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Nation's Biggest Movie Theater Chain Cuts Workweek, Blaming ObamaCare

You just touched on another reason why so many manufacturers are looking to places like China and Mexico. They used to be able to get away with all sorts of stuff here in the states but those days are long gone. Regulations regarding industrial waste processing and discharge are incredibly strict and staying in compliance with the multiple agencies that regulate and monitor this activity costs a fortune. Another in a long line of unintended consequences.

Yea!!! We passed laws which dramatically reduced pollution!!!

Boo!!! It costs so much to stay in compliance that it isn't worth producing anything here anymore.


Pick your poison.

I think the literal poison is worse than the figurative one.
 
Again, I don't disagree with you here. Right or wrong, we are no longer an industrial/manufacturing-heavy society.
The sad thing is we could be, most of the items machined in Canada and the U.S. are still some of the best quality found globally, but because of inflated wages it's impossible to make complex refined goods with parts from our countries exclusively. I look at the things that fail most on vehicles(I'm a gear head) and they usually have Made in China or Made in Mexico on them, the standards in those countries are suspect as well as the training but they are cheap. I'm not saying all worker protections need to be reigned in, but there has to be some give on the labor side.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with the healthcare act and everything to do with the continual decline in movie-going.

It's expensive as hell - overall, it's a poorly managed concept if they think that never changing is going to keep bringing in the business.

Those adjustments were made long ago.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with the healthcare act and everything to do with the continual decline in movie-going.

It's expensive as hell - overall, it's a poorly managed concept if they think that never changing is going to keep bringing in the business.
That's even more reason to have more part timers. If the artificial standard for benefits is set to 30 hours with full time being 40 for everything else then it makes sense to limit employee benefits/hours. It's not optimal for anyone but in the long run overhead comes out in the plus column. If there are less sales there is less of a profit margin, but if you bring prices up then there are even less sales so it's a catch 22 and I can see why more companies are limiting hours. It doesn't do anything but hurt the employee's wallets but I don't see many other choices.
 
which adjustments?

The business has already made adjustments to whatever decline in movie going has made necessary. This is an additional adjustment to adapt to the upcoming costs of Obamacare.

We're doing it at my company, too. It's cheaper to pay the fine than incur the cost per employee for healthcare. What used to cost us about $1,600 per year per employee is now going to cost us close to $10,000 when this is put in full force.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with the healthcare act and everything to do with the continual decline in movie-going.

Is this really true? It seems like there are several films every year that gross $1 billion+, and tons of others that gross half a billion. From the money that films are pulling in these days, it doesn't seem like movie going is in decline. I could be wrong, and I'm not arguing with you, just stating my observation.
 
The sad thing is we could be, most of the items machined in Canada and the U.S. are still some of the best quality found globally, but because of inflated wages it's impossible to make complex refined goods with parts from our countries exclusively. I look at the things that fail most on vehicles(I'm a gear head) and they usually have Made in China or Made in Mexico on them, the standards in those countries are suspect as well as the training but they are cheap. I'm not saying all worker protections need to be reigned in, but there has to be some give on the labor side.

As long as there's a proper balance, then yeah, of course I agree. What I don't want to see, though, are executives and CEO making 1000% more than the workers and getting bonuses left, right, and center.
 
As long as there's a proper balance, then yeah, of course I agree. What I don't want to see, though, are executives and CEO making 1000% more than the workers and getting bonuses left, right, and center.
I don't care what executives make, I'd actually like to be one someday. As long as employees are reasonably safe and get a decent return on their labor I consider it balance, what I have a problem with is a guy turning a screw all day every day making 40/hr. or threats of shutdowns when he doesn't get 45/hr. and these are wages which send jobs overseas, it's the labor abuses that need to end.
 
Is this really true? It seems like there are several films every year that gross $1 billion+, and tons of others that gross half a billion. From the money that films are pulling in these days, it doesn't seem like movie going is in decline. I could be wrong, and I'm not arguing with you, just stating my observation.

The money the 'theaters' bring in isn't the same as 'box office' revenue.

Theaters make money off of snacks, soda, 3d glasses . . . ticket sales aren't part of their profit. Attendance is in decline. Cost is steadily going up to compensate.
 
As costs are shifted to businesses cuts will be made.

The more and more I learn about healthcare and healthcare administration the less and less I support UHC or more government involvement in the process.
 
As costs are shifted to businesses cuts will be made.

The more and more I learn about healthcare and healthcare administration the less and less I support UHC or more government involvement in the process.

I've been telling you guy for years that government is the problem, and not the solution. Their intervention in the health insurance industry as far back as the 70's, is one of the reasons health care costs have skyrocketed. They placed mandates, and took away market competition, which are contrary to cost containment and quality.
 
I've been telling you guy for years that government is the problem, and not the solution. Their intervention in the health insurance industry as far back as the 70's, is one of the reasons health care costs have skyrocketed. They placed mandates, and took away market competition, which are contrary to cost containment and quality.

I think there is some crooked aspects to private insurance, but the more and more I actually deal with Medicare and Medicaid firsthand and the more and more I learn about regulations the less I want government involved or want a UHC/single payer government system or getting anywhere close to making medical decisions for myself.

I'm starting to consider allowing national or at least regional competition of insurance plans as well as tax breaks or more deductions for re self paying for their insurance.
 
I think there is some crooked aspects to private insurance, but the more and more I actually deal with Medicare and Medicaid firsthand and the more and more I learn about regulations the less I want government involved or want a UHC/single payer government system or getting anywhere close to making medical decisions for myself.

I'm starting to consider allowing national or at least regional competition of insurance plans as well as tax breaks or more deductions for re self paying for their insurance.

Yeah, the years I spent managing a couple of home health offices, and dealing with Medicare, taught me that a government insurance reimbursement is inefficient, and fraught with potential fraudulent practice, on both sides of the aisle. If most people realized how many government dollars are being wasted in health care, and how their mere intervention is raising prices artifically in the marketplace, they would (I hope) be outraged. What we now have is government health care programs and health insurance companies making deals with providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The actual consumer has been cut out of the equation, and has little choice in his own care.
 
In other words, I know that people will glom on to any excuse that works.

So, preserving the company by making sure profits aren't dropping in order to keep investors happy is just an excuse?
 
So, preserving the company by making sure profits aren't dropping in order to keep investors happy is just an excuse?

Someone will use it as an excuse rather than their own mismanagement.
 
I find these stories funny being that these douche bosses who haven't really done anything exemplary in the past for their employees now turn around and use Obamacare as the "REAL" reason they are douches. Go **** yerself movie chain jerk bosses.
 
Not sure what world folks live in. Minimum wage jobs are not, never have been, and never will be jobs meant to sustain a 'living wage' and certainly not to take care of/provide for families. We are talking jobs for kids, teeneagers, college students trying to make a few bucks to go on a date or two during the month, or workers augmenting a 'real' job.

If someone is in one of these jobs and trying to raise a family, its a good bet they didnt max out their SAT.

I still have yet to hear a proponent of 'Obamacare' offer a legitimate reason why employers should be responsible to provide healthcare for their employees.
 
I don't care what executives make, I'd actually like to be one someday. As long as employees are reasonably safe and get a decent return on their labor I consider it balance, what I have a problem with is a guy turning a screw all day every day making 40/hr. or threats of shutdowns when he doesn't get 45/hr. and these are wages which send jobs overseas, it's the labor abuses that need to end.

Stuns me that you don't give a rat's ass about what executives make, but you have strong feelings towards the average joe's wage. Why is that?
 
Stuns me that you don't give a rat's ass about what executives make, but you have strong feelings towards the average joe's wage. Why is that?
I believe in contracts and market factors. Anyone can turn a wrench to a degree, not everyone has the management skills to run a company, the rarity of the skill set determines your ceiling. I don't want an artificial wage set whether it's a maximum or an "industry standard" such as a union wage. If an executive is running a company I have stock in towards the ground, yes, I will be beyond pissed that he is making that kind of money, but likewise if a union is setting wages that are crushing competitiveness and I'm losing on my portfolio, I'm equally pissed.
 
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