Autoworker families see end of the line

Sounds like with all of the money the family earned over the years, no one thought about earning an education that could propel them off the assembly line.

what an ignorant comment.
I went the "school" route, earning my Master's this May.
There aren't any jobs for us 'school folk" either.
We've all taken different roads that lead to the same destination, unemployment.

And what do you see that's so degrading about a manufacturing job? We need people to make stuff.

@ Tell: That is an ignorant comment. As JB said, a lot of us "school folk" are out of a job as well. And guess what, it's harder for us to find work because we command a higher starting salary, and companies don't want to pay that right now. What we need to do is transition these workers to other vehicle manufacturing jobs that will actually help us rebuild our infrastructure. There are enough cars out there (brand new unsold, and used), we can do without building them for a few years. I'd rather see these workers making hybrid buses and electric trains.

Overpaid for the skills they actually have. Thank you unions for breeding dependancy. The union mentality is killing America's productivity.

The car makers had a nice long run. Sooner or later, all good things come to an end.

It may be a tough pill to swallow and I have been there before. This is unprecedented economic fallout.

I hate to say it we are all (well most of us) responsible to some degree.

One example

Just think how many cars can a person or family can own in a 10 year period? GM leadership should have been planning for the future by diversifying their own industry I can tell you they have known for at least 5 years or more that that the SUV bubble was coming and instead of retooling their company they chased short term profits. The issues were exacerbated by the economic downturn

Bailing them out isn't really going to work. They have to retool and that is going to take 5 to 10 years. Are we supposed to support that industry for 10 years. Support salaries for each and every person top to bottom on that supply chain as employees of GM? We couldn't to that if we wanted.

Unfortunately this means unemployment/layoffs and many of these people are going to end up on the public dole which will be cheaper than the 25 billion GM needs each and every year until they retool.

Very tough, very sad but predictable to some degree.

- Signed 15 year Navy vet, father of 2, husband, small business owner, property owner, minority, never voted straight ticket or party, born and raised in South Shore/Hyde Park

I'm tired of these whiny stories of the "poor auto plant workers." what they fail to tell you here is that, thanks to the greedy union, Surato and his wife will get PAID to be laid off. I worked inside Chrysler for a year, and I have zero sympathy for the mismanaged US automakers. The workers do okay -- even if they don't have work, they get 80% of their salary. Workers who've spent a lifetime there make six figures. I make 5. You tell me who's making out here.

I'm not aware of any GM plant that is putting out 50 cars an hour.

I am aware of a number of plants that have been putting out 5 cars an hour. These plants have lounge chairs at each station. Employees have brought in card tables and tvs to pass the time between cars.

Please don't let the union mislead you regarding the skill level of these jobs. This is unskilled labor plain and simple, the kind of labor that should be paying minimum wage.

Over paying in a competitive environment is unsustainable. Whether it's over paying these guys or providing welfare, at some point, the money runs out. GM can't print it like the feds do.

Granted that these guys have had three generations of work behind them. It's not nearly as bad as the 5th and 6th generation welfare families (I use this word loosly) in Chicago.

Chicago is run by liberals, it's broke.

Cook County is run by liberals, it's broke.

Illinois, Michigan, and California are all run by liberals, they're all broke.

The US is run by liberals.......

First off a college education isn't for everyone. The downfall of most of these automakers would be the unions. Unions kills jobs. I understand they are in place to protection but in the end they kill jobs.

Screw the Chicago Tribune and this writer also. I cant give to their charity either because we are all broke.

I happily drive my Acura. I would never buy a car put together sloppy and planned for obsolecensce.

MinisterR wrote:

It may be a tough pill to swallow and I have been there before. This is unprecedented economic fallout.
I hate to say it we are all (well most of us) responsible to some degree.
One example
Just think how many cars can a person or family can own in a 10 year period? GM leadership should have been planning for the future by diversifying their own industry I can tell you they have known for at least 5 years or more that that the SUV bubble was coming and instead of retooling their company they chased short term profits. The issues were exacerbated by the economic downturn
Bailing them out isn't really going to work. They have to retool and that is going to take 5 to 10 years. Are we supposed to support that industry for 10 years. Support salaries for each and every person top to bottom on that supply chain as employees of GM? We couldn't to that if we wanted.
Unfortunately this means unemployment/layoffs and many of these people are going to end up on the public dole which will be cheaper than the 25 billion GM needs each and every year until they retool.
Very tough, very sad but predictable to some degree.
- Signed 15 year Navy vet, father of 2, husband, small business owner, property owner, minority, never voted straight ticket or party, born and raised in South Shore/Hyde Park

What about Toyota, Nissan, Honda? They ALL make just as many 'big vehicles' as GM. It is fact, that from top to bottom GM does have the highest MPG average...and this includes averaging in the Prius. Why all you dolts blame GM for an SUV bubble is beyond me.

NOOOOBODY is FORCED to buy a damm SUV so stop blaming the companies when you are driving the demand. Good grief people.

College isnt for everybody you idiots.We need a manufacturing base in case of another major war.GM gave billions of dollars in tanks and other equipment in the second world war.All these educated idiots have forgotten that. P.S. THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN RUN BY CONSERVATIVES THE LAST 8 YEARS AND ITS BANKRUPT.

MinisterR wrote:

It may be a tough pill to swallow and I have been there before. This is unprecedented economic fallout.
I hate to say it we are all (well most of us) responsible to some degree.
One example
Just think how many cars can a person or family can own in a 10 year period? GM leadership should have been planning for the future by diversifying their own industry I can tell you they have known for at least 5 years or more that that the SUV bubble was coming and instead of retooling their company they chased short term profits. The issues were exacerbated by the economic downturn
Bailing them out isn't really going to work. They have to retool and that is going to take 5 to 10 years. Are we supposed to support that industry for 10 years. Support salaries for each and every person top to bottom on that supply chain as employees of GM? We couldn't to that if we wanted.
Unfortunately this means unemployment/layoffs and many of these people are going to end up on the public dole which will be cheaper than the 25 billion GM needs each and every year until they retool.
Very tough, very sad but predictable to some degree.
- Signed 15 year Navy vet, father of 2, husband, small business owner, property owner, minority, never voted straight ticket or party, born and raised in South Shore/Hyde Park

oh and one other thing, if gas stays at 1.85 a gallon, the idiot that spent 40k on the electric or hybrid is going to feel like and be labeled a fool. Those lines of cars WON'T make it if gas doesn't get much more expensive. Who is their right mind can justify spending that type of money vs buying a 12k Aveo ...no way in heck you are going to recoup 28k in 10 years when the mpg is very close to each other. You won't even recoup it if the other guy buys an RV.

Now about some of you idiot union bashers. Most of you don't know enough history to understand the need for a union. Like my dad taught me, the union needs to be there, the company needs to be there. It is a very very fine balance of power to prevent abuse by either side. GMs downfall was NOT the union, it was that the union grew TOO powerful in the 70s and 80s and they have spent the past 30 years breaking it up.

Most of you would do well to read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, or just read about the deaths of many of the engineers at Toyota.

Ask yourself that the next time you buy a Toyota...do you feel good knowing that they worked their engineers to DEATH so you could get your non-UNION auto. I'd say that is rather inhuman if you value your dollar more than a childs dad, or a wifes husband....

My point includes all car companies. Sorry if that wasn't clear. But I didn't write this supposed story that is about GM.

Being emotional child or a dolt is not going to help you see clearly.

Did you not read when I said everyone is to blame and gave one example of how the auto industry is partially to blame? I only have 400 characters to write but I could have given 20 more examples.

Batboy wrote:

<quoted text>
What about Toyota, Nissan, Honda? They ALL make just as many 'big vehicles' as GM. It is fact, that from top to bottom GM does have the highest MPG average...and this includes averaging in the Prius. Why all you dolts blame GM for an SUV bubble is beyond me.
NOOOOBODY is FORCED to buy a damm SUV so stop blaming the companies when you are driving the demand. Good grief people.

Exactly my point. How many cars is enough? There fools out there who trade in a perfectly good car in the name of saving money. Essentially increasing their total debt load, and not seeing a true savings for 5 years minimum.

These same people forget that demanding a hybrid when they don't really need one creates many times more damage to the environment than if they just kept the car/suv they had and kept it maintained until it falls apart or at least 10 years. Or do they think they make these cars out of recycled newspaper.

I have a 2002 jeep liberty. I used do a lot of side work that required hauling and light towing. I don't need the truck anymore but it is still brand new, well maintained and paid off for 4 years. I will be driving this thing until it falls apart.

Batboy wrote:

<quoted text>
oh and one other thing, if gas stays at 1.85 a gallon, the idiot that spent 40k on the electric or hybrid is going to feel like and be labeled a fool. Those lines of cars WON'T make it if gas doesn't get much more expensive. Who is their right mind can justify spending that type of money vs buying a 12k Aveo ...no way in heck you are going to recoup 28k in 10 years when the mpg is very close to each other. You won't even recoup it if the other guy buys an RV.

Please be specific by what you mean "run".

Have the house, the senate, the executive branch, federal reserves, the supreme court, cook county or Chicago be "run" by conservatives.

Do you mean conservatives have run all of these government institutions for the last 8 years? Or do you mean republicans or democrats? What do you mean?

I guess I have not been paying attention because that is not what I have seen, read and heard.

Paul wrote:

College isnt for everybody you idiots.We need a manufacturing base in case of another major war.GM gave billions of dollars in tanks and other equipment in the second world war.All these educated idiots have forgotten that. P.S. THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN RUN BY CONSERVATIVES THE LAST 8 YEARS AND ITS BANKRUPT.

MinisterR wrote:

Please be specific by what you mean "run".
Have the house, the senate, the executive branch, federal reserves, the supreme court, cook county or Chicago be "run" by conservatives.
Do you mean conservatives have run all of these government institutions for the last 8 years? Or do you mean republicans or democrats? What do you mean?
I guess I have not been paying attention because that is not what I have seen, read and heard.
<quoted text>

Republicans..Where you been/?

Chad wrote:

I happily drive my Acura. I would never buy a car put together sloppy and planned for obsolecensce.

Your precious Acura is not built to last forever either.