Unions didn’t ruin Detroit, Coleman Young did.
Check the $73.00 per hour ref above ~ it's just like no one here had ever discussed it.
That wasn't $73 per hour PAY but $73 per hour COST. It cost GM $73 per production line worker hour but the workers on the line weren't getting that. Most of the money was going to support costs, which included engineers, designers, management, and retirement plans for people already retired; medical plans for retirees,retiree dependents, etc., paying coupons on bonds and so forth.
The big difference between the non-union plants in the Souf' and the UAW plants generally in the North was the fact the newer non-union plants simply did not have a large group of retirees who continued to cost the company a fortune long after they were no longer productive.
BTW, UAW and management agreed to deals both sides recognized were not economically sustainable.
You raise an excellent point. Young certainly played a larger role than he is credited with, that's for sure. But don't forget about Kwami Kilpatrick and a couple of other mayors in between.