Comments on: Automaker Bailout Negotiations Break Down, Loan Bill is Dead

By: Curt

Curt — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:51:34 +0000

I read an article today about what is an American car really? It stated that cars made by the big 3 comprise less than 50 percent of parts that are made in the USA. 80 percent of the parts that go into the Toyota Camry are made right here in the U.S. A further 56 percent of ALLToyota’s vehicles sold in here have that same 80 percent “made in the USA” ratio.

So, unless this article was mistaken, Toyota’s are more American than Fords, Chevys, and Chryslers. That’s pretty sad if you ask me.

By: JimGalaxy

JimGalaxy — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:37:00 +0000

90. Tim -

Question: Why did Reid vote Ney.

Answer: Not enough pork.

(he should have voted oink)
—-

Almost every day, I read something here that breaks up the gloom-and-doom and makes me literally laugh out loud. Today it was this .. voting ‘oink’! That’s priceless. lol

By: N Riley

N Riley — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:37:34 +0000

I am not pro-union or anti-union. I am for good wages and good working conditions. Government now has the authority to insure safe working conditions at all companies in America. Local competition for labor pools usually forces companies to pay better wages than they might otherwise.

My biggest complaint about unions is that the average union member pays those union dues month after month and gets less and less for his money. They have very little or none at all say-so over how the money is spent. I don’t think most union members would agree with their union managers on how to spend the dues money.

By: N Riley

N Riley — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:27:11 +0000

The doom and gloom for the UAW I have seen on this site today is not the way it will be. Sure, with Chapter 11 the UAW will have to make concessions and new contracts will be drawn up. If the UAW does not accept the new contracts, the workers can still work as non-union employees. Work will go on while GM is going through bankruptcy. There will probably be a short time where the plants could be shut down at the beginning, but I doubt it. If GM comes out of C11 with non-union employees, all the UAW has to do is wait until the democrats pass the card check law Obama says he will sign. Once that happens the UAW just goes around to each GM plant worker after hours and gets them to agree to check the card saying they think there should be a union at the plant. Once 50% + 1 vote is for the union, the plant is automatically unionized and management must negotiate. If they don’t negotiate the government is required by law to force concessions from the company. Once that happens, the UAW is back in control of the plant again.

GM, Ford and Chrysler let the UAW get as strong as it is because of government requirements and actions plus they were afraid of a long extended strike hurting production. They gave in to demands by the government and the UAW over the years and now we are at this point.

No matter what happens with GM, Ford and Chrysler, short of them being desolved and permanently shut down, the UAW is not going away. They will just wait until their partner (government) passes legislation favoring them again.

I see no real change for wage and benefit parity in the future.

EDIT: This same card check law will also make it very easy to unionize the foreign automakers and many, many other companies. Unionism will be on a sharp rise in the next four to six years and there will be many plant strikes and shutdowns. You will find the government on the side of the union in every such situation. The companies in America will be at an extreme disadvantage with this new law.

By: old man

old man — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:52:43 +0000

I wonder if the average UAW hourly workers know how much their upper level union management peaple get in total compensation?