Comments on: GM Workers Face Bleak Future

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

[rustybones2]

Congress gave the auto industry $25 billion to increase the fuel efficiency of autos and trucks. What the industry failed to tell us, was where these new efficient vehicles, would be produced and sold.

Now the auto industry wants another $25 Billion.

Ford this year, is touting their Focus car as one of the best MPG cars available, with 24 mpg in city and 35 highway mpg. Sounds like a pretty good deal for the American consumer.

However, Ford is selling the Focus in Europe, and that auto is getting 28 mpg in the city and 50 mpg on the highway. This Ford Focus was debuted at the London auto show this summer.


Did I forget to mention that in Europe, Cadillac is selling their BLS that gets 29 city and 50 highway miles per gallon? Or, how about the Chevrolet Matiz that stretches a gallon of gas to the tune of, 39 city and 60 highway miles, to the gallon. These types of fuel efficient vehicles have been produced and sold in Europe for years.

The auto industry has had this technology for years, and lied to us about it.

[eddom949]

Bad news! Oh!... terrible lives. Said the same thing about the quality issues ten, twenty years ago. What do they do, get right back up again. Here''s to the Craftsmen, Artisans, Teamsters, Laborers, and everything Blue Collar in Michigan!!!

[eagletalon91]

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.

Linking up the current big3 automaker problems to Pearl Harbor makes about as much sense as linking 9/11 to Iraq.

Posted by hadenough43

His point was we should not be buying Japanese cars because of Pearl, He said he is a teacher also, I hope he is not teaching at the school my grand kids attend.

Posted by thgdriver1
------------------------

Ok....... Then saying we should not be buying Japanese cars because of Pearl makes about as much sense as invading Iraq because of 9/11.

Oh-I forgot this great one - liner that has a lot of truth to it-

TOYOTA and HONDA: Brought to you by those who originally brought you Pearl Harbor.

And yes, I am a young adult, college educated teacher in the middle class. Not the smartest, just have some common sense.

Posted by billytx1
----------------------

Linking up the current big3 automaker problems to Pearl Harbor makes about as much sense as linking 9/11 to Iraq.

[spadeisspade]

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.

[spadeisspade]

The workers are getting the shaft; but it isn''t that simple. They are represented by a cut throat union that has driven the Big 3 into the ground. The auto industry is not running a charity for their American workers-they are running a business. This should not come as a surprise to anyone-these companies have been warning UAW for years that if they continue to up the ante, striking will be the least of their worries. Now there are millions and millions of workers and retirees that have spent years counting on living on the dole of these companies and are going to get royally screwed. Hope it was worth it!

[andylance1]

For half-a-century GM, Ford and the UAW have been buying off politicians. Now they think it is only fair to turn the tables and have the politicians bail them out. The only trouble is it ain''t their money - it is our money.

GM''s millionaire lobbyist is married to Rep. Dingell - who was chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee until last week, making sure to keep the gas hogs humming along.

Everyone in Detroit and Washington are in bed together. This sick symbiotic relationship is depressing. Guess who really gets screwed?

[lilolme23]

This is the "big lie" spread by Fox News- "$70 and hour" or $50 an hour". It''''s a LIE. An independent automobile MANUFACTURERS group, Center for Automotive Research, study shows that Auto workers average $28 an hour. TWENTY EIGHT. That''''s TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. Can you idiots spell that?

The higher hourly numbers are fabrications (LIES) made up by the GOP and their anti-union business interests. Their real goal is to break unions, return to the 1920''''s where people were paid slave wages to work 12 hour shifts in dangerous jobs, and get everyone else working for MINIMUM WAGE. All so they can make more money.

$50 is a LIE. $70 is a LIE. $28 is CORRECT.

___________
What goes to insurance? How many paid vacations do they get, on top of paid layoffs w/ up to 98% of their pay? What about other perks? How much does all of this add up to an hour????

What about when they are put off on disciplinary action and it ends up being paid-for something they shouldn''t have done in the first place. Take that $28 times 2-someone does there job while their gone.

Take that into consideration-it all adds up big time.

[lilolme23]

This is the "big lie" spread by Fox News- "$70 and hour" or $50 an hour". It''''s a LIE. An independent automobile MANUFACTURERS group, Center for Automotive Research, study shows that Auto workers average $28 an hour. TWENTY EIGHT. That''''s TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. Can you idiots spell that?

The higher hourly numbers are fabrications (LIES) made up by the GOP and their anti-union business interests. Their real goal is to break unions, return to the 1920''''s where people were paid slave wages to work 12 hour shifts in dangerous jobs, and get everyone else working for MINIMUM WAGE. All so they can make more money.

$50 is a LIE. $70 is a LIE. $28 is CORRECT.

___________
What goes to insurance? How many paid vacations do they get, on top of paid layoffs w/ up to 98% of their pay? What about other perks? How much does all of this add up to an hour????

What about when they are put off on disciplinary action and it ends up being paid-for something they shouldn''t have done in the first place. Take that $28 times 2-someone does there job while their gone.

Take that into consideration-it all adds up big time.

I''''ve driven GM cars since I was 16. I keep cars a long time and just bought an 08 chevrolet pickup. You can thank Honda, Toyota, and others, along with the people who bought them. The big 3 are not perfect, and need some fine tuning. But unfair competition, not paying your employees as much, and selling your cars here while we can''''t sell ours there is not right. Foreign car companies locate some factories here, but the money still goes overseas.
I proudly drive my American made car. The big three make some good products. If they go under, and millions across the country hit the bread line, I hope you feel for them as you drive by in your Toyota.

Posted by billytx1
----------------------
This is such a typical Detroit reaction - make the customer into the bad guy. One of the many reasons why I guit buying Detroit junk years ago...

[skeezix06]

Build a car that gets the same or better mileage than a Honda or a Toyota and I would cheerfully buy American. In other words, give the customer what they want.

When filling the gas tank up took $50 out of my pocket I did something about it. American made was not offering me what I wanted so I went elsewhere.

[billytx1]

Oh-I forgot this great one - liner that has a lot of truth to it-

TOYOTA and HONDA: Brought to you by those who originally brought you Pearl Harbor.

And yes, I am a young adult, college educated teacher in the middle class. Not the smartest, just have some common sense.

[dburfears]

what!!!!! you mean UAW union workers will no longet get thier $50 an hour pay?????????????????????

I wonder what caused this?

Posted by MrMeatSpin at 03:35 PM : Dec 03, 2008
-------

This is the "big lie" spread by Fox News- "$70 and hour" or $50 an hour". It''s a LIE. An independent automobile MANUFACTURERS group, Center for Automotive Research, study shows that Auto workers average $28 an hour. TWENTY EIGHT. That''s TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS. Can you idiots spell that?

The higher hourly numbers are fabrications (LIES) made up by the GOP and their anti-union business interests. Their real goal is to break unions, return to the 1920''s where people were paid slave wages to work 12 hour shifts in dangerous jobs, and get everyone else working for MINIMUM WAGE. All so they can make more money.

$50 is a LIE. $70 is a LIE. $28 is CORRECT.

[billytx1]

I''ve driven GM cars since I was 16. I keep cars a long time and just bought an 08 chevrolet pickup. You can thank Honda, Toyota, and others, along with the people who bought them. The big 3 are not perfect, and need some fine tuning. But unfair competition, not paying your employees as much, and selling your cars here while we can''t sell ours there is not right. Foreign car companies locate some factories here, but the money still goes overseas.
I proudly drive my American made car. The big three make some good products. If they go under, and millions across the country hit the bread line, I hope you feel for them as you drive by in your Toyota.

[firehose12]

Over paid employees, overpaid supervisors, overpaid executives, negligent attention paid to costs of operating = overpriced cars/trucks/SUVs. Who cared at the big 3? Nobody because times were good and the American consumer was paying the sticker on the window. Some consumers took out 6 and 7 year loans on credit to pay. In most instances the vehicle is not worth 3000.00 in 7 years.

Posted by thgdriver1 at 05:22 PM : Dec 03, 2008


Agree

Let the greed die - and soon.

[firehose12]

GM Workers Face Bleak Future

************

Surprise !!!

I know many ready to take those jobs at say $20 per hour rather than the avg $78.00 per hour.

UAW say bub-buy you greedy bastages !!!!

No auto companies - no jobs !!!

How about that for reality !!!

[scottyusa]

I feel for these workers. I work in the defense industry and when Clinton drastically cut the defense spending to balance the budget in the 90s the new industry word was "downsizing". Companies were laying off workers with 30 years (salary) with the company. Mine went from 20,000 to 8,000. I saw how it affected everyone including the local economy. If the government decides to let the car companies melt then the least they could do is take that 25 billion dollars and give it to the workers as they are layed off if the companies cannot make it. Think where we would be if all that 700 billion dollar bailout money went to the taxpayers. They would have moved this economy into high gear. Paying bills like mortgages and buying cars etc etc.

[jsd330]

Hey mastersgts, didn''t you say on another post that you get health care for life? I know for a fact that if you retired from the military you get health care for life it''s called tri care. Plus a whole bunch of other perks on the taxpayers dime. PX privliges, space available on military aircraft, use of military resort areas just to name a few. Maybe since we have a deficit instead of raising taxes we should make you and the rest of the government employees that are retired pay for their health insurance or is that different?

[mrmeatspin]

what!!!!! you mean UAW union workers will no longet get thier $50 an hour pay?????????????????????

I wonder what caused this?