" immediately cutting UAW wages to those at foreign automakers' plants"

[Truth Teller]

...

Shelby, Vitter and other Republicans said an alternative from Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., would be brought to the floor. Corker has said automakers and the UAW need to commit to steep cuts in return for aid, namely immediately cutting UAW wages to those at foreign automakers' plants and accepting half of the money for the retiree health care trust fund in stock.

....

http://www.freep.com/article/20081210/BUSINESS01/81210043

Well, they aren't making any bones about their union busting.

[DJ13]

1. And here I keep reading that Republicans dont want to allow judges to modify mortgages

........because they believe in the sanctity of contracts.

Uh, isnt an agreement between the UAW and the automakers a contract?

[hogwyld]

2. The unions need to do a much better job

of dispelling that $70 per hour myth. Had a big discussion with my father about that, and he was a CWA member many years ago. Until people understand the autoworkers side, they'll always be the target of petty jealousy.

[amborin]

35. huge NY Times article dispelled it yesterday, Wednesday, front page

[hobbit709]

3. When are these clowns be willing to cut their pay and benefits?

Let's cut the Senators pay to minimum wage, no pension plan and the same healthcare the average worker in this country gets. You'll be able to hear them howling on the far side of Jupiter.

[Mike 03]

4. It's not fair, but this is exactly what happened to airline pilots when the

major airlines were practically destroyed through inept, incompetent management and had to go through the bankruptcy and restructure process.

[Joanne98]

5. Why do they hate America? They should MOVE TO JAPAN!

[jayfish]

7. Sounds Like A Little "Class Warfare" Thrown...

in there for good measure too. I guess CW is only bad when it everyone else v. the top %5. :shrug:

Jay

[Joanne98]

11. They are already waging class warfare. I'm just fighting back!

[Mnemosyne]

21. Go Joanne!

:woohoo:

[jayfish]

31. I Think Yoiu Misread My Post.

What I'm saying is that they are using one of the things they claim to despise (class warfare)against middle-class workers. I'm saying they are being hypocritical because, to them, it's only "class-warfare" if the middle-class complain about the entitlement of the rich.

Jay

[Blue_Tires]

6. funny....

Shelby has Mercedes-Benz in his state, and Corker has Nissan headquarters in his...makes me wonder who is pulling the strings...

[blondeatlast]

8. So NOW they want to do what the Japanese carmakers do?

That party ended a DECADE ago, assholes.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. I think it's getting time to reduce the 'salary and benefits' of those serving in the US Senate to

$25K a year.

[aquart]

12. Let's be generous. $20 an hour but they punch a timeclock.

And they have to punch out and in for lunch.

[SmileyRose]

27. and forced into disability retirement at 50 with no medical benefits or pension

[Joanne98]

13. GOOD IDEA!

[Mike 03]

10. That's ridiculous. They should leave the workers' wages alone and concentrate on the total

incompetence of upper management, the ludicrous balance sheets, the unfixable debt that they've accumulated over the past thirty years, and their inability to compete.

There are very good reasons for denying the "Big Three" a bailout, but the wages of the UAW is at the bottom of the list. Incredible and overt example of shameless scapegoating.

The more I think about this, the angrier I get.

[Kalyke]

15. Inability to compete??

I guess you didn't read this information which dispells that rumor. Ford and Chevy are 1 and 2 on the most-bought lists:

November 2008

1. Ford F-series
2. Chevrolet Silverado
3. Toyota Camry
4. Toyota Corolla/Matrix
5. Honda Civic
6. Honda Accord
7. Dodge Ram
8. Chevrolet Impala
9. Honda CR-V
10. Nissan Altima

BTW, ALL car sales are down:

(all figures compare November 2008 sales with November 2007)
Chrysler -47%
GM -41%
Ford -31%
Toyota -34%
Nissan -42%
Honda -32%
Mazda -31%
Hyundai/Kia -39%
Volkswagen Group -22%
BMW Group (including Mini) -27%
Mercedes-Benz (including Smart) -30%

And, laughingly enough, DU's most beloved Prius is TANKING from last year:

Toyota Prius -48% (the gold standard stumbles)
Toyota Corolla/Matrix -13%
Toyota Yaris -17%
Scion (all) -45%
Honda Civic -30%
Honda Fit -8%
VW Rabbit -44%
Nissan Versa -18%
Nissan Sentra -39%
Ford Focus -38%
Chevrolet Aveo -36%
Chevrolet Cobalt -54%
Pontiac Vibe -14%
Kia Spectra -33%
Hyundai Accent -11%

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0812_2008_november_auto_sales/index.html


Maybe some of us here who don't know much about automobiles shouldn't be making assumptions about the American public's auto buying habits.

[Selatius]

19. Unfortunately, the top ten list of yours has 6 foreign models on there.

Benjamin Disraeli once said that there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. He said it for a reason. Namely, it can be viewed in both directions. As far as the Prius goes, nobody made it the "gold standard." It is an expensive vehicle, especially in light of Toyota's other vehicles like the Corolla or the Yaris.

[NNN0LHI]

14. People have died fighting to get these benefits

And the Rethugs say just give it all back and we will help you then.

Don

[gizmo1979]

16. If they go bankrupt the

government will owe the entire amount of the retiree's benefits,and I also believe all the warranties still in effect on all those cars.

[Better Believe It]

17. So Democrats Are Joining With Republicans To Destroy The Auto Industry ....

and the auto workers union?

From the lead article:

"Such delays in the Senate could take several days to resolve, with backers of the rescue needing 60 votes to succeed, including up to 20 Republicans. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he believed the bill has "less than a handful of votes" among Republicans."

Ya need 51 votes to pass or 60 to break a filibuster. Let the opposition filibuster until Christmas. Bet they won't hold out nearly that long. The Senators want to go home for Christmas.

[Dragonfli]

25. Unfortunately that won't work because of the "virtual" filibuster that Reid favors

Just say the word filibuster and it's as good as staying at the podium for months if necessary. It would be impolite to expect them to "actually" filibuster I guess.

Harry is such a nice guy, so thoughtful of others.

[ogneopasno]

18. Yes, absolutely, let's cut everything to the lowest common denominator, because that's what we want

America to be all about. Not lifting everyone up.

FUCK YOU ALL, Southern union-busting scabby Republicans. FUCK YOU ALL.

[DonCoquixote]

20. Here's a deal

So GOP, ya wanna pay our workers like Japanese and European workers, ok, BUT, build the same single-payer health system like Japanese and Europeans enjoy, which will relieve Detorit of those benefits. Somehow, I do not think you will take that bait.

[mopinko]

22. shocked, i am shocked i tell you.

jesus. what planet is this, anyway?

[pnorman]

23. Here's where it's all heading:

"Until we get real wage levels down much closer to the Brazils and Koreas, we cannot pass along productivity gains to workers wages and still be competitive" --- (Stanley J. Mihelick, EVP Goodyear Inc. NYT, June 4, 1997)

http://tinyurl.com/3j2o45

pnorman

[craz3z]

24. So why is it...

...a mistake to raise the taxes of the rich during a recession but a good idea to cut the wages of middle class workers?

[Skittles]

26. sayeth Shelby, while he sucks of the government teat

he can fuck himself

[JCMach1]

28. Why don't the unions just buy the companies outright?

They certainly have enough money to do so these days.

[Waiting For Everyman]

29. Only after the top management and lawyers take a haircut first.

That's the really unnecessary overhead, not the workers. The lobbying budget needs to go too. After that, they can pare down the media costs. See what the bottom line looks like then.

[DainBramaged]

30. I say this in my sig line I'll say it again here

If our 'friends' in the House and especially the Senate, who WITHOUT the help of Unions, would not be in the position they will be in next year, expect support from Unions in 2010 and 2012, they NEED to step up to the plate. As for the Rethugs opposing us, if I have to MOVE to help defeat any one of them in 2010 or 2012, I will. They will be our number one targets to defeat.


'Nuff said.

[kentuck]

32. Screw them !

Tell the workers at GM to hang on for about 6 more weeks and we will have a new President and we will find a way out of this mess.

[bunnies]

33. Sounds like they want UAW to strike...

so they can blame the downfall of the big 3 on the workers.

[Nikki Stone1]

41. That's a thought.

Kick

[amborin]

34. Ghaslty, those two are so vile! Heard them on NPR yesterday, uncontested

this is all about busting the UAW

[Romulox]

36. How many Democrats will join them in their union busting efforts, I wonder? nt

[blue_onyx]

37. I wonder about that too

I hope there's a vote soon. If the bill is going to fail, then it's going to fail. There's suppose to be "debate" but I think everyone's minds are already made up. I want there to be a vote so everyone knows who supports unions and millions of American jobs and who doesn't.

[Romulox]

38. Mark my words: Reid will try to avoid a vote so that Dems don't have to go on the record as opposed

[blue_onyx]

40. Wouldn't surprise me one bit

Pelosi and Reid never take a stand on anything. They'll only support something it there is a "bipartisan agreement." They both need to be replaced ASAP.

[amborin]

45. NY Times today talked about some dems who oppose

[Romulox]

39. If you have more wages, education or teeth than an Alabaman, you're OVERPAID!!!

:sarcasm:

[amborin]

42. many Alabama auto workers get under $14 an hour, produce junk, Nissans are total junk, for example

it's a right to work state, like most southern states

busting unions is their strong point

look how Nissan used illegal tactics to prevent the UAW from organizing the Symrna, Tennessee plant

[NashVegas]

43. Of Course, The Funny Thing Is,

If Detroit did what Corker is asking, thousands and thousands of jobs would leave Tennessee.

[amborin]

44. you're right, they only went there to avoid the union

[NashVegas]

46. Poison Pill

There's no way in hell Corker would actually want this.

Tennessee benefits from being a right-to-work state where auto-makers can pay just enough to let auto-workers think they're "doing good." If Detroit complied with his demand, either those jobs would disappear from Tennessee, or his state would have to give up even more tax incentives.

It's a bluff.