Riots! In! Montreal! Cause: Rebel car dealership open on weekends!

[Fake Boris]

I doubt the guys were sent by the association itself. More likely covertly by some of its members. The article seems to imply that most protestors present were other salesmen, i.e. people who realize that more opening hours will not result in more cars being sold, but rather in the existing commission pool to be split amongst a higher number of employees.

edit: there's also a possibility of 'labor union goons' having been hired, but it's difficult to tell.

[Fake Boris]

As far as I'm concerned, I'm not about to cry for the poor car dealer having two of his cars damaged, that's pretty much the name of the game.

[Kuciwalker]

More would have happened if there hadn't been police protection. But I suppose he deserved it.

[Arrian]

Yeah, and to hell with the consumer!

-Arrian

[Fake Boris]

OK so workers get screwed, answer with violence, get dealt with violently. What's the beef? Isn't that what capitalists like?

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
OK so workers get screwed, answer with violence, get dealt with violently. What's the beef? Isn't that what capitalists like?

I don't understand how workers got screwed. Doesn't the story now say they work 4 days a week instead of 5?

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
OK so workers get screwed, answer with violence, get dealt with violently. What's the beef? Isn't that what capitalists like?

1) I don't see how they got screwed.

2) Violence is bad for business.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
OK so workers get screwed, answer with violence, get dealt with violently. What's the beef? Isn't that what capitalists like?

KH was really, really wrong.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
OK so workers get screwed, answer with violence, get dealt with violently. What's the beef? Isn't that what capitalists like?

By the way, the workers who got violent weren't the ones who got "screwed." None of the ones who got "screwed" even seemed upset.

[Fake Boris]

The problem is that every other car dealer out there will eventually have to open on week ends too, which probably means hiring additional employees. But I don't see the car market as being terribly elastic, so they'll sell the same number of cars, i.e. less commisions per capita.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
The problem is that every other car dealer out there will eventually have to open on week ends too, which probably means hiring additional employees.

MORE JOBS! HORRAY!!!!!!! DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

This is why philosophers are so useless in the real world.

No one is forcing them to do anything. If consumers want to buy cars on the weekend, it's smart for somebody to offer that service. It's smart for the others to follow suit, because they forget it's their job to provide a service to the consumers.

[Arrian]

Hell, they could just open on the weekends but close on Mondays and Wednesdays or somesuch... I know businesses that do that down here. Being closed Sat-Sun is just ****ing stupid, though. It's the best time to buy/sell cars.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
The problem is that every other car dealer out there will eventually have to open on week ends too

Duh. Competition what right does any company - or even an employee of a company - have to complain about a group of other people deciding to do sell a better product?

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
The problem is that every other car dealer out there will eventually have to open on week ends too, which probably means hiring additional employees. But I don't see the car market as being terribly elastic, so they'll sell the same number of cars, i.e. less commisions per capita.

Oh noes!! The poor car salesmen. We should totally protect their interests against those of the consumers. I mean, who are those consumers to want businesses to be open when they're free anyway?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Asher

MORE JOBS! HORRAY!!!!!!! DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

DOWN WITH EMPLOYMENT IN QUEBEC!!

This is why philosophers are so useless in the real world.

No one is forcing them to do anything. If consumers want to buy cars on the weekend, it's smart for somebody to offer that service. It's smart for the others to follow suit, because they forget it's their job to provide a service to the consumers.

I was trying to go further the BS people are spouting and offer a reasonable explanation why salespeople would be angry over this.

Either way, - open saturdays or not - I don't give much of a ****. But it's silly to get all passionately indignated over workers flexing a bit of muscle to defend their interests.