and now that weve watched the UAW destroy the auto industry, looks like theyre trying to destroy the rest of the economy too.

From yahoo news:
i wonder when the union guys will start questioning how "good" it really is in this day and age...i recognize the fact that unions were needed at one point, in the day of the pinkertons, but the UAW is protecting their people (and doing a pretty poor job of it) and ruining the country in the process.

now before people go getting their panties all in a bunch, i should point out that this is an issue with union mgmt, and not the workers. the mgmt is too damn stupid to realize that the wages cant last forever, especially with the amount of unemployment right now. the collapse of the big three will likely spell doom for the UAW, and then maybe some of those morons will realize that once in a while you need to bend a little to help the industry...see also the arena football players union. a union that took a pay cut to keep their "company" up and running...keep in mind, getting paid a little is better than not getting paid at all when the industry is gone.

but shortsightedness for the win, right?

 

+1

People seem to think that because they refuse to take a paycut that they'll be able to keep their jobs.....and in all likelihood, it's going to cost them their jobs... because being stupid is how we do things apparently.

 

So were they asking the workers to take the paycut or the guys at the very top getting a few mil in bonuses every year? Or everyone in the industry from top to bottom?

 

I agree, unions are past their times and they are eventually gonna get there asses kicked to the curb if the Big 3 can make it. Back near my hometown, there was a company that had a union with in it, which decided to go on strike because they were not acquiring there ridiculous terms. Well after a several weeks of striking, the union found itself on the outside looking in. The company basically said fluff off and hired a whole bunch of skilled non union employees for what theses ppl felt they were worth, which obviously was more realistic then the union. Here take a look http://theunionnews.blogspot.com/search?q=Dresser-Rand This is what happened to that Union. Eventually some of the Union workers were re-contracted, but not the total numbers that were there. Hopefully this mess clears itself before the big 3 gets cleared and this union ruins them.

 

On that same note even if you dont agree with the union when they decide to go on strike, you dont have a choice as you have to go on strike too. When I worked at Safeway a long time ago as a carryout, I signed up for their union thing they have as everyone there made it sound like if you didn't then you really dont have any job security and be fired within a month after getting hired, and me being a stupid 16yr kid thought alright better do it I need to keep a job longer than a month. Well there were talks about the union that we belonged to going on strike about a year after I was hired, personally I didn't care I was making enough to pay my car insurance and fill up my old pickup with a little left over for whatever else I needed to fix the truck up and get a few parts, I was okay with where I was and what I was making. About a week later a union rep came in to talk to the store about the upcoming strike and what would happen when/if it happened and they flat out told us that if we came to work and clocked in after the strike happened that we would be fined like $500 an hour for every hour we worked and if we decided to leave the union and get out it would take a few weeks to process the paperwork and get it back to us so it wouldn't be worth it to try and leave, we'd be better off quiting if that was the case...

Unions have their place or had their place at one point in time or another but now days there really isn't a point to have them as in most cases they do more harm than good, specially to those at the very bottom where getting a paycheck every other week is a nessecity.

 

i believe it was both. they wanted exec pay cuts, which the execs supposedly agreed to, but the union wouldnt compromise on their end.

 

It's not any surprise, the UAW workers have come to think that they are actually worth the retarded money they make. I will say though that most of the people who think their job is hard and that they deserve $27/hour+benefits, are legacies and have never done anything else. The same people don't know how anyone can live on less, it's amazing.

 

Nofrag, I am not a fan of unions, and I am not in one, but I have a question. Are you saying that being skilled is not worth 27/hr? I know I have 5 yrs of College, 2 degrees, a list of certs, and 5 yrs experience and I think I am worth my $25/hr wage + 100% company paid benefits. In no way do I think I am a legacy, but I feel I am worth every dime they pay me. I kinda take offense to that. I have worked my *** off for what I got and what I make. The same goes for the skilled workers, I am sure the companies didnt hire the bum off the street and start paying him 27/hr, those workers been through the ropes, done there share, and are worth what they make or they wouldnt be there. Dont get me wrong, I think they all should get a cut starting with the big cuts at the top and trickling down to the lesser cuts to the bottom. A top heavy company isnt a good thing. Now dont think the skilled workers think that they are better than anyone else just because I made a comment about thinking it is hard to make a living off of less, in a previous thread Its my opinion and myself running the numbers to live a comfy lifestyle, I never said it couldnt totally be done, its just not pleasant.

 

Are you an auto worker? Because it doesn't even take 1 college degree to be one. Skilled labor is one thing, trained monkey another

 

i think that UAW is going to be the demise of the Big 3... as you guys have been saying, at one day and time, unions were the sheit... they helped the little guy out and built up our economy, now tho they are the ones singlehandedly bringing down the three automakers that are synonimous with the good ole USA... they are outdated and need to be scaled back and completly revamped if GM, Ford, and Chrysler are ever going to have a chance at competing with the new import mega-sellers.