UAW's Sacrifices Look to Some Like Surrender

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

UAW's Sacrifices Look to Some Like Surrender
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, December 20, 2008; Page A01

For decades after its founding in 1935, the United Auto Workers stood as a powerful model for the American labor movement, an influential organization that historians credit with uplifting living standards for all working Americans.

But with the announcement of the federal loan deal yesterday, the union found itself being forced into concessions that some described as tantamount to surrender.

The $17.4 billion federal loan agreement does keep the domestic auto industry alive. But the terms of that loan also insist that the wages and benefits for union workers be lowered to "competitive" the average of nonunion workers, specifically, those at the U.S. plants of Nissan, Toyota and Honda.

Those and other concessions would essentially erase the significant distinctions between union and nonunion auto workers, and the lack of such union worker advantages would render moot the union's fundamental purpose, some industry analysts and labor experts said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/19/AR2008121903856.html?hpid=topnews

[chucktaylor]

1. While I agree the UAW should make some concessions, I think the bigger point is

that the ENTIRE non-unionized executive, designer, white AND blue collar structure needs to make concessions also. Not just the top 3 or 5 people. Not just the corporate jets and a single $1 vanity salary. I mean a 20-50% salary cut, depending on salary and job.

I am tired of the worn out excuse "we have to meet the benchmark or the best and brightest will leave." Let them. Where are the going? What is their portfolio of work? The best and brightest brought these companies to the point they are today. My 2 kids could have bankrupt the car industry

Make an attractive car with an affordable method of locomotion, price it reasonably and people will buy it.

[madrchsod]

2. ford said wages are not the problem

why should the american worker work for a minimum living wage? why do we have to lower our standard of living so the foreign car assemblers in the usa can take their profits back home? toyota makes 50% of their profits from the us operations. why? the american worker gets paid less than the japanese worker or the euro worker.

who the hell is going to buy a 20+ thousand dollar auto on 14 an hour?...

[sarah FAILIN]

5. 14/hr is a fantastic wage for people around here

Maybe people that need more than that should adjust their expenses and downsize a few things instead of trying to force a higher wage. Ever hear the expression "the more you make, the more it takes"? People just needed to scale back earlier. Just because you see SOME people living in 4k sq ft houses and vacationing in Hi doesn't mean everyone can. The money always runs out sometime...

Heck, 10/hr is pretty good around here and you still wouldn't have to live on beans and rice.

[AndyTiedye]

6. Where is "Around Here"?

[electricD]

3. wage cuts

It's been already said on here that the wages of the UAW worker, being what they are, is NOT the problem. If their wage only makes up 8% to 10% of the cost on the automobile it doesn't make sense to any one that they should cut their wages. ESPECIALLY when their foreign counterparts are already working for less and the cars that they produce, cost AS MUCH, if not MORE than the union autoworkers are making.

Some one PLEASE tell me how this makes sense!!!!

Union workers across the board have been making concessions for years because our employers have told us that they can't compete with the non-union sector. It's not that they can't compete, it's that the non-union sector has never tried to "compete", in the fairer sense of the word. Non-union contractors, employers, etc. have lied, cheated, stolen, begged, borrowed, and exploited anything they could to make their employees work for substandard wages or use substandard materials so that they could cut a corner here or there and make their "big bucks."

The ONLY thing that makes sense is for the UAW to keep their wage benefits package, tell the CEO's to shove it and make the non-union companies bring their wages up comparable to theirs.

fraternally
electricD
IBEW L.U. 474

[Omaha Steve]

4. Take the loan

Wait for President Obama to CHANGE the terms. Smart.