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by wood-cutter from farmington

Last Post 192 days, 14 hours Ago

Break the Unions!

Nov 13, 2008 | 6:40 PM
Category: Political

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With the myriad of labor laws we have on the books there is NO GOOD USE for labor unions.All they do is drive prices up because of high wages and benefits.They are the biggest reason the Automobile industry is in the shape its in.If the government does bail out the Big three they need not do it without disolving the UAW!

For those of you UAW members that will disagree with me-TOO BAD! you will NEVER convince me that we cant find people to screw parts on our cars for less money and reasonable benfits!

The average UAW worker makes $105,000.00 a year when you count benefits!

No wonder we have to pay $35k for a new car!

ENOUGH!Youve priced yourself right out of the market!

34 Comments | Add a Comment

Nov 13, 2008 | 8:49 PM

As a life long union member ,I must say , you are right. The unions with their high wages and benefits have almost bankrupt the auto industries. Fire all of these drunken drones and hire monkeys or robots to do their work.

vision

Nov 14, 2008 | 12:58 AM

They sure did price themselves out of business, and the CEO's of the companies wrote off too many of them Las Vegas parties with all the amenieties. That's going to put a crunch on the BLEEP- and drug business, none the least the gambling business. Maybe rosco will find a robotic dentist. ha ha ha

vision

Nov 14, 2008 | 1:01 AM

Boogedy? ok, "call girls"

wood-cutter

Nov 14, 2008 | 10:24 AM

Im not saying there isnt but I havent heard of any evidence of mismanagement or extravegance by the top brass in the auto industry.Have you?

lmatt

Nov 14, 2008 | 11:09 AM

I agree. Do away with UNIONS! Heck, the Ford parts warehouses are CLOSED today so they can honor veterns day! Ok, the day was on Tuesday. All they want is a three day weekend. Because they ar UNION!

DogJ

Nov 14, 2008 | 1:07 PM

Unions served a very valid and valuable purpose in the history of our country. Unfortuantely, like almost everything non-essential to life, their time has come and gone.
Although, for converation, I would like to hear someone argue why the Auto industry should be bail-out AND the Unions allowed to continue.

ralex

Nov 14, 2008 | 2:18 PM

All the devaluation a new car sheds as you drive it off the lot is the unions cut. Especially the 600,000 retired at full salary and paid health care.

Every auto worker I have met bragged how easy their job was and how they screwed off at work.

wood-cutter

Nov 14, 2008 | 3:32 PM

$1200.00-$2000.00 of the cost to MAKE the car goes to paying union benefits!THATS PER CAR OR TRUCK!

wood-cutter

Nov 14, 2008 | 3:38 PM

My grandfather retired from FMC.He was a district manager.He was retired for 30 years before he passed and drew $2500.00 a month+medical benefits.Thats $900,000.00 they paid him AFTER he stopped working not counting medical benefits.I love my grandpa but thats too much.

Dogj has posted the % profit that companies make-you may find it interesting to note thatb car dealers only make 1%-5% on the sale of new cars-Dealers are suffering and have been for quite a while!The ONLY winner in this situation is the enviromentalist and the UAW!

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 8:12 PM

I am sick of hearing about 28.00 an hour to screw a piece on a part... cant they hire the handicapped for that?

bebozo

Nov 14, 2008 | 8:42 PM

That would make me employed. LOL

vision

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:21 PM

Searchingtoo, distribute the wealth concept? You may have something there. Now if they would just get rid of those design engineers pulling a average of $175,000.00 a year.

vision

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:22 PM

and that is on the low end without benefits.

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:26 PM

And doesnt hiring the handicapped put them in a tax break situation?

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:27 PM

There are some on the line that ARE skilled labor and do deserve to be paid more than some, but it seems to me that well over half of the people on the line would work for a lot less than not work at all.

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:29 PM

and if they perform their duties, with a good attitude of course and in a timely fashion, maybe they can be promoted to learn an actual skill to replace those that will be retiring.... ummmm isnt that how it is supposed to work when you come to an employer with nothing.. you work your way up to something?

DogJ

Nov 14, 2008 | 9:54 PM

As a person who has spent their entire life being paid based on what I produce, (Commission based pay), I probably shouldn't comment here, but... Can you imagine what economic impact would be realized if every UAW member were paid a flat salary of $60,000; had a 2% matching pension and paid 50% of their health care costs, like most Americans do?

vision, the design engineers could be paid based on the sales and reliabilty of the car. Maybe they earn $600,000 for the first year sales of the Pinto and $2 when they begin exploding. My guess is the reliability standard would surpass the Japs at the speed of light.

Unions prevent poverty and breed mediocraty.
Why is it the average teacher (union) makes around $47k, but a UAW member makes $100k? Why is it a teacher has to have a college degree but a UAW member can be a High School drop out?

And why are our Auto companies going belly-up?

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 10:17 PM

Maybe they are being paid based on what they produced for instance. I am sure that Ayers graduated.. and what did he blow later....

Searchingtoo

Nov 14, 2008 | 10:17 PM

and apparently they now promote both poverty and mediocraty..if you look at the books.

open_eyed_liberal

Nov 15, 2008 | 11:54 AM

The prices of vehicles vary little between foreign and domestic, which can lead one to conclude that unions have little to do with the price (not including vehicles like Hummer or Mercedes, which were designed to be pricey). No, the reason these companies are having trouble is because they do not make a car worth buying. Example: in the early 90s, electric cars were unveiled. The US automakers decided SUVs should be made instead, while foreign companies (Japanese) continued research into hybrids (Honda Insight). Also, slogans such as "Fix Or Repair Daily" did not start themselves. Foreign autos bested US autos for a reason, and it has nothing to do with the unions.

Honda Civic = ~$15,500 - ~$25,000
Chevy Cobalt = ~$16,300 - ~$24,000

Here in America, people felt as though they were safe from things such as high gas prices. Americans thought they could produce and consume large SUVs without any consequence. Here is the result.

Really, it sounds as though those against unions are just jealous they do not make that much.