UAW Workers Walk Off the Job

Wall Street Journal ^ | September 24, 2007 | John D. Stoll and Jeffrey McCracken

[reaganaut1]

DETROIT -- United Auto Workers union members walked out of General Motors Corp. factories in the U.S. Monday morning after bargaining over a new national labor agreement failed to produce a deal by an 11 a.m. deadline. It's the first time in more than 20 years that the UAW has staged a mass walkout in connection with company wide contract talks. But in a sign of the complex forces at work in the Detroit auto industry, GM shares were trading higher Monday on the New York Stock Exchange, as investors cheered signs that GM management might be willing to resist ...

[wideawake]

The footage of the UAW workers waddling around in circles with their guts protruding feet past their belts creates a lot of sympathy.

This strike is clearly the most exercise they've had in decades.

[madison10]

You got it, fire all the strikers, and bring on new help, there’s plenty around to do the work UAW members won’t do.

Who said they wouldn't do the work? Heck, they'd be willing to take a pay cut to keep their jobs. Why should they do ALL of that...pay cuts, benefit cuts, etc. if GM cannot say that their jobs will be there tomorrow?

I feel badly for GM. There should have been a way to work it out. The UAW leadership can be trusted about as far as you can throw a Buick.

[I see my hands]

To: UAW

Here's a plan. Petition your Dim supporters in congress to provide you with Hurricane Katrina Refugee status.

Sure it's a stupid idea but it's perfect cuz you guys are stupid too.

[henkster]

The footage of the UAW workers waddling around in circles with their guts protruding feet past their belts creates a lot of sympathy.

*************
That’s exactly the problem with this strike. One of the issues is that the UAW wants GM to kick into a fund for medical insurance for retired (no longer productive) employees. Look at the demographics of those strikers. You want to insure THAT? And the older version, too?

If you want to know what’s killing (or killed) the US Auto industry, there’s culprit #1. (Corporate mismanagement of a level of Moe, Larry & Curly is culprit #2).

[madison10]

Since you are here posting I assume your job allows you time off to cruise the internet...must be nice.

(I’m just a housewife now so I can do stuff)

[prairiebreeze]

That’s OK. The rest of us self-employed small business owners will continue to work hard or even harder to carry these scabs.

[Camel Joe]

That’s it, no more UAW (Unwilling Auto Worker) cars for me or mine. Are these dolts blind to what is going on around them? I should pay more for an inferior product just so they can stick it to the man? Not with my dime pal, hello imports! I will also own no stock or mutual fund that has a stake in the anemic 3.

[George W. Bush]

The Dim majority in Congress and their control of Michigan no doubt encourages UAW to do this.

[mewzilla]

I bet there are thousands of citizens who dream of the wages and benefits GM is offering

Like this one....

No credit left in auto job bank

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

And no sympathy whatsoever.

[wideawake]

$200 bucks is horse pucky. Besides it’s taxable income.

It'll buy groceries.

If you are a renter in MI you can fail to pay rent for quite a while before you can be legally evicted.

Assistance programs will pay your heating bills and electricity.

Union workers are obviously used to taking handouts and their union reps will make sure the rank and file squeeze every last penny out of my pocket they legally can.

[K-oneTexas]

Bankruptcy may be the ultimate outcome.

GM has 'down-sized' over the last decade in closing auto (Oldsmobile) lines/brands as an example. Chrysler is now re-vamping under new ownership. Ford is having their difficulties too. Many attributable to Unions but some just poor management.

Unions had a place at one time, beginning of last century but have, with the help of socialists/liberals/politicians,gotten too powerful. That power translates to more vile intrusions into American's pockets and home life as their 'big bother idol' government.

I would agree some do need raises but as I experienced in years past the Unions win a raise and the price of bread goes up ... end result no real change. I would think business and employees could handle things better without Union dogma and hard line stances.

[green iguana]

GM should cancel the UAW contract. Just cancel it.

There is no contract - that's why the UAW is striking. The UAW has been working without a new contract since Sept. 14.

[italianquaker]

My Honda car and suzuki boat engine are deeply saddened

[Camel Joe]

Bite your tongue! ;) I like having food on the table and a roof over my head.

Then cross the line.

[Southack]

"I wonder if the 12,000 UAW employees sitting on their @ss all day and still being paid full time went on strike too:"

During a strike is the only time that GM doesn't have to pay them. That's why GM's stock price surged up this morning. This strike could save GM.

GM has enough excess inventory unsold that they can go for quite some time without any new production.

Likewise, since the union is already on strike, now would be a good time for GM to announce new plant moves to Alabama!

[I see my hands]

"Since you are here posting I assume your job allows you time off to cruise the internet... must be nice"

That's some mighty bold assuming considering you have just one piece of data, i.e., I'm posting to a thread, lol!

[Figment]

“No wonder production of cars in the U.S. has migrated to right-to-work states”

And GM is free to hire replacements in those states. I hope they break the backbone of the UAW over this.The UAW needs to go the way of the dinosaur

[bronxboy]

Should just hire people that want to work. The union is just a just protects the bums that work there. All they are is a stumbling block for efficiency. Like was said before, the union outlived it’s usefulness.

[DCPatriot]

Would LOVE to see the UAW union busted.

Give jobs to some of those Americans who have supposedly lost jobs to illegals.

Unions have outlived their usefullness for the time being, IMO.