UAW talks extended; GM target for strike

The UAW had rather be out of a job than
to give up anything.

Maybe GM can replace those with people
that have more pride for their jobs

Do you people even realize that most of us don't want to go on strike. I can't believe the jealousy out there, most of us have crappy jobs, I don't hear all the whining about UPS drivers or even semi drivers for that matter who are also union and have good bebefits and make a great wage, but they drive all day. Wow driving is a hard job. Also what about the million dollar bonus' given to CEO's the company? They do need to trim the fat, not just in the factories though, look at going all the way to the top, look at thier salaries and see what they do to deseve 7 figures a year. We build them and they reap all the rewards. Keep whining, all the good paying jobs will be gone before long and our kids/grandkids will all be fighting to work for minimum wage because all the jobs will be out of the country. That's where we are headed, the next 3rd world country.

jodee wrote:

Do you people even realize that most of us don't want to go on strike. I can't believe the jealousy out there, most of us have crappy jobs, I don't hear all the whining about UPS drivers or even semi drivers for that matter who are also union and have good bebefits and make a great wage, but they drive all day. Wow driving is a hard job. Also what about the million dollar bonus' given to CEO's the company? They do need to trim the fat, not just in the factories though, look at going all the way to the top, look at thier salaries and see what they do to deseve 7 figures a year. We build them and they reap all the rewards. Keep whining, all the good paying jobs will be gone before long and our kids/grandkids will all be fighting to work for minimum wage because all the jobs will be out of the country. That's where we are headed, the next 3rd world country.

You are right the CEO's
make way too much money. But, if you have such a crappy job maybe you should go to work at UPS

You are correct they CEO's make way too much.
They do need to trim their salaries but, if
you have such a crappy job maybe you shoud go
to work at UPS. Nobody pays my health care cost
I am just glad to be working.

As a UAW member I support all the union memebers at GM who are potentially going to go on strike. For al you people who are critics or say they are selfish let me ask you a question. How would you like to have your retirement benefits taken away, your health insurance raised and you wages reduced from what you allready make. You wouldn't like it at all. So what makes them selfish for fighting to keep what they have. So what if they make a good wage now, is it there fault te got a good paying job, NO,,,,, and is it their fault they wanna keep a good paying job, absolutetly not. That is why we have unions in America. To keep companies in check and make sure that te blue collar workercan keep his good paying job. It always seems like ever person that is a critic of union memebers going on strike is some sort of white collar worker who doesn't understnd unionized labor and has never had to get their hands dirty to earn a living. They have always eaten from a GOLDEN spoon and mommy and daddy has always given them everything they have. Unions help to make us a free country and i support them 110%. Sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in and actually have a backbone instead of cutting tail and running. And oh by the way if they strike I get laid of because they are a direct customer of my plant, but yet I still support them....Does that make me selfish?

I feel for the uaw members I wouldn't like it if
I had something and now I don't but, that is the
way the world is changing. And for Golden spoon
thing I put myself through college and work 60 hr.
weeks have 2 children and pay ALL my healthcare.
The first people to bitch about prices of goods
are union people. I have several union friends
they work just long enough to draw unemployment
then drag up. They also brag about one craft messing up things so their other brothers of another craft can get a job not thinking about
driving up the cost of the project in return costing everyone. If they don't like their job quit!!

The UAW is the root of ALL of the Detroit 3's problems. If they could just do away with that one giant albatross they have, they could afford to use better quality components, pay for better engineering, and have quality work done by workers that are more interested what they CAN do for the company, instead of what they won't, or can't do.

Unions breed mediocrity, and when they are give free rein as long as the UAW has, mediocre is an improvement. I do not blame the Detroit 3 for closing plants here, and building more in Mexico. Even THAT is not enough of a wake up call for the union slugs to realize that they need to do good work, and be less greedy if they want to keep their jobs.

Do away with the JOBS bank, 100's of job classifications, skilled trades local agreements, and outsource non-value added jobs, two-tier wage with new hires making $14/hr.

I'm a UAW member and have also been a CWA member. I also proudly served my country for 10 years in the USMC. I make a good wage but I also bust my butt for that money. A lot of workers get hurt doing there jobs and have to fight the corporation to get paid for injuries substained on the job. As for the benefits, I think they suck. If the company would give us a choice, I would help pay for my benefits as long as I had a choice to select my benefits. GM hired Fidelity to run their benefit programs and I have wasted more time calling and talking to them to straighten out their mess, but in the mean time I'm getting screwed of my so called benefits. The management of GM and all the other companies get paid big bucks for nothing, it's workers like me that suggest how to fix the problems or how to run the jobs, but we have engineers that say it won't work, because their computers say so, they have never ran a job to put their computer theories to test, we as workers do and most of the time, it's impossible. It usually takes them a 6 months or longer to realize that the workers were right. The CEO's of companies want to get rid of middle class America so that were all making mininum wage. The retirees of GM's is what make GM's a global company, but they want put all the cost on North American instead of the Global operation costs. I say go on strike if we have to. GM also has to realize were workers are the ones that buy GM, the managers all get company cars. Also, GM workers are the ones that give back to the communities and our Corporation money stays here, not like I foreign counterparts. If it wasn't for Union memebers, everyone else wouldn't be making the wages they are.

you inbreads in kentucky are jealous you dont make 30 an hour. so go work like an idiot for 60 hours and pay for your health insurance,because my union wouldnt let that happen.

tony wrote:

you inbreads in kentucky are jealous you dont make 30 an hour. so go work like an idiot for 60 hours and pay for your health insurance,because my union wouldnt let that happen.

Hahahaha, this is a classical post. I love it! He even spelled "inbred" wrond....typical uneducated union slug.

u spelled wrong wrond u moron

tony,
your union has you out of a job right now!!!!
you could not hang with the tough Ky. men
so walk you picket while I am still on the job!!

A strike by itself places pressure on an early settlement, which if it occurs would be beneficial, provided no major concessions are made. That's if the strike is short, and if it stays within GM.
At this time, the strike doesn't cost Ford anything. They reap all the potential benefits, while incurring no costs.
A long strike would hurt GM greatly. Ford,on the other hand has nothing to lose, as it has already gotten most of their concessions, regarding labor cost reductions, and stands really to just benefit regarding VEBA. So at this time, strike at GM would actually help Ford.

Yes, what GM and the UAW haven't yet figured out is that there is a paradiem shift in that we have converted to a world economy. It's actually cheaper and more efficient for GM to move to a factory in India, where labor costs are much less, both in labor productivity and headache costs.
It doesn't take much to train hard working, willing workers to apply the technology of mass production, that Henry Ford first devised. Ford hired workers for an unheard $5 per 8 hour day, and ran his place 24/7.

Those businesses that haven't figured out yet that a world economy exists are doomed to eventual demise. Both Toyota and Honda as well as Wallmart have figured out that it's cheaper to set up in rural town, USA, where labor costs are cheap and grateful workers are in abundance, plus the town is more than happy to dole out huge tax incentives. It's only a matter of time, before Ford or GM figures this out also. So the answer is, for survival, Ford and GM will have to move.

I'm asking because I really am fairly ignorant of the facts:

1. Is GM at a competitive labor cost disadvantage v. the non-union companies, mainly Toyota, Nissan, and Honda? How big is it?

2. If so, what is the best answer? Obviously Toyota et al. learned well from our old mistakes. I don't believe they'll ever allow their costs and obligations to rise and lose their advangage, so I don't think that's an answer.

I'm not looking to blame anyone - as I see it the Unions took too much when times were good. But the company execs were foolishly short sighted to agree to the demands back then, and they were also feeding their own huge greed.

But however we got here, we are where we are. What's the best realistic fix?

THE ANSWER IS AS ABOVE - THEY GOTTA MOVE!!!

IMHO you are missing the big picture!

GM could care less about *US*.

They WANT to relocate to a cheaper place (oversea) to build vehicles with a gazillion dollar profit.

GM WILL win.

I feel so sorry for my American brothers an sisters who do not grasp this very simple concept.