Comments on: UAW strikes a Chevrolet Malibu plant

By: injunraiv

injunraiv — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:48:05 +0000

…and now this all makes sense to me. In the latest automotive news there is an idea afloat that the UAW is trying to force GM to get involved in the AA strike by firing off all these local strikes. GM apparently has the opportunity to absorb some union jobs and offer buy out bonuses to AA employees, and they aren’t biting.

By: injunraiv

injunraiv — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:18:36 +0000

xyunya, I understand that lots of people and american companies make money when a foreign manufacturer builed a plant here. I get that. It is MUCH better than a completely foreign built vehicle being sold here. But to say that a foreign owned make is just as good as a domestic owned make (economically) because they assemble it here (out of foreign sourced parts) is ludicrous. And the flip side of that is the domestics sourcing their parts from other countries – that’s just as bad for us.

None of us is perfect. We do what we have to do. But each trip to Wal-mart to buy that pack of underwear is undermining the US economy.

You are right – some of the money comes back to investors here in the US. SOME of it. Eventually there is a net dollar loss.

By: sharpie

sharpie — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:38:27 +0000

I agree that the use of Union has been abused, but I do have teacher friends who are union and I don’t think they are lazy. One teacher who has to deal with 25-30 kids for 8 hours is reason enough to go insane. Many teachers also has to obtain college degree plus certification, and school district has their own report cards to keep up with. I wouldn’t jump to conclusion about teachers’ unions, yet.

The UAW, on the other hand . . . how many more strikes do we need to see??? You negotiate contracts with Ford, GM, Chrysler then you decide that it’s no good, disregard it and you strike. If this is a straight contract case, you’ll lose in court, but no somehow we need to guarantee $28 / hr and if not, they will just keep striking when they want. The meaning of collective in collective bargaining is lost. It’s not just a bunch of worker bind together to form a bigger voice. When they make decision, they make it together. How the national UAW brokered a deal, yet the locals can refuse to sign on is beyond me.

From an economic standpoint, when you strike, you are being unproductive because you as human resources is not of no use to the society. In another word, you are a dragnet on the economy. If you want to sink to the bottom, don’t drag other people down with you.

By: AxeHead

AxeHead — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:06:07 +0000

Unions are productivity and effeciency sucking parasites. I know, I used to work for one. All I did was try to stay awake and pretend I was busy, a miserable exerience. Death to all unions including public service, automotive, teachers – especially teachers cause they are affecting your kids.

By: FordTaurusForever

FordTaurusForever — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:23:44 +0000

That’s ok you can just take my Malibu right off the assembly line strike or no strike and to er in the clapper and crunch her right up. I would’nt touch a Chevy anyway. Too arrogant and too stupid. Chevy Sucks

By: autonut

autonut — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:16:19 +0000

Just saw on the news: Malibu with 4 cylinders te most desired US manufactured car (can’t keep ‘em on the lot). Shareholders can not be pleased with management performance: it is their job to iron out labor disputes and have a smooth operating factory. What else they gonna build, Hummers?

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:02:32 +0000

fire them all and hire illegal mexicans

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:40:45 +0000

400, you’re totally irrelevant to the discussion, even as a UAW bolt-monkey. You know so little about anything, you’re a ****ing moron.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:27:45 +0000

ZZZZZZZZZ, good move GM management for not handling the local contracts in October and spinnig it on the Union, Clap Clap

By: beantownslut

beantownslut — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:39:38 +0000

Good!

By: hateful83

hateful83 — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:20:32 +0000

Maybe the UAW will be happy when they sink the ship completely and they’re all out of jobs. What a f****** joke.

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:57:20 +0000

injunraiv, before every single dollar leaves our country there are lot of dollars (billions) invested here. The Alabama Hyundai factory cost Hyundai 1.2 billion dollars. For that pile of cash they bought US cement, steel and labor to build factory and machinery with expertise to assemble all machinery. For each car Hyundai will use US produced steel, rubber and glass. It all will be outsourced to American suppliers. The workers who will work in the factory will be getting salaries which they will spend on goods in US. The profits from operations will go to investors, some of whom live in US. If I am an investor, is it immoral for me to purchase a company that is not registered in Delaware, but in Seoul or Tokyo? If I can own there shares, why shouldn’t I drive their cars? I don’t own any shares of Communist Party of China, but all my underwear is made there. Should I let my boys hang loose, ’cause I can’t find non-Chinese underwear?

By: injunraiv

injunraiv — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:45:25 +0000

xyunya: “most of cars from foreign manufacturers are build in US by US workers” That is an (incorrect) argument used by those looking make themselves feel better about buying a foreign auto. But even if some (and that’s far from ‘most’) of the cars are assembled (not built) here, every single dollar that leaves our country hurts our economy. EVERY SINGLE ONE. From foreign sourcing of parts and jobs by US companies to a car built in Japan and sold here, it’s all bad for us in the long run.

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:37:52 +0000

Scarface, success of US auto industry and UAW are not related. There are more cars and trucks made today in US then 20 years ago, yet membership in UAW is at all time low. Transplant auto companies are selling more vehicles then domestics labels and most of them building their products for US market right here. Since US build cars and trucks include Mexican and Canadian production facilities, it would be hard to prove who manufactures more vehicles: transplants or “native” brands. I would speculate that transplants manufacture more in US “proper” and without help from UAW.

By: G

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:22:38 +0000

hahahaha…

oh, god …
I’m sorry, but this article really gave me a good laugh. I’m not even sure why.

Whoever was talking about patriotism, wouldn’t it be the workers who are short on it?

“Ask not …”

By: RaineMan

RaineMan — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:46:23 +0000

Wow… holy shyte.

I guess these guys didn’t learn anything from the AA strike… did they?

Did I read this right? They are striking over job security? Get a brain boys… walking off the production floor isn’t going to make your job more secure. Duh.

By: Scarface03

Scarface03 — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:43:46 +0000

Clever Kalshnikov reference, xyunya.

I think it is sad that a successful model becomes a bargaining chip for a striking union. If the plant were building a dud, they’d be going on their merry way.

The success of the U.S. car industry is going to depend on all UAW unions realizing that these antics only hurt the long run. A national contract was signed, why is it so beneath Fairfax to sign it? What makes them so much better than the rest?

By: ScreamingTurbo

ScreamingTurbo — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:35:24 +0000

Almost seems if thier (hidden)agenda is to kill off the US auto industry. It’s already on life support. How much more of this crap can it take?

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:33:24 +0000

I don’t recall strikes in textile industry, but pants and shirts are NOT made in US. Actually, most of our goods are made in China. I guess Kalashnikov is a stronger incentive to work hard and skip suggestion box.

By: WEKS

WEKS — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:30:34 +0000

Another week, another UAW strike.

By: ScreamingTurbo

ScreamingTurbo — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:28:56 +0000

This is why American Companies flee to Mexico, India and other third-world hellholes.

By: MercMark

MercMark — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:28:46 +0000

I don’t think i want a car made by unhappy workers. I’ll probably skip the Malibu because of this strike.

By: lucklaster

lucklaster — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:25:03 +0000

Hey unions –
up yours.

By: howsmydriving

howsmydriving — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:16:25 +0000

It’s difficult to know which side to take in a labor dispute unless you’re in the inside.

By: 441Zuke

441Zuke — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:13:36 +0000

the days of unions are coming to an end, these people are opportunistic assh*les

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:08:29 +0000

Spingood Tanoya, good point.

By: Spingood Tanoya

Spingood Tanoya — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:01:12 +0000

I’d be less inclined to buy a car from a manufacturer whose assembly workers are ticked off at their employer. Nothing says quality like refusing to work.

By: xyunya

xyunya — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:59:59 +0000

Responsibility of every public company is it’s bottom line and shareholders value, why auto industry should be exempt? Patriotism has nothing to so with it: most of cars from foreign manufacturers are build in US by US workers. Which one o you could find US made shoes or pants? Assume pants are worn.

By: moto-racer13

moto-racer13 — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:55:08 +0000

who cares, american economy is going to **** anyways, its already **** compared to some countries. more and more domestics will be built in china. GM, ford chrysler, they don’t care about patriotism, they just care about their bottom line and they will build cars anywhere to meet that bottom line.

By: cookie4me

cookie4me — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:53:09 +0000

ToyHonDai are laughing their collective butts off at this fiasco. Not only does GM need to design a car that can compete with their models, they need to be able to build them too. Seniority rights and job security? I wonder how close the vote was too strike? If I had to guess it was probably pretty close.

By: injunraiv

injunraiv — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:40:41 +0000

I think the UAW needs to look at what the American Axle strike did to their jobs and think this through a little more…