OK. Now I'm beginning to think that you're on the wrong forum. This is UAW propaganda. The GM wage and benefits package works out to $71/hour, and that's not even including the ridiculous retiree benefits.
No, it doesn't. Current wage/benefit payments are approximately $55/hour, the remainder represent payments to retirees that the taxpayers will need to assume, at least partly, if GM goes bankrupt. The new 2007 UAW contract does introduce a two-tier wage system, in which new hires receive $14/hour in wages and reduced benefits.
I would imagine as more older line guys take packages and are replaced with the Tier 2 guys it would drift towards the Toyota benchmark of $48.
What Corker tried to do is force the issue. In a way I agree, if you need radical surgery and you'll die in 3 weeks if you don't get it, you better do it. This waiting until 2010-2011 like G-Finger wanted it was a bit arrogant.
I also spoke with one of my auto engr "gnomes" today.
What Corker tried to do was act in one fell swoop like the bankruptcy judge with wage and price controls without negotiations and that was a deal breaker.
If you check out my words, you will find that the 73.00 figure includes legacy costs which is added to the wages of current UAW employees in order to come up with this figure. The figures I have quoted are accurate. The 73.00 average is the lie-more lies from the enemies of manufacturing and in my opinion enemies of this country. As for being on this forum, My wife (nyconse) and I have been here longer than you...we are conservatives, but do not like the trade or economic policies of current Republicans. I have great hope that his might be corrected if we had some new blood. Judging from the severity of the economic meltdown, we are correct in our assessment.