Comments on: GM Workers Face Bleak Future

Employees Talk About Pending Pink Slips At One GM Plant In Michigan

[ekucrew]

What will happen to all the bars and coney shacks across the street from many of these plants? These businesses and employees will be affected.

[rational_1]

Pontiac will become a ''specialty label''? What does that mean? It''ll suddenly become a high-end brand and compete with BMW and Mercedes? Or is ''specialty'' an interesting new Detroit term for extinct.

[koyt1]

The title of this article is "GM workers face bleak future." Want to know why? Look at the emblem on the back of the worker inthe picture. UAW. That''s why. Congress - please no bail out. The airlines made it work with bankruptcy. Let the auto industry do the same.

[jusdane]

It was just a matter of time. Assembly line workers making $75 per hour is obscene. Yet another example showing how Unions don''t work.

[craigh9]

It is time for people to stop comparing the banking bail out to the Auto situation. They are not at all similar.
Without a proper financial system in the country we would drop into a deep depression and nearly all business would cease to exist. Let me ask you one simple question - what percentage of US auto sales are completed using personal cash - nearly none - without saving the banking system the big 3 would have closed within a month.
Will closure of the big 3 result in hard times - YES, but not nearly the devestation the collapse of the banking system would have had.
Look at this realistically. No government bailout DOES NOT mean closure - it means Bankruptcy, Chapter 11, which is exactly what the Big 3 need in order to get out from under ridiculous contracts, to appropriately downsize their operations, and to get the required cash to move forward.

[missglo]

I find it strange that these Auto Makers, want the taxpayers money. To bail their companies out, when smaller business can not get a dime. When the average American need help. A person has to tell their family history to get it. And it is called Wefare, When Corperate needs it. It is Help. Double standards. The Jet and airplane industry will be next. Because these people will not be able to afford them. I lost my job to China and Mexico. These Auto Workers, just have to get in line.

[ktcchina]

GM is making money in China. Why is that? They make good products at a good price. Oh! Cf94, you are an idiot!

[chelokee]

It is amazing how the auto industry- including the UAW, wants to blame everybody else for their problems! Look in the mirror. I have sympathy for all the people and their families that will lose their jobs, i really do. But the industry as a whole has only itself to blame, and the taxpayer should not have to bail them out.

[spinproof]

I don''t mind opening up U.S. markets to foreign auto makers as long as the U.S. can compete the same way by the same volume in their nations. But the real problem for U.S. auto makers is that many foreign auto makers make their cars and trucks on American soil employing American workers and in many cases without Union overhead which is strong competition and a back breaker for UAW and the American Auto Industry and then there is the perception of better quality and better value for the investment. The American Auto Industry and UAW has to reconfigure itself to this new reality in order to compete.

[centerfall94]

Wow. After eight years of near total republican rule, nearly everything is destroyed. Bush, the criminal and traitor should be tried for his war of choice and his destruction of our country''s economy, reputation, standing and readiness. He is personally responsible for the creation of more terrorists than ever before through his inept leadership and warmongering.

Good luck, President-elect Obama! You have a lot of work ahead of you, but I have no doubt you will show us what leadership is really all about. Our country has almost forgotten. Thanks for being there for us.

[scienceman1-2009]

I think the big three has created their own mess by not create a better business plan - to compete with foreign auto companies.

[dls3221]

Don''t be surprised if the Big 3 and UAW get their way by the threat of mass US job losses. Pretty slick to foist this onto the US taxpayer when they''re the cause of it. Even now Gettlefinger is only suspending, not eliminating the jobs bank - a real display of concern.

[drivelphobe]

The day of the union is long gone. Their corrupt greed and strong arm tactics of old, now manifest in the demise of a once great industry.

As a young man, I worked for Lockheed and witnessed the negative influence the union had on productivity, work ethic, and attitude. The union nurtured the entitlement mentality.

The only thing that truly works, is pay for performance. It is disgusting for the strong to support the weak. If you work hard, learn and become more valuable, the more you will earn. If you slack off, you''re history.

Bankruptcy will serve the union and the sponging employees right. Let the chips fall where they may.

GM can start over with a clean slate. No more seniority privilege, no more union stewards to come to your aid every time you want an extra break, and no more auto raises for the undeserving.

[gjfurrer]

Let them go into Chapter 11, then they can get out of the Union contracts and become more efficient and reduce cost. It doesn''t take a rocket scientist to figure out you can''t continue covering your retiree''s medical plus pay laid-off workers 90% of their pay.

[elz523]

jsd330 -Goverment retirees do pay for their health care. Military pay some also not totally free as it use to be. I think military retired should get free medical for life. Now getting the the auto companies. I will only go along with a bail out if the UAW is gone for good. It is the reason the cost are so high. Yes there is miss management but with the union involved it is hard for the auto companies to change. So good bye to the union or good by the the Big 3. That is the only options we should have.


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Posted by robert2237 at 10:33 PM : Dec 03, 2008

You know what Robert, you would have given your left nut to work for one of the big three a couple years ago and benefit from what the union has managed to get for the autoworkers. Now your just jealous. If you think letting this many workers lose their job without a fight is the right thing to do, then I hope I see you in the breadlines along with them when all this shakes out.

[staplesla]

I''''m amazed all all of those posting who believe if the automakers get the bailout that all jobs at the plants are safe. Last year 16 million autos were sold, and next year only 9 million are predicted to be sold.

This means consolidation and massive layoffs regardless of a bailout or not.

[robert2237]

jsd330 -Goverment retirees do pay for their health care. Military pay some also not totally free as it use to be. I think military retired should get free medical for life. Now getting the the auto companies. I will only go along with a bail out if the UAW is gone for good. It is the reason the cost are so high. Yes there is miss management but with the union involved it is hard for the auto companies to change. So good bye to the union or good by the the Big 3. That is the only options we should have.

[robert2237]

firehose12....you are so right
To: Ford, GM, Chrylser:
Get rid of "UAW" they are the problem!!
There are alot of hard working and ungreedy people willing to work non union. Get out of Detroit Michigan, move to a different state that is non union. Build your foundation in Kentucky, where Toyota is. Union workers only care about themselves and not your company or any other company.

And I will also say you are so right if it take bankrupcy to get rid of the UAW then that is what they need to do. Don''t use my money to bail out the union they need to learn that jobs are not created just to let people set around and do nothing as the unions think they are. GEt rid of the union and I will be ok with giving the Big 3 a loan. Keep the union and forget it. Close and dismiss all the workers, don''t feel sorry for them at all. They and their union has brought most of the problems on themself so they need to live with it if they get laid off.

[mrmeatspin]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/business/25auto.html

i think its time to send these union workers on a PERMANENT WALK OUT..

[u-r-right]

Oh, and by the way, psycho repeat poster- $28/hr is A LOT of money. I don''''t care about factoring in all the perks, or how many mouths the average auto worker has to feed. It''''s a *** ton more money than most people make to feed/clothe/etc the same families, and some are doing it and paying their own health insurance and retirement. And it''''s a *** ton more money than other factory workers make, or any other job that is ten times the back breaking labor.

Posted by spadeisspade at 07:15 PM : Dec 03, 2008
+ report abuse

So true. I just figured out my own salary only comes to about $22 an hour plus I pay for my own medical care, my employer matches only 25% of the 401k money I contribute, and I only get 3 weeks of paid time off per year which includes sick and personal leave. No other bonuses, perks, union or whatever else. Yet, I''m surprised at what I have on that salary.

Welcome to the real world!