Comments on: CAW reaches tentative deal with GM/Chrysler

By: George Labrador

George Labrador — Sat, 17 May 2008 20:02:10 +0000

The CAW got the best deal they could with the so called Big 3 ie 2.8!
Its also Buzz’s last kick of the Can as he nears retirement from the CAW, good chance that Cerberus will spin off Chrysler by year’s end according to sources in Detroit, maybe Nissan will buy them out, who knows what the future holds.
As a Canadian I dont think that Ontario should be giving Taxpayer money to these foreign firms whether they be USA owned or Asian owned! after all they are all investor owned.

By: 50merc

50merc — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:06:22 +0000

mikey, I read the comments on the CTV story. Lots of rage, but at least they kept the expletives out. Every day I’m thankful for TTAC’s anti-flaming policy.

From the CTV article:
“Thursday’s agreements will:
* Freeze wages at $34 per hour this year
* Cut annual vacations by one week for a one-time payment of $3,500
* Eliminate a $25,000 retirement allowance
* Include a prescription drug co-pay of 10%
The new GM contract deal postpones the planned closure of a shift at GM’s Oshawa plant until 2009.”
[How does that compare with other industries? Still at or near the top, I'm sure. Do G/F/C lose lots of workers to make more money elsewhere?]
“The CAW was also able to postpone the closure of a plant in Etobicoke which Chrysler had been trying to shut down for the past 15 years, Hargrove said. ‘We weren’t able to get it into the agreement but we did extend its life until mid-2011,’ he said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
He noted that it was much cheaper for Chrysler to purchase the parts rather than have them manufactured.”
“But some experts fear that by not giving up more, the Canadian Auto Workers may be making it too expensive to build cars in Canada for the long term.” ‘At the end of the day, the Canadian operations are $20 an hour more costly than any other operation in the world for GM, Ford and Chrysler. Why would they put up with that longer term, when they have a choice,’auto analyst Dennis Desrosiers told CTV News.”

Indeed, why would G/F/C put up with that? Because for them, the CAW is a monopoly. So the choice becomes, either pay up or bug out. A prosperous Big 3 could afford to placate the union. But the Big 3 are no longer prosperous.

By: Landcrusher

Landcrusher — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:50:09 +0000

mikey, just ignore the troll.

I am not sure if I am what you are looking for, but I am a union detractor who used socialized medicine while living in Canada. They put my life at severe risk for nearly 24 hours trying to avoid giving me a test that any US hospital would have given me as fast as they could squeeze me in. Certainly in less than 3 hours. Once they did give me the test, they then had to give me emergency surgery immediately.

The whole system just stank. I know that GM and the UAW are lobbying for socialized medicine in this country, and I can tell you that it’s a much bigger burden on your grandchildren than CO2 or deficit spending are. The system will sap this country until everything is like GM and Detroit.

By: mikey

mikey — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:59:55 +0000

Troonbop:line apes?Come on down to the ratification at 3:PM today and expand on you opinion at the open mic.I will personally escort you in.

By: troonbop

troonbop — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:24:27 +0000

GM manages to continue its steady circling of the bowl, extracting my tax dollars to feed its gang of line apes.

By: mikey

mikey — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:48:39 +0000

Hey for a laugh read the comments after the CTV reports.Never thought I say this but it makes me appreciate the anti flaming policy here at TTAC.
I just wonder if any of our detracters{and there is a few}ever use are socialized health care.Or our generous welfare programs,police,fire,schools.
You name it,it all comes with a price.

The auto companys, and thier employees,union and non union all pay hefty taxes.The Ontario government is correct in thier support of the domestic car industry.