Is the auto bailout really about saving jobs?

[nichomachus]

In all the the other bailouts, the CEOs and their pals have pocketed the money and screwed the workers. Citi took bailout money, used it to buy up more banks, took a couple of lavish junkets, spend some on executive bonuses, and then fired 75,000 people.

If the auto bailout really is about "saving jobs" (and I do believe a lot of jobs are at stake), then require that 65 percent of the board of directors of any bailed-out company be representatives from the unions -- immediately.

That way we'll make sure we're really saving jobs and not financing a new yacht for some corporate executive.

[Demobrat]

1. Yes, it's about saving jobs.

The question is whose? I haven't seen one scenario yet that doesn't involve massive layoffs of hourly workers. If we do a bailout the execs stay employed - if the companies are allowed to fail the execs go down with everybody else.

[Atman]

4. Except that the execs won't actually go down "like everybody else."

The float softly to earth attached to gossamer parachutes, carrying backpacks full of lots and lots of cold hard cash...and they'll land oh-so-softly of more piles of cold hard cash. They'll probably be able to stick it out without resorting to 9-Lives casserole for a while.

Their employees, the line workers, though...they'll just be fucked over.

It's all about breaking up the unions. Michigan doesn't vote GOP, so the GOP has nothing to offer Michigan. They want the plants shuttered and moved to the southern, Red, right-to-work states.

.

[DJ13]

2. The Big 3 Are looking for LOANS not a bailout

Its not the same thing as giving the banks money for nothing.

[Idealism]

3. Its a good idea, but it won't get done

These people are so far removed from reality they rather run their companies into the ground than to help the workers. Only problem is not giving the corporations they represent money will doom the workers aswell. Only answer I see is to remove middle and upper tier management, then you may be able to get union workers embedded on the board of directors. Otherwise, the management will block any attempt at letting the workers have a say in the direction, as they blocked them in the past.