[Eric in the Ozarks]

Too bad GM didn’t take a good long strike back in the 1980s when their cars were junk and not selling well.

[Pontiac]

Unfortunately for huge companies like GM having your union go on strike is often a bad political move.

The big unions have political clout. Strikers do not pay taxes so the local governments get pissed. If the strike goes on long enough strikers don’t pay bills so banks get pissed.

CEOs all think of these effects before they push negotiations to the point of a strike. They have to because they get phone calls from politicians trying to pressure them to fold.

I am sure the CEO of GM back in the 80s got such calls we all know that the GM CEO to day will be getting an Obama call about this.