The labor cost is coming down with the 2 tier employees and if more current line guys would take packages it would be at the Vaulted Toyota "$48/hr total compensation". Ford is claiming they are at $53, down from the $70 something.
Yes the benefits were insane, they did it to avoid a strike that would have driven them to chapter 11 in 2 weeks, instead they bled them dry for 20 years.
You and might agree upon the UAW needs to step up and ask these hold overs to leave or take the lower overall pay. The patient is Ill and need surgery, G-Finger thinks they can wait, I don't.
And remember this 15-20 billion is just a “bridge loan” until the next Congress approves the real bailout. So when your children are paying 50% of their income to the government to pay down this debt all so an unskilled laborer with a high school education can make six figures doing a job that a machine could do, just remember, you asked for it.