Bailout Watch 342: UAW Stonewalls on Concessions
The Detroit Free Press reports that Ron Gettelfinger is confused. Yes, the United Auto Workers (UAW) boss is waiting for “clarification on loan impact.” You know the loans, right? The $17.4b hoovered from your tax money to prop-up the bankrupt automakers known as GM and Chrysler (not to mention the $25b retooling loans, which seem to have dropped off the MSM’s radar). The same “bridge to nowhere” loans that require the UAW to agree to wage and benefit parity with Toyota, Honda and Nissan’s American workers before the rest of the money– however many billions that will be– can be shoveled in Motown’s direction. “During an interview on WDET-FM (101.9), Gettelfinger reiterated his complaint that the loan terms dealing with the union are unclear.” What is it with Ron and radio? Why can’t he give the print boys his best stuff? And what doesn’t Big Ron understand about “parity?” “There’s a lot of provisions in the loan guarantees that the companies had to sign,” Gettelfinger said. “We don’t really have any documents to work from other than their loan agreements, so we’re waiting to see until President-elect Obama gets in power, then we’ll see how this thing comes out.” Badly. I assure you. Maybe not in January or February or March. But soon. And forever.
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CarnotCycle has a very good point. Suppose GM is allowed to hire any number of non-union workers. Then, even if they are paid the same, the productivity will actually be higher, due to less "over-protection" for workers. The cost that UAW incurs is indeed more than $70/hour, more like $100/hour.
If the UAW has to exist (I have no view on that), then a continuing adversarial relationship is broken for both parties. If management can't make UAW members understand the enterprises' structural problem, and UAW members fail to take the time to understand management's plan to address the structure, then they will go out of business pronto. In that sense, GM/Chrysler and the UAW deserve each other.
What is wrong with Americans. Are they just unable to see the air leaving the balloon. This is not about GM, FORDS,Chrysler, this is about American JOBS. There is no way to compete with foreign goods. They have no workers rights whatsoever. Basically slave labor. Woulkd that make Americans happy. People dying without healthcare. Homeless people wandering the streets. Is there no compassion . The USA ids Hemorraging blood and its own people are begging to cut it further. LOOK at the businesses leaving the USA do to the undermining by foreign goods. WAKE UP> We are at WAR. Weare at war for the AMERiCAN WAY OF LIFE. IT is being undermined by those that already have more than they can spend in a thousand lifetimes. Your so busy beating down your BROTHERS that you dont see the guy behind you slitting your throat. This guy(Foreign Governments) does not care whether your an autoworker or a lawyer or any job. It can all be done somewheres else. Who is operating your phones,they are either automated or they are in INDIA,China or Pakistan. This is an ATTACK on the American ECONOMY. WAKE UP AMERiCANS
If GM wanted to save monies they would clean out theyre own bed first. Company cars,jets,overpayed and underqualified slary jobs. Nepotism. The list goes on and on. The fact is that the worker produces. Currently there are more than a three to one ratio of salary to hourly workers. Why is this? For one years back GM had swelling hourly ranks. This has been reduced by hundreds of thousands,and yet the slary side was not reduced. Also technology has created a savings that has not been touched. Computers alone could save millions, but has not. Supervisors used to go around and check his or her employees in b hand and this is now automated. Did we see a reduction in the salary workforce do this no. Why??????????? I dont want to see any JOBS LOST no matter whether they are salary or HOURLY but if your going to count beans, COUNT them ALL.