Maggie's Notebook
How sad that the UAW which started with the idea of giving workers a decent salary and benefits has decended into the abyss of cronism and greed.
That's what this shows. True greed.
If the union doesn't give concessions and work with the industry, all the jobs will be gone. Not just a few. That is what they are facing.
I've got family that are both retired and current UAW at Ford. My cousin looks forward to being laid off because he actually makes money during a lay-off. He'll get 95% of his pay and since he doesn't have to drive over 40 miles one-way to work, he saves a lot of money in gas in his F-150 4X4.
Unfortunately the auto workers don't realize their union may be there downfall. Maybe they need to look at Toyota and see how their workers are doing just as good but without a union.
Excellent article Maggie! You are right. Today the left is blaming the "rich Republicans" for not understanding the plight of the poor union covered auto worker.
BobF, I see this around the web. The UAW members are very defensive, and of course, they are defending their future. I can't say I blame them, and I do feel bad for those retirees who may face their pensions being drastically cut. From what I'm reading the Union has the money to make up the deficits in the retirement plan but won't do so.
Thanks, Bob - good to see you again.
Katie, I think the time of the Union is past us. It's outdated and removes all incentive (which may be the reason it is so hard fought for).
Cutting down on models would be a good place to start, in my opinion. I read that GM has 7,000 dealerships and Toyota only 1500.
FautlineUSA: yes, the rich get the blame. These union workers need to live in the real world.
Isn't it funny that GM cars are gas guzzlers and foreign cars aren't. If you want to stay competative in today's market, then you have to give the consumer what THEY want. And they want more fuel efficient cars, flex fuel cars and hybrids. Bye bye big cars.
Wow Maggie, what disinformation you spew. Is the jobs bank abused, YES, does it need to go, YES, do you know that Toyota has one as well, UH OH, you didnt know that did you Maggie. Did you know Maggie that we make $28 Hr, with benefits ($15hr) included $43 an hour, the $60-$70 figure comes if you add up all retiree benefits and pensions and all benefits and pensions paid to dead retiree spouses then divide it by all active workers, I hardly make $60 an hour. Its December and I have grossed $46875.89 imagine that, i bet you thought we all made $200,000.00 a year. Get your facts straight! Follow this link to read about Toyota's "Jobs Bank"
http://www.workforce.com/section...le/25/71/
62.php
UAW WOrker: Did you read the article? I specifically pointed out that The Big Three workers make the same hourly wage when benefits are not included.
The point is, Toyota is not asking for a bailout. I am all for everyone making as much per hour as possible, as long as the company is solvent.
If your CEO wants to tell us that they are crucial to the American way of life and must survive, then take seriously ridiculous Union demands.
Do what it takes to be profitable.
I did read your article, and I specifially ponted out that Big 3 and Toyota workers make almost exactly the same WITH benefits. $40hr Toyota, $43hr UAW. You cant just pile on numbers and say that we make $70 hr because the company has an obligation to pay retirees. Thats GM's fault. Its the unions job to get the most possible from a company, and unfortunately they did an extremly good job at it. Ive been at GM for 4 years, I dont agree with everything the union does, I knew when I started that things were going to have to change. But I get sick and tired of reading article after article saying we make $70 an hour. GM tells us all the time that we need to be more like Toyota in our production models, but strangely enough Rick Waggoner makes more money a year than the top 10 Toyota executives combined. People keep saying we need to adjust our pay to be on par with them, well it already is. They need to figure out what to do with the legacy costs, GM has over 600,000 retirees that are bleeding the company dry. With health care costs at an all time high, its easy to see where the problem lies, Its just sad that everone tries to blame the current workers for things that have been written in stone for years and there is nothing we can do to change it.
I cant believe I actually missed the part about the forklift driver who makes 100k a year. Im going to try and help you Maggie get all your facts together, OK.
First, he makes $28hr. x 2080hrs in a work year = $58240.00, WOW, we're a long way off from 103,000.00. He must have put in overtime. Lets see Maggie, at $42hr for time and a half, it would take roughly 1050 hours of overtime to make that kind of money. Jeez, that comes out to 21 hours a week of overtime. So this guy, of whom you lambast for making over 100,000.00 a year, actually works 12 hours a day, 5 days a week every week of the year. I wonder if you put in that many hours at your job. I mean, I have 3 young children, if I worked 12 hours a day I would never see them. Some people might even call that making a sacrifice, but not you , because you've got it all figured out. At least you think you do.
UAW is not the only organization to try to keep employees and jobs. The federal government with the blessing of what could be considered management (Congress) has various similar programs. The Dept of Death (oops Defense) has a stopper list and many civilian agencies have CTAP. So, your tax dollars support similar programs. So If you get laid off, you reapply and move to the top of the list. Some job announcements even specify that only CTAP employees can apply. When was the last time your company did that all for you after getting pink slipped? Nobody's complaining about this program.
Ok here we go, you all are idiots, first it is not a bailout it is a LOAN and we are in the realworld, these are benefits we have earned over the years while the big three have made millions and millions...I have been laid off more than i have worked in 2008 and I am again laid off to start the new year.it all sounds great we get paid to stay home or paid to go to work and do nothing. Me and wife wife struggle everyday to stay afloat one day i am working the next laid off then a week later working again then laid off the following week then month later working again..so realworld you have no idea when you are going to get paid or by who...SO it is not all that simple..and who the hell does the goverment think they are saying we make to much money and have to many perks..I think they need to look at themselves. everyone acts like we make a million dollars a year...guess what we don't....
Brent, sounds to me like you need to move on to a another industry. Just understand that those of us who have had to find another way - that is a job we can keep, no matter what, just keep on keepin on without those benefits. There are many who are struggling, and they are not getting paid for a Jobs bank.
I agree. Who does the government think they are - telling your industry anything? I'd be even more passionate about it if your industry wasn't asking for a bailout, and yes it is a bailout. None of us know if it will be paid back.
Get after your union leaders and your CEO's if you don't like it, but don't let us wake up one morning and find out that your industry has been so irresponsible that they are broke and will probably shutdown within a couple of months if they don't get what they want.
You won't find any sympathy here.
wow where to start...Get your facts straight it is in deed a loan...and face the facts if the big three were to go broke it would cost the goverment 3 billion dollars a month in unemployment...not to mention 750,000 jobs lost...look it is in everyone best interest that they give us a loan....and i am not looking for symphathy I am just saying we struggle just like everyone else...don't try to take away what i was told i was going to get in my contract. well i guess some people will just always be jealous of us auto workers. Becasue we make so much money...lol...you think the economy is bad now let them cut our wages let them get rid of the jobs bank...we will see what happens then...and for your information there is something you need to know they are getting rid of the jobs banks kind of they are going to call it something else "protective status" we will no longer get to report to work and get a 40 hour pay check and do nothing they are going to force us to stay home and give us 85% of our gross to stay home....it is a tough life to live...and by the way in the meantime we can also get another job while they pay us....so please stop being jealous and be a american and support your auto workers..
god bless the auto workers, we need a prayer or two....
No jealousy here. Brent your comments are acidic. You say you want no sympathy. Well, you probably won't get much by putting the onous on everyone else. No, I'm not jealous of your jobs bank or your "protected status."
The deception of this industry is incredible.
I have prayed for the industry and the workers. It's not the workers I blame, it's the poor, poor management. Now the world knows. We didn't before.
Stop blaming everyone else. My prayers have continued.
you blame the unions it is not the unions to blame you are right it is the poor mangement, we have earned what we have coming to us, but we are the first people that gets stuff taken away from us like wages, job security....Look I would work for a dollar a year also if I have aleady made millions and millions from g.m like management has. I just get sick of people acting like we make the millions and to be truthful with our benefits we do not make anywhere near 65 to 75 dollars a hour...if that is the case the want to shed 20 dollars a hour off our salary in that case please pay me 55 dollars a hour and i will get my own benefits... and I am not blaming everyone else just the people who think I somehow should lose what i have coming to me...because I am a honest hard worker..that expects my company to follow through on what they promised and not have a shady ass goverment say I make to much...
What about union leadership? They are part of management. Everyone has to run a company that has an opportunity to have sufficient funds left in the bank to keep the business running.
I DO NOT believe you should lose what is coming to you or what has been promised, but honestly, what happens with other companies when they cannot take care of obligations? The answer: the workers lose, the share holders lose and most never have the opportunity to ask the taxpayers to pay for it.
I know you think it's a loan. Well, other do not have a chance for that same loan from the government.
Brent, "the government" would not be saying what you should make if your company wasn't asking for millions.
I want the government out of essentially everything except providing homeland security and national road. I do not want them to have a say in your salary. It appears that to keep them out of your business you must keep government money out of your bank account.
It's a terrible situation, and really, the unions have enough money to help - they could put money back into the company and get past this, or at least get past much of it.
I sympathize with you. I really do sympathize with the workers. I still do not think the bailout is the right thing to do, but it's getting done anyway.
well I guess i can agree and disagree. the union should step up they have a billion dollars themselves they made 50 million in interest last year, hear is my lovely idea there is 300,000 or so u.a.w workers so offer us a million dollar buyout and you still have 700,000 dollars left and hire all new workers at 12 dollars a hour and we all win, no goverment loan, the workers win and G.M wins they get what they want cheap labor...
Brent, now that's a plan! I like your thinking.
It's so simple. Washington could never grasp it.
Just an Idea that would never happen..way to simple...
Brent, thanks for contributing to the dialog here. I wish I could snap my fingers and make this different for you and for everyone (including giving your management a conscious).
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