Posted on 11/15/2008 11:02:50 AM PST by engrpat
Amazing. GM won’t be back on its feet in less than a decade assuming the economy recovers.
“The big 3 are going to be nationalized. Fortunately, Toyota, Honda & others have enough plants in the USA that they can’t “ban” them as imports. So, the American big 3 will make crap, just like British Motors back in the 1970s.”
And like the British auto industry, they will probably suffer the same fate (of the companies that do survive, nearly all will be foreign-owned).
Besides Toyota and Honda, I’m pretty sure that Nissan, Mitsubishi, BMW and Daimler-Benz have plants here as well. Arguably, we could do without the domestics.
For an interesting sidenote... those of you who follow NASCAR should be aware that of the four “stock cars” approved for the Sprint Cup series, only the Toyota Camry is actually physically manufactured in the United States.
And for the record, I do NOT want to see our auto industry disappear or wind up foreign-owned. I’m still hoping against hope that I’ll be able to buy a new Corvette some day. :)
The suto industry is all about getting the corporation’s breakeven point set correctly. It would appear that GM has to shrink quite a bit more (UAW too).
When push comes to shove they’ll (union members) will take the cuts. I would insist that top management be fired and the rest of management and salary take cuts at twice the rate of laborers along with bonus freezes at 0 for 10 years.
ok, buh bye! I like toyotas anyway
By owning it I mean that they will have a total lock on the US market. Being #1 in sales and then acquiring the largest dealer network in the world will put such a large divide between them and the rest of the market that Ford and Chrysler would be unable to compete. Of course, then Toyota will be powerful enough to purchase both their marketshares also.
” Well there you have it. The UAW would rather have a contract and no jobs then take a cut and have jobs”
Just like our elected officials they will still have a job regardless.
It’s time that America woke up to the substantial impact a few can have on many.
Even a CEO is more accountable than the Union Bosses and Govt leaders.
Where else could you have a single digit approval rate and still be employed, let alone receive millions in tax free donations
Well, that's fitting, isn't it?
The guy's comments don't match reality, either.
Since the UAW is responsible for the finish of the US Auto makers who cares.
Bankruptcy. Unions will not go along with restructuring any other way.
Bankruptcy dissolves union contract. Company renegotiates policies with union that allow it to compete with other automakers in the 21st century without requiring perpetual bailouts. Saves taxpayers from funding GM’s me-first pensioners.
If they want to work, they will take a lower more competitive wage, and 401k plans. when they can produce cars at lower costs, they can sell them for more competitive costs and compete with other automakers head-to-head.
Right now the UAW has more retired members than working members. Its the retirees who are likely driving this. Kinda like old people on Social Security who couldn’t care less if everything goes to Hell-in-a-Handbasket, as long as they get their Government check.
The alternative is that the workers really DO think this way. In which case, they are stupid and deserve what they get.
Congress! /fish in a barrel>
Let G.M. go broke and that will get them out of the old contracts. Then they can go back and rebuild the company. To Hell with the Unions.
So go on welfare there butt head.
Ya think you hurt anyone besides your union members by walking there union boy?
Ya think your union members will do ok asking would you like fries with that?
Frankly Toyota makes better vehicles anyway.
Perhaps had you Detroit boys made better cars, nod cheaper cars you’d have been ok but nahhh, Ya made crap for too long.
They have no choice. They have built their entire existence on the myth that management was out to screw the employees. They continued this argument despite the fact their contracts made their employees outrageously overpaid relative to the work performed, included some of the best benefit packages in the country and protected employees from very justified termination. To now come out and make concessions would require them to admit they were wrong.
The funny thing is that even many laid off auto workers who never go back to work in the industry refer to themselves as unemployed auto workers. I had a brilliant professor who made millions working for major corporations, got his PhD and literally taught because he enjoyed it and didn’t need the income. The man’s real source of income was doing research for and testifying on behalf of some of the largest companies in the US. But he would still tell you he was an unemployed auto worker. Even he couldn’t move beyond what he had learned from the unions.
Great now that gas prices have gone down from over $4.00 a gallon to less than $2.00 (and still falling) the Auto industry can now go bankrupt. Perfect timing. Just genius!
The UAW votes for the party that doesn’t want cheap fuel so no one can afford to drive those big gas guzzlers. Brilliant!
The United Mine workers want to vote for the guy who wants to bankrupt them. Fantastic!
The head of the Steel Workers did the same thing at a US Steel meeting and look what happened to our Steel Industry.
They’ve been doing this ever since the union was founded, with the complicity of Big Three management.
Well, maybe the feckless people who ran the Detroit auto industry were willing to pay them more than they were worth, until they ran their companies into the ground, but no way I’m going to keep those fat pigs supplied with swill when I can barely keep my own family afloat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.