

The loss drops the Brewers 3-games under .500 at 61-64.  They trail the first place St. Louis Cardinals by 11 games.  Braden Looper pitches game two of the series for the Brewers tonight.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Ryan’s health care session draws big crowd

August 26, 2009 By

House Republican Paul Ryan is renting a larger hall for his next listening session in Racine. He expects a bigger-than-normal crowd to discuss concerns about the proposed health care reform package. It was a standing room gathering at Kenosha’s Gateway Technical College Tuesday where a diversity of opinions was expressed. 

A man referred to the current health care system as dragging down the US, adding that 16-percent of its gross domestic product is for health care compared to 10-percent in other industrialized counties.  The man says he is not concerned of health care “rationing,” which is what critics says the Democrats’ plan would lead to.

“I would rather have the rationing done with people who we can steer with our votes rather than an anonymous insurance company,” he said.

Another Wisconsinite had issue with changing the entire health care system based upon 43-million uninsured, which he notes is only 18-percent of the population. The man also called the Janesville Republican “naive” in believing Democrats will listen to Republicans.

Ryan admitted he didn’t think his health care proposal has a chance, “I’ve been told my bill won’t see the light of day by the chairman of my committee.”

A teacher was heckled a bit when talking about her health care package and desire for the same treatment as those considered rich, who would be taxed more under the Obama administration’s proposal.

AUDIO: Teacher on willingness to pay (MP3 :34)

Another woman said there are no incentives for new doctors, nurses or any practitioner under the Democrats’ plan. She’s concerned of a practitioner shortage after 47 million are “shoved” into the system and the physician wait times will only get worse. “I already wait two weeks for a doctor’s appointment.” Ryan said practitioner shortages will be a greater concern as baby boomers will expand from 40 million to 80 million retirees in coming years.

Ryan said how far Congress is willing to listen to the opposition to the health care reform plan remains to the be seen.

AUDIO: Ryan on what Congress will do (MP3 :31)

The Janesville House member’s next gathering will take place Thursday afternoon at Racine’s Roma Lodge.

 Tom Karkow-WRJN contributed to this report

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government

Jobseekers warned about questionable job search firms

August 26, 2009 By

Wisconsin’s most popular scam-buster warns us about companies that make promises, take your money, and don’t deliver. Questionable job search firms are classic, says Glen Loyd, consumer advocate, and he’s been seeing this sort of thing for about 30 years.

“Often before you pay any money they claim that, you know, you’re going to get a job making so much money a year. They almost guarantee it. And then after you pay your money many people find that they can’t get a job.”

Loyd, who writes a weekly consumer protection blog, says in current poor economic times, many people are desperate to find a job. Scammers take advantage of those vulnerabilities.

As an investigative reporter, Loyd had found that con artists will set up shop, operate for a year or so, collect up-front fees of up to $10,000 from scores of job-seekers, and suddenly pack up and move on.

“In fact I showed up at one office one time when the coffee pot was still hot but the company had left the building for good.”

Loyd emphasizes that not all job search companies are scams, but he says a legitimate company should get paid based upon its success rate — after they find you a job. Loyd says some firms might start with good intentions, but simply aren’t very good. His advice?

“You know, whatever you do, don’t pay money for a job.” He says, “Check with the Better Business Bureau, and ask what their success rate is.”

Jackie Johnson report (1:31 mp3)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Lawmaker wants bids on future train deals

August 26, 2009 By

Wisconsin governors would be prevented from negotiating no bid state contracts on trains, under legislation being proposed at the Capitol.

Governor Doyle signed a $47 million deal with a Spanish company in July to purchase two new passenger trains. State Senator Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) says the no bid contract is concerning, because other companies were also interested in dealing with Wisconsin.

The Doyle Administration has said it sent out requests for information to several companies, but the only one that got back to it was Talgo. As a result, Doyle used a 1997 law that exempts passenger rail contracts from the competitive bidding process to ink a deal with the company.

Cowles is proposing legislation that would repeal that law, requiring the state to once again seek bids on any passenger rail purchase. He says the move is needed to make sure Wisconsin gets the best deal it can on any future purchases.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:03)

Filed Under: Transportation
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