UAW leader: Workers will make no more concessions

The Napa Valley Register / The Associated Press ^ | November 15, 2008 | Mark Williams

[2ndDivisionVet]

Even as Detroit's Big Three teeter on collapse, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Saturday that workers will not make any more concessions and that getting the automakers back on their feet means figuring out a way to turn around the slumping economy.

"The focus has to be on the economy as a whole as opposed to a UAW contract," Gettelfinger told reporters on a conference call, noting the labor costs now make up 8 percent to 10 percent of the cost of a vehicle. "We have made dramatic, dramatic changes and the UAW was applauded for that," he said.

Instead, Gettelfinger blamed the problems the auto industry is suffering from on things beyond its control _ the housing slump, the credit crunch that has made financing a vehicle tough and the 1.2 million jobs that have been lost in the past year. "We're here not because of what the auto industry has done," he said. "We're here because of what has happened to the economy."

Gettelfinger also called on Congress to act quickly on a bailout plan for the auto industry, saying action is necessary before President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January. He said if one automaker were to file for bankruptcy, the others may follow. He said the automakers would find it difficult to restructure under bankruptcy laws and instead could end up out of business. "Would you buy a car from a bankrupt automaker?" he asked.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I guess $72/hour is just barely enough to put food on the table these days. Who knew?

[Travis McGee]

I fail to see why Joe and Jane Sixpacks, who make 15 dollars an hour, should be made to pay the wages of a UAW worker who makes 72.

[Knute]

Let them die on the vine...
Rebuild the industry without the (union) legacy costs

[FlingWingFlyer]

...saying action is necessary before President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

What is that supposed to mean? The unions helped get the Kenyan Manchild "elected."

[the OlLine Rebel]

It’s regulatory garbage - inherent in unions - that puts us in bad slumps (if this is bad). It’s fascism hoping to be communism. Unions are by nature communist (we should get money for nothing) and they put a huge clamp on how our economy as a whole can run.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Because Joe and Jane don’t belong to a union that helps democrats, silly!

[Petronski]

I predict they will make concessions in bankruptcy.

[Clinging Bitterly]

The UAW can do just about anything it wants EXCEPT guarantee the workers’ jobs. They oughta keep that in mind.

[dinodino]

F*** the UAW, just like they did to GM/Ford/Chrysler.

[pointsal]

GREAT NEWS...the line is in the sand...who blinks first-Big Three honchos, the union, or the Dumborat honchos....

My guess is Bush.... why am I such a cynic?

[Grunthor]

“UAW leader: Workers will make no more concessions”

Fine. Let the big three go under. Bankruptcy is exactly what they need.

[truthguy]

This Gettelfinger is just the type of clown who is killing the US Auto Industry. He is an economic ignoramous! He needs to look at all the Toyotas and Hondas around him on the highway. This is the type of guy who destroyed Eastern Airlines and other companies only know he wants to destroy the auto industry. Detroit needs to restructure and quickly. The American public has lost faith with the UAW and guys like Gettelfinger must be made aware of this.

[Clintonfatigued]

I think the top executives should make concessions. If they earn their keep when profits are high, why shouldn’t they be held responsible when the company is failing?

[Last Dakotan]

Such stupidity is only rewarded with leadership in socialistic organizations.

[Vaquero]

let them freeze and starve....

or go to work

the choice is theirs

[reaganaut1]

Already posted and discussed at length at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132716/posts

[realcleanguy]

Kind of amazing. The Unions would rather the UAW workers lost their jobs rather than take a pay cut. Simply amazing

[Grunthor]

“My guess is Bush.... why am I such a cynic?”

You have paid attention to recent history?

[muawiyah]

Let's say we're looking at a bottom end American built car priced at around $20,000. At 10% the labor costs would be $2000. At $72 per hour, that would give us about 35 hours or so to build a car.

Ain't bad.

Then, let's look at a comparable Korean import priced at around $15,000.

For folks hardpressed by the current credit market.......................

Yup, guy's right, folks can't afford to pay that extra $5,000 for "materials"?

[raybbr]

I fail to see why Joe and Jane Sixpacks, who make 15 dollars an hour, should be made to pay the wages of a UAW worker who makes 72.

Where did you get that figure? (72)

That's absurd.