How about a small reality check?
GM is sucking hind tit, Chrysler is whining and selling off assets, Ford has hit bottom and now I hear from various circles that it is labor’s fault that the auto industry is crashing. The Unions and the workers negotiated and got higher pay, better benefits, etc. Afterwards, the companies whined that they could not afford the increases. Now that the slowdown has hit the industry it is costing jobs and such. Now all the gains that labor has made in the past has come back to bite them in the butt and makes them the obvious scapegoat for the industry’s problems.
First of all, let me lead with this statement—What a crock of crap! The auto industry is crapping out because of the decisions made by management, not the workers. These CEOs, COOs, CFOs, all knew what was happening in the economy and what trends were on the horizon. The workers did not design the cars or make the decision on what models were to be produced. The workers did not decide what bad investments to make.
Management teams were chosen on the promises of an increase of dividends to investors. In return these teams made millions even if they put the company in a bad light. If these teams were caught flat footed by the situation, then I say that they are not worth the millions they are receiving as compensation. Workers did not make these horrible decisions. The workers did not set out to destroy the auto industry.
Please stop blaming labor for the auto industry putting itself into the crapper. To blame labor and unions for any of the economic woes of the auto industry in this country is just plain—let me spell it out for you—S-T-U-P-I-D!
Well, the unions played a big role in bringing about the current woes. Yes, management and Congress had a big hand – both the unions and management were trying to ‘capture’ the most money for themselves in the present tense, Congress was catering to their constituencies….see http://viewfromtheground.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/no-bailout-for-the-auto-industry/
Hi P Rao and welcome–Unions have been giving back for years—management has continued to mismanage, make crappy decision and survive on greed. They lay off middle management but how many of the upper management have suffered with pay decreases. I say give them the money but with major stipulations like smaller lighter cars, alt energy cars, improved mpg and fire ALL upper management that have been inplace for 5 or more years.