Listening to MSNBC talking about the auto industry, are they blaming the Unions for the auto

[LittleApple81]

industry collapse? They talk about a bloated industry that cannot compete, that the Unions have to be brought to make concessions, that the pension funds are a tremendous load to GM, that the health benefits to retirees are very high, etc. etc. I am afraid that they will try to force the Unions into giving up a lot more than the managers that made all the wrong decisions.

[ogneopasno]

1. It's all about health care, and if they didn't have to negotiate for health care -- i.e., if we had

single-payer health care in this country -- this would be a very different story.

The Big Three and the UAW have been working to figure out a way to lobby for single-payer health care in this country. Which would be fabulous, and would solve some of their problems.

[But....]

2. Solve a lot of problems....

so why don't we just do it?:shrug:

[JHB]

4. "working to figure out a way to lobby for single-payer health care"?

At the risk of losing a huge consulting fee, I have a suggestion for them:

Come right out and lobby for it! Don't be coy or shy, just say it. You might even buy ads to that effect.


PM me for my real address so you can send me half of whatever you're paying the guys who are "working" on this.

[JDPriestly]

3. Kramer had a good rant about traders blaming unions

yesterday. He pointed out that the guys that trade bonds would not know how to make a fender or even change a tire, yet they criticize union members who can do those useful things for demanding wages that are too high when the bond traders and CEOs earn many, many times what the union members earn. It was quite a rant.

I have thought all along that the real target of the Bushies and their friends have been the retirement funds of those of us who are 45 and older.

The Nixon administration created ERISA which encouraged people to invest savings in the stock market and other funds from which it is difficult to withdraw money. The greedy Republicans have been watching those funds grow for years and years. For them it was like fattening up a calf for the slaughter. Now, they have stolen what we saved all our working lives. This is unforgivable. This is criminal. This is greed at its ugliest.

Over the coming years, you will see the total destruction of the middle class. The middle class exists because parents work hard, save and pass what they don't use during their lives on to their children either in the form of education or in actual cash. When senior citizens' savings and pension funds are stolen, they have nothing to leave their children. Have fun kids.

Travel to China while you can. And while there, take notes on how the poor in China survive. That's you in 20 years.

[Atman]

5. It's another brilliant GOP ruse...it's a way to break the unions who supported Obama

Seriously, I did a lot of work for unions telling their members to vote for Obama. He owes the unions big-time, and now he's being forced to choose -- them or their employers.

I don't doubt that GM is in trouble, that's obvious. But the opportunists who are still making millions of dollars in salaries will use the BushCo Golden Goose Department as a way to finally rid themselves of those pesky unions.

It's all working out according to Bush's plan. The country is totally broke (and broken) and they're well on their way to eliminating Social Security and Medicare (actually, forcing Obama to do what Bush was unable to do through legislation).

It's all working out according to plan.

.

[azurnoir]

7. The cure for Social Security is easy

make everyone pay Social Security taxs on 100% of their earned income, currently taxes are only payed on the first $110,000 after that it's free and clear. So if you earn $60,000 a year you pay on 100% of your income but if you earn $160,000 then $50,000 is not taxed.

[azurnoir]

6. The Republican union busting

has been going on since the day "St. Ronnie" took office, it was a major part of his economic pkan. What makes no sense is that if people are not payed a livable wage who the hell is going to buy the stuff they manufacture?:crazy:

I have read again and again how the reason jobs go to India ect is that those workers are grateful and do not demand health insurance what they do not say is that they already have it via their government.

[HeraldSquare212]

8. A race to the bottom in wages won't bring the economy back.

At least Fordism - the idea that you pay your workers enough so they can afford to buy your products - is still alive in the auto industry. If everyone were making $7.50 an hour, who would companies sell their wares to?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. The Management Is Primarily Responsible, The Union Is Partially Responsible.

No doubt that the constraints and costs of the union have absolutely contributed to their bottom line. But the missteps of management and their piss poor business plan are far more to blame.

[leftofthedial]

10. corporate media? blaming unions?

are you sure?

[endarkenment]

11. Of course. The damn unions forced them to make Stupid Ugly Vehicles

and base their entire business model on selling boatloads of SUVs. The damn unions would not let the poor car companies invest in and develop fuel efficient vehicles or develop a business model around the sale of such vehicles. Damn unions.

[tjwash]

12. Give the bailout...but fire the execs and CEO's who steered the company into a reef.

Fuck them and their flawed perception of the market.

They could have led the whole world in new hybrid and battery tech 10 years ago, but instead went least common denominator, and every one of the US car companies are now being caught flat footed with most of their lineup being guzzlers.

And how the hell were Americans so stupid, that we en-masse got convinced that we NEEDED tons of humongous suv's with belchfire v8 supercharged engines and mileage be damned?

And the the volt won't save them now either. They should have had the Volt up and to market 5 years ago, before Toyota beat them to the punch. They had the Volt 10 years ago, when it was called the EV1 and the fucking execs killed it.

Ah...who am I kidding. Of course they will get their bailout, of course there will be a hundred million in executive bonuses and golden parachutes built into it, and of course pelosi, reid, and half of DU will rabidly cheer it on.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. The unions and the auto makers worked hand in hand for 50 years

while both parties made great progress and profit.

Then suddenly in the late '70s the unions were breaking the backs of the big three. The timing of this perceived burden coincided perfectly with the corporations desire to seek lower wage workers overseas.

What a coincidence.