The United Auto Workers union refused to take a wage cut, and now they wait for Bush to step in and throw money at them. I hope he doesn't , I hope he lets them sink or swim of their volition, they don't deserve a bail out. Years of demanding more and more have clouded their judgement, given them a false sense of entitlement. They can't blame the government, or the economy if they go under. They can only turn to themselves and point an accusatory finger in the mirror. The decision to play their typical stubborn role, to refuse to bend is the death knell of the American auto industry. Even if they survive, even if Bush misappropriated money from the Financial bailout, the American auto industry is dieing. These are hard times, a lot of people are losing their jobs, and when the smoke clears, people are going to remember. They are going to remember that the UAW refused to bend, that they tried to hold the American peoples feet to the flame.
When you come hat in hand, asking for money, then refuse to give anything in return, people remember that, and they resent it. When you scream that the sky is falling, then refuse to give anything yourself, all the while demanding that the rest of the country give , it is a slap in the face, it is a glaring example of greed and self centeredness, and people won't forget it. Any sympathy I might have conjured up for the soon to be unemployed auto workers has evaporated, let them sink or swim on their own, just like all the rest of us. Nobody is throwing money at the out of work people in construction, or the service industry, or in manufacturing, or the laid off writers, or the countless others who are watching their livelihood disappear. But the UAW, on the verge of getting the money they have been begging for, cut off it's nose to spite it's face. They refused to budge, even if it meant losing it all. Expect to see a proliferation of Nissan's and Honda's, and a bunch of greedy people out of jobs, with only themselves to blame.
I really do hope people remember this.
ReplyDeleteI love my Toyota : )
Unions have done a LOT for the working men and women of this country. Some of them still DO fight to keep compensation fair, and conditions safe.
ReplyDeleteThat said all of my PERSONAL experience (yours may vary) is with unions like the UAW where nothing is good enough. They have a never agree to less, and seldom agree to the same, mentality.
And yeah that is what is best for THEM. If its dog-eat-dog, everybody for themselves, then I guess they are doing right. Fuck everybody else, right?
There are a million retirees, many of whom are only in their early 50's, who have a retirement package that I understand includes completely paid medical among other things. To date when they are "laid off" they get 95% of their pay. It's simply unsustainable. I feel fortunate to have retired from a major drug company and only have to pay $240/month for my health insurance.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as for Bush, as a conservative I can't wait for him to get out of office. The financial bailout and the way it was handled was unforgivable and now he is apparently going to bail out the auto industry as well, despite being defeated in Congress. No wonder the Republicans are in trouble.
Laura, one of the reasons you're able to "love your Toyota" is because Toyota does not pay union wages in Japan, or at their plants here. Because of that, and the yen/dollar ratio, every Ford/GM/Chrysler car has a $3,000 to $4,000 disadvantage. That's one of the reasons the Big Three have struggled so much. Its by far not the only reason, but producing cars of equal quality for less than the same money as the Japanese is tough. Really tough.
ReplyDeleteThere was a story in the Star last week about a married couple, two thirty-somethings that both used to work at Fairfax or Claycomo. They were pulling down 120K between the two of them, which is absolutely insane wages for a position that requires no formal education, talent or specialized skill. And they both took the 100K packages to leave the company. Instead of using that money for their childrens' college fund or something smart, they bought a 65,000 Hummer. The article was about how they were struggling to make ends meet and how they couldn't find comparable work. That's the problem with many Union people, right there, especially the UAW.
MM, you're right - I will be glad to see the UAW fall flat on its face but I will feel terrible for the workers, this country and three companies that helped this country win a war and create the middle class every politician refers to on a daily basis.
Just ran across this. Granted, it is from a conservative site, but still, I think you'll get the drift.
ReplyDeletehttp://laborpains.org/2008/12/12/22-pounds-uaw-rules-and-regulations/
Just like the talking heads on the right side you speak and don't think about the big picture, if the automakers fail what happens to the people that work for the companies that supply the automakers? What happens to the business that cater to the employees, restaurants, etc? Have you stopped to think about that? Don't spout off that "I hope Bush doesn't throw money at them". There are far more than 235,000 jobs that need to be worried about.
ReplyDeleteNice logic there lucius, so we should bail them out, and lets bail out everyone having trouble. lets bail out the newspapers too, and the construction industry, and anyone else having problems. The big 3 can file chapter 11, the administration can tell the banks we bailed out to loan them money. They want a quick easy fix so they can keep drawing fat wages and not feel the crunch. If we dont bail them out they will be forced to fix their own fuck ups. They arent going to close the doors if they dont get the money. They will have to buck up and fix their own fuck ups. FYI, I'll spout what ever I please, this is still America, no?
ReplyDeleteuse the soviet system-create shortage of cars and people will be happy to get anything with wheels.
ReplyDeleteMind you, there is an American Automobile industry... it isn't in Detroit, it's down South.
ReplyDeleteMM is right. Watching that UAW rep spout off on how he has given all he can. Riiiight. He is paid to be in his position as a union rep, that is the first mistake. Second, the median income in the KC area about 31k/year.If you are pulling down 60k without any training beyond pushing this button, or put this bolt here, well, I hate to say it, but you will be replace by automated equipment soon anyways. Do what I did, go out, get an education, and find another job.
ReplyDeleteI know, the market sucks, but the union did this. Unions in general are a good thing, but in this case it is an abuse of power. My car will outlast this problem, because I can maintain them. That and Honda will actually back my warranty up. Was a Ford man for years (several pickups, my first new car was an Escort). The big Three lost the path years ago, find that, and you will get your support base back.
Kyle- I love my Toyota because it's a superior car, not because of the cost. My last Toyota I had for over 10 years and only had to buy a battery and tires (absolutely NO REPAIRS were ever needed), then sold it for a good price. If any American car could have the quality that my Toyotas always had I'd buy American even if it cost more. They have never shown that they are capable of that. So as it is, I LOVE my Toyotas!
ReplyDelete