02.06.2012 07:12 AM

Kudos to Mark’s Work Wearhouse

…now other retailers should follow their ethical example.

And the Prime Minister should start acting like one. But I’m not holding my breath.

26 Comments

  1. ben burd says:

    Let it be told WK is talking sense – for once. Now on to the national Boycott.

  2. sj says:

    I believe that Caterrpillar boots are produced using a licence of the name/brand, just like those Tonka-light toys are. While a very good PR strategy on Mark’s part, the likely impact on the heavy equipment manufacturer will very little.

    Sadly.

  3. Glen says:

    Without sounding like a communist or a left-wing wingnut, I love this and wish more companies would do it.

    Fuck this greed and thirst for profits. It has to stop.

  4. Mark McLaughlin says:

    They probably weren’t selling anyway. Like most retailers “taking stands” on anything. It gets them press but rest assured that they’re not sacrificing real revenue for a one day headline on page A6.

  5. Dave Ruddell says:

    According to the story, they’ve only pulled the boots from their London stores. If they did it Canada wide, I’d think it would be a better ethical example.

    • Jon Adams says:

      Hey, isn’t one of Rutherford’s (y’know, that guy who forms all your opinions for you) talking points about letting the market decide? Shouldn’t you be minding your own business and not telling Mark’s what to do with theirs?

  6. frmr disgruntled Con now happy Lib says:

    Is this the same “chain ’em to the workbench” Mr. Tulk?…….

    But oddly enough, I agree……and also with Mr McLaughlin’s post above…..symbolic, but as he says, they probably werent selling…….they will, however, probably increase sales of other items as a result of the press coverage…..

  7. Geoffrey Laxton says:

    I can now understand why the Harper Government did nothing when Caterpillar stole Canadian tax payers money, R&D, patents, and jobs from London, Ontario. As long as the firewall around Alberta is intact, the Harper Government doesn’t give a CRAP!
    Check out the workhorse of the Alberta oil sands! And to think that Ezra Levant wanted to boycott bananas!
    http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01369/web-oilsands_jp_1369589cl-8.jpg
    These are Caterpillar trucks working in the oil sands Alberta, Canada.
    Handout/Caterpillar Inc.

    • Mark McLaughlin says:

      I’m not sure an employer can “steal” jobs from their employees, but you might be CLOSE on the taxpayer dollars. A good example why we shouldn’t be handing direct subsidies to companies (I’m talking to you Bombardier). You can’t control what they do with it or how long they’ll be around (eg. Solyndra). It encourages shoveling good money after bad just to maintain the operation.

      As to the R&D and patents; They own the company and go do whatever the want with the fruits of the R&D. Canadians don’t own the patents and have no national interest right to them.

      • Paul says:

        Correct. However, in the bizarro world that lefties inhabit, all property is “ours,” businesses flat-out OWE everybody high-paying, unionized jobs and reducing excessive taxation is a “subsidy” or “giveaway.”

    • smelter rat says:

      And fuck the workers, right? You’re beneath contempt Gord.

      • Philip says:

        Conservatives, in general, hate hourly/blue collar workers. Can’t stand them, particularly when they get all uppity and want things. Like a living wage. Or to come home at night healthy and not missing any fingers. God forbid hourly workers actually get together, form an association, to try to effect change in their workplace. Conservatives never seem to mind lawyers, doctors or other professionals gather to form associations to change their working environment. I’m not sure why how a person gets paid determines whether or not they get to have a voice.

        I find it interesting that some Conservatives who champion the little guy improving themselves, like getting a skilled trade are the first to insist those people eat pay cuts to remain “competitive”. Tell people to better themselves through hard work and education until they have the temerity to want to get financially rewarded for that and watch how fast the “competitive” card gets dropped on them.

        Caterpillar is a perfect example of this sort of shit. They need skilled trades with years of relevant work experience right up to the moment when they might have actually to pay for those skills and experience. That’s when Caterpillar can’t throw them overboard fast enough.

        • Mark McLaughlin says:

          Nobody is entitled to a “living wage” whatever that is. A worker is only entitled to the market value for their skills for the time they are willing to provide them.

          Anything more than that is charity or welfare.

          Unions are not formed to “improve work conditions” so much as they are formed to increase wages and benefits to above that market value. They can only exploit their collective power position so far. The company always has the trumpt card of closure. Both sides are within their rights to organize to their beenfit but unions can’t cry when the company finds a better deal elsewhere.

        • smelter rat says:

          Mark, you should start checking out some books NOT written by Ayn Rand next time you go to the library.

    • Bill says:

      Caterpillar didn’t steal anything. Nothing new, manufacturing jobs have been leaving Ontario for the last 30 years. Most leave and go to Mexico, China and Eastern Europe. Unions have played a significant roles in this. Wages are just to high to compete with other countries. They should have accepted the deal.

  8. Steve says:

    Who the fuck did I piss off so bad that my opinion must not appear on your web site

    • Steve says:

      Thats funny, what I wanted to say is that we need to protect Canadian Brands and Patents from American raiders, I live in Niagara and John Deere, Bicks and Dole are prime examples of them taking the money and shutting down our competative industry to do it cheaper from the US or worse as Chinese products.

  9. Mike says:

    It’s curious to me that Gord has all the time in the world to comment on this but when you politely ask his opinion of the Fourniers and Harper photo he ignores you….what a prince

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