Opinion: A Memo to the UAW from the Taxpayer

TheStreet.com ^ | 15 December 2008 | Dan Fitzpatrick

[ridesthemiles]

friehgt fright

FREIGHT!!!

Typing slower than my brain was thinking. sorry.

[TV Dinners]

they will... but it will cost about 74.00 to do so...

Let’s break it down.
one guy to dictate the reply, this will take about 15 minutes because the other guy typing will complain of carpal tunnel and then they’ll go on a mandatory 15 minute smoke / coffee break.
They will return spending 15 minutes watching (i.e. kinda like watching robots weld chassis’ together) spell check fix their idiocy...
The last 15 minutes will be spent standing around and “shooting the sh*t” then hitting SEND!

[TwelveOfTwenty]

A Memo from the UAW to the Taxpayer: Who cares, as long as we get ours?

[TwelveOfTwenty]

If I heard correctly, the product loyalty of Toyota and Honda owners is about 70%. Meanwhile, the owner loyalty of GM and Ford owners is about 50%, and of Chrysler is about 30%. How long could that have kept up without the Big 3 running into these problems, credit crunch or no?

I will say I am satisfied with my recent GMs, and I'll buy another if I'm not put off at how this issue is resolved. Assuming my experience is not the exception, there is still the question of convincing the consumers who gave up on the Big 3 to give them another chance. I've yet to hear any of the Big 3 or UAW reps address this.

[benasawin]

How ‘bout this, rather than Joe-cue public bailing this mess, why not find the required capital via “just” other union members.
Seems to me there are plenty of teachers union, city, state and federal government union members, as well as other union groups that “understand” the necessity of propping up extortion techniques against an employer.
Let the good times roll.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Can’t understand your question.

[sickoflibs]

They want your successful workers to pay to support their over-demanding workers because they voted Obama, “Change You can believe in”

[factoryrat]

I don’t think anyone working on an assembly line in an auto plant should make more than $10 an hour, Japanese and Korean transplants included. These people are obviously paid way too much to do something as simple as putting a car together.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I dunno about that. Repetitive work requires discipline. It is hard work to do the same thing over and over.

[T Lady]

Fitzpatrick nails it.

...When you even have some Democrats, like (my Congressman from CA's 51st District ) Bob Filner voting against this, you know it's a rotten deal.

[Titan Magroyne]

Bingo! Really well-written piece.

[Impy]

Memorandum To: The United Auto Workers From: Impy Re: You guys

Eff off. Where’s your Messiah now?

[griswold3]

You’re playing my song.

[fellowpatriot]

I don’t think anyone working on an assembly line in an auto plant should make more than $10 an hour, Japanese and Korean transplants included. These people are obviously paid way too much to do something as simple as putting a car together.

I don't think anyone should dictate what another person's payrate should be, no matter what their line of work is. I think we should leave it to the free market to determine that.

[factoryrat]

The free market says you get paid too much to make anything. The Chinese and third world countries will build it for 20% of U.S. wages. Where do you think the free market will go with an offer like that? Good for them, bad for you, if you were making those products.

[fellowpatriot]

The free market says you get paid too much to make anything. The Chinese and third world countries will build it for 20% of U.S. wages. Where do you think the free market will go with an offer like that? Good for them, bad for you, if you were making those products.

Then I guess I'd have to either improve my product to the point that I can justify charging 20% more for it or find something else to produce.