Sorry to say, that I feel they should not and for several reasons.
First they are asking the workers to give up even more than they have in the past….in other words they are trying to blame the workers for the failure of the industry and so far the UAW is going along with it. Why? You may ask. The UAW is not working in the best interest of the workers and neither is the Congress.
The concern of the UAW is not the defense of its members’ jobs and living standards, but the continued existence of the union apparatus and the lucrative salaries and perks it provides for the union bureaucracy. Gettelfinger is well aware that the collapse of GM would spell the end of the UAW. That is why the union is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the companies afloat, including imposing poverty wages and conditions on its members.
The Senate hearing made clear that the government, the corporations and the UAW bureaucracy are using the threat of mass unemployment to blackmail autoworkers into accepting the destruction of all the gains won over generations of struggle. This reactionary operation will be the beginning of a new offensive against the working class as a whole.
Is there an answer? You bet your butt there is!
This entire framework of the so-called “bailout” must be rejected. The only way to defend the interests of autoworkers and the working class as a whole is through the nationalization of the auto industry and its transformation into a public utility democratically controlled by working people. This must be part of a social reorganization of the entire economy, including the banking system, to guarantee jobs and decent living standards for all.
The sad truth is that they will probably get their money and the workers will take it in the shorts again. The administrative people will get their golden parachutes and the workers will probably be lucky to get and 8-10 dollar take home pay per hour. and they will take it to survive to feed their families. To bad the local economy doesn’t take the same dip as their pay then maybe they can keep their home and eat, but it won’t. And just pray their families don’t get sick cause there won’t be any insurance either..nothing like going backwards 30 years, we only think we are a progressive nation.
Morning Sue and thanx for the comment…..You are right the economy does not take the hit that works do and that in return will effect their budgets. Workers seem to always pay the price in a recession….it is sad but so very true.
Lobotero–and Sue–great points. The UAW is a particularly greedy union. I’m all for unions, but the UAW’s administration hasn’t been FOR the workers in a very long time. The bailout will only keep money in the pockets of the UAW bureaucrats and the Big Three Execs. We need to restructure the entire American auto industry if we are to salvage it, but not just hand out checks to greedy executives and union officials.
we will have to see just what the bailout is all about…today is suppose to be the down payment.
I don’t believe that we should bail out the automakers, but supposedly there is to be “More oversight” in this bailout than the one for Wall St… Hmm… we shall see…
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/washington/08autos.html?_r=1&hp