Comments on: UAW strike at American Axle losing momentum

By: wetstuff

wetstuff — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:24:38 +0000

What’s the difference between Pittsburgh and Detroit? …the Steelworkers forced the ancients running Big Steel out of business two decades before the UAW will force the ancients in Detroit to do the same.

By: Buhbye

Buhbye — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:20:28 +0000

Everyone doesn’t have a job that repeats in the UAW. A third of the people are in skilled trades, and they had to take classes and pass tests to reach their pay level, about 20% more per hour. Some in this group are highly skilled and have graduated from college also. They can work anywhere with a well-written resume. The semi-skilled or unskilled workers are the ones who are in trouble. They should settle for less than $20/hour.

By: Jazz

Jazz — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:50:39 +0000

“General Motors Corp., the world’s largest automaker, said April 28 it’s reducing production of large pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles this year at four plants in the U.S. and Canada because of slowing sales. The plan affects 3,550 workers. ” — Bloomberg.com

That number is really close to the number quoted in this article.

By: HemiRoadRunner

HemiRoadRunner — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:56:00 +0000

Why do people care what my opinion is anyway? These guys seem overpaid for what they do, most people agree. I don’t think all of them are over paid though. Some of these guys do have relatively tough, physical jobs. Unions have practically destroyed the union workers hope of keeping a good paying job LONGTERM. I am not for the unions that complain about total BS. But, the company AGREED to pay these guys those wages. I will say they need to give and take when times are tough, both the union workers AND the CEO’s of these companies. I damn well know the CEO’s aren’t taking a cut AND when things get better, they will get a MUCH bigger reward than the workers. I agree it seems teachers, paramedics, cops, nurses etc. are a much more important job, nobody even a union worker can disagree there. Some of those are even more dangerous jobs, so how do we figure the pay, by the toughness of the job? If that’s the case, why are CEO’s, lawyers, politicians, Hollyweird “stars” and the list continues, making EONS more than a bunch of regular guys supporting their families. I want the unions to stop complaining about the BS small stuff, like that “it’s not my job attitude”. But the guys that run the company have to abide by the same rules.

By: HemiRoadRunner

HemiRoadRunner — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:30:13 +0000

The guy above this summed up what I’ve been trying to say the whole time. And johnnycannuck said 100% what the problem is. Why does the guy that hooks up and routes wiring harnesses and the guy that has to get under the dash all hour get paid the same as the guy that puts the emblems or stickers on the car? And I have been to a union plant, not all of them are lazy. BUT alot of them are. When there is a big pile of $H!T building up around your work area and you do nothing to keep it clean and straightened because “it’s not my job”, even though it’s YOUR work area, then you are a lazy mofo.

By: sharpie

sharpie — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:09:59 +0000

I have been there, and it’s in DEARBORN, considered a suburb of Detroit. Anyway, it does make you appreciate their work, but not enough to justify $28/ hour when computer techs, nurses, paralegals, teachers just to name a few get paid much less. It’s all relative, and why not let the market finds its equilibrium with regards to wage? Union WAS a good idea for workers to have a voice, but the representation has been abused. We are finding out that in a Global economy, companies like GM and Ford aren’t too large to fall. Something around $20 / hour is probably more reasonable.

By: wreckchaser

wreckchaser — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:21:55 +0000

If anyone here has the opportunity to visit the Detroit area, Ford has public tours of the Rouge Factory, part of the Henry Ford Museum. You get to see assembly, but not construction or paint. It is very impressive. It also gives one an appreciation for how vehicles are assembled. You are on a catwalk above the lines and you can watch the same worker do the same thing over and over if you want. You can watch the different stations, and judge if they should be making $28 or $whatever UAW employees are getting now.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:51:45 +0000

^ Wrong dumbass.

By: carstuff

carstuff — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:23:11 +0000

Nobody on the line is crawling under dashboards to install parts. No way would the UAW rules not common manufacturing sense allow this.

IP’s are built off line and then installed by a robot into the vehicle or at the least an arm fixture guides the IP in.

By: autonut

autonut — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:01:02 +0000

HemiRoadRunner, what are trying to say? I am not Hemingway, and I am not criticizing style and grammar, but are for UAW, against it or just plain angry?

As I see it this is horrible news for union people, not only those who will loose paycheck, but those who retired. Unions always subsidized retired members SS pension and medical benefits. Once factory close the union will go bankrupt. IN a small union town it is whole family working in the union (and it is usually not that easy to join one). Those towns can become ghost towns in a few years.

US economy is resilient and will work itself through. People will have to learn new skills, which is tough after certain age and maybe impossible if you are around 50. But such as life and it is the same for all of us. Bankers on Wall street go through it same way as UAW guys on Mains St.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:54:50 +0000

And therein lies the problem HemiR: they pay the guys that mop the floors the same as the guys who connect complex wiring harnesses.

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:18:10 +0000

See what you’ve caused, UAW?!? Now they’re closing their plants…happy now? Frigging idiots!

By: HemiRoadRunner

HemiRoadRunner — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:06:22 +0000

You know what, 28 an hour, if that’s straight cash pay, does seem like alot. And id does seem the UAW bitches and gripes and moans alot. I’m sure the easy jobs on these assembly lines are absolute bull**** for $28 an hour. But, I would hate to have to crawl in the floorboard of a car and stick my head under a damn dash 50-60 times an hour. I get tired of these guys bitching and they need to calm their asses down. But that’s what they make, how would everyone else that has a non-physical job like to lose 30% of their pay. I think the unions suck, but I think sometimes they bitch for a good reason, even though it’s stupid to do now with work right over the border and a slowing ass economy. But still, who WOULDN’T bitch about a 30% reuction in pay, if you have one of the tougher jobs? I’m sure some asshole will take this the wrong way and start talking ****, so let it fly ****er.

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:55:57 +0000

One stupid union story and 400SS shows up spouting his usual garbage. Hi again stupid, how has your dumb ass been these days? Fag.

By: lucklaster

lucklaster — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:51:36 +0000

The unions have lobbied and picketed their way out of more jobs than any group in history.
Good ideas and leaders, Huh?

By: gizmo2

gizmo2 — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:49:13 +0000

There was a time and place for Unions, the time has passed. It’s a global market and we can keep fooling our self but we have to compete logically with labor rates locally and internationally. Despite all the automotive facilities in Detroit none of the foreign auto companies will touch Detroit because of the STUPID UAW and they almost killed what was here (The big 3). None college graduates want to make $70 per hr and go to Wal Mart and buy cheap goods from China manufactured at a rate of about $2 per hr. Keep Dreaming.

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:42:56 +0000

I do have to feel for all the famalies affected by this. It’s not their fault that the UAW has done what it has. Taking a $10/hr paycut isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time… and a lot of people are going to be in big-time trouble because of it.

By: lucklaster

lucklaster — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:42:14 +0000

The buzzards are all over the unions. The US will survive the downfall of unions, hell – it will rejoice. Those same folks can then apply for their jobs back at a realistic salary and benefits package, like everyone else.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:10:51 +0000

^they’d be out of work regardless.

By: golf4me

golf4me — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:39:50 +0000

I just love it. This should be a big wake up call to the UAW, if nothing else. Jeez, here’s a guy who bought plants that would otherwise have been closed, and genuinely tried to keep jobs in the rust belt, but he gets slapped in the face for doing so. I hope he is pissed off enough to move whatever he needs to move to Mexico to meet whatever demand he’ll need for 2009. I think it would be an irony of biblical proportions if all the strikers’ jobs were simply eliminated because no one wants to deal with the UAW anymore. I hope one of the Big 2 will strategize in such a way that when the next contract is up, they can simply move production away…

I just got back from Maui where the headline of the day was that the failed Aloha airline’s freight division, which has 85% of the profitable inter-island freight market shut down because the sale of that division failed. The potential buyers cited that they did not want to deal with the Union…now everyone is out of work.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:31:12 +0000

Look above America, at the buzzards circling.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:24:17 +0000

Look up above, UAW, at the buzzards circling.