[Spktyr]

Incorrect. The American workers for Asian manufacturers have their healthcosts paid by their employer, not by their employer's government.

[snoringbear]

You are correct Spktyr. However, you neglect to state a few important things; such as, the Asian sites are "green field" start-up's. Meaning that the Asian's are starting from scratch with brand new, young, healthy, intelligent, and motivated workers. Again meaning, that their health care costs will be minimal for several years and their retirement costs are about thirty or forty years in the future as well. Additionally, these employees are wired into employer/employee 401K's as their retirement benefit packages. Btw, I am not defending the American Big Three. Their management was derelict in allowing their wage/benefit packages become so unrealistically bloated and so far removed from their true market worth.

[bronxboy]

Japanese auto companies are subsidized by their home countries. Japan has block access to their markets for years.

[T.L.Sink]

Yes but I was referring to Japanese workers - not those working in the U.S. The Japanese government provides complete healthcare benefits for all its native workers. The point I tried to make is that part of GM's problem is this enormous (over a $billion) liability for healthcare doesn't affect manufacturers in Japan as it does here.