Posted on 11/15/2008 5:36:14 PM PST by tobyhill
DETROIT -- The president of the United Auto Workers union said the dire financial troubles of the three U.S. auto makers is the result this year's spike in gasoline prices and the meltdown on Wall Street, not missteps by management or high labor costs.
"This industry is in a crisis situation not of its own making," Ron Gettelfinger said in an interview Saturday afternoon with The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Gettelfinger also urged Congress to provide financial help to prevent General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. or Chrysler LLC from sliding into bankruptcy protection.
Bankruptcy is "the worst possible route that any of these companies could go down," Mr. Gettelfinger said. The union believes the auto makers would not be able to recover from a bankruptcy filing and would have to "liquidate everything," he said. "It would be the beginning of the demise of the industry."
For decades, the UAW waged bitter battles with management over wages, benefits, executive pay and jobs. Only a year ago, the union called short strikes against GM and Chrysler during their contract negotiations a year ago, and Mr. Gettelfinger suggested top executives earnings millions were "hogs slopping at the trough of corporate greed" while trying to force workers to bear the brunt of cost cuts.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I hope the UAW goes toes up, frankly.
He’s right. It was management listening to leeches like him.
I’m waiting for someone to explain to me why companies like Honda and Toyota are thriving while GM and Ford are in the tank.
What help is Mr. Gettelfinger and his union brothers willing to give to help the big 3?
If they aren’t willing to help, why should the American people?
Why don't you have the guts to point at the Democrats and their froot loop no energy, not here, no way, no how, not now policies ya moron!
The UAW is not the only problem, a major one - yes. Also the labor relations people in management who consistently rolled over and played dead giving the unions wages and benefits way beyond what the jobs call for; and then add in the marketing people who set prices and production levels at unsustainable levels. But the chief culprit is the UAW.
When I first saw the headline, I thought someone was flashing back to Audi’s original name.
But he is right - it’s management’s fault.
As with most unions and their members, he is taking the parent/child tact; being “hey, it's not my fault they gave me what I asked for”. Unions should be held accountable for abrogating any ownership and responsibility in their over the top wage and benefit structure. And, management should be held accountable for being gutless cowards and not saying no to the unions.
This rich fat cat is just a victim. Let’s bail him out. It’s the compassionate thing to do.
LOL! UAW is the prime reason for the bankruptcy
As I said on a similar thread....
The leadership of the UAW has continued to support the democratic party, to promote democrats over Republicans, and to promote and support liberals over conservatives. They worked like blazes to get a democratic controlled Congress in 2006. They financed democrats running at every level, from mayors to President-Elect (spit) Obama.
Well, now they got the democrats in charge like they wanted, and now they’re getting—and will really be getting—a democratic economy.
Good luck with your welfare checks as the cold, dark factories you used to lord over crumble into dust.
Ron Middlefinger you say?
Govt created the economic problems, Govt cannot fix it.
i was at my sisters about 7 thanksgivings ago...my brother in law had to work that day...hes a hi-lo mechanic at fords...so i say to him “gotta work thanksgiving night huh”...he says “yep...i get 92 dollars and hour for working the holiday, and i’ll sleep for 4 hours and then switch with another guy so he can sleep”...true story.
I think the auto industry has been totally mismanaged. Any bailout would be investing in an inefficient industry that is destined to fail. The is an excerpt from Peter Shciff’s (http://www.europac.net) latest commentary which seems to be the unvarnished truth:
Quote:
With the Big Three auto makers now in a plainly visible death spiral, the automotive bailout debate is kicking into overdrive. The disagreement hinges on whether a bailout is necessary to support an important industry or whether the unprofitable dinosaurs of the past should be allowed to fail as America focuses on an information-age, service sector, and alternative energy future.
As usual, both sides have it wrong. The government should let the Big Three fail not because we no longer need an auto industry, but because we desperately do. What we do not need is the bloated, inefficient auto industry that we have today. By allowing the Big Three to fail, their capacity will be turned over to new owners who will be able to acquire the means of production at fire sale prices and hire workers at globally competitive wages. The result will be a more efficient auto industry making cars that people around the world actually want to buy at prices they can afford. Such auto makers could conceivably be profitable and could become the cornerstone of a manufacturing renaissance in the United States. In contrast, Ford, Chrysler and GM are never ending money pits that threaten to swallow a good deal of our economy.
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