Here We Go Again: Chrysler Workers On Strike

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

MSNBC reports that the United Auto Workers (UAW) have just walked out on Chrysler. Given that the UAW strike over at GM lasted the smaller part of two days and resulted in an agreement that gave the automaker pretty much everything they wanted, don't look for much hand-wringing excitement in this latest action against Chrysler for at least a week. By then we should know what gives, or more, precisely, who gives what. Is the UAW using the strike to soften-up 49k Chrysler workers for GM-like givebacks, or is this the real deal: an American automaker drawing a line in the sand? The fact that Cerberus, Chrysler's new master, is a privately-held company looking to strip and flip changes the fundamental dynamic considerably. Or not. In any case, once again, the union bosses aren't sayin' notin' to no one as to why they walked: “The company has thus far failed to make an offer that adequately addresses the needs of our membership,” UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said on Monday. So now you know.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Jthorner Jthorner on Oct 10, 2007

    Well, it looks like I might be completely wrong. The news that the strike is already over surprises me.

  • AGR AGR on Oct 10, 2007

    It ended too fast...

  • VLAD VLAD on Oct 10, 2007

    The poodle rolls over and plays dead.

  • D996 D996 on Oct 11, 2007

    dkulmacz: Sorry if my comments appeared to mock domestic buyers. I couldn't resist using toothless and gap in the same sentence. My point was not to belittle the domestic buyer but to highlight the growing gap between the domestic/import purchaser. In many instances the domestic model is the better choice but the import will win out. If the reliability,quality,appearance,value etc is not the determinant than what is ? The bias against domestics by educated people was what I was trying to get across.

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