The UAW is on strike AGAIN. Will that mean more plant closings & the industry completing the exodus overseas?

Question

Rythm: The last time, the union was told they could name their price but, they had to come to work. The union said no and wanted to get paid for time NOT WORKED...longer vacations, more sick days, more holidays, more personal days and production wages with quotas on models built that were not selling. The companies said: The Jap competition is coming, they don't take time off, if you insist there will be less workers. They insisted, the companies signed and promptly started investing abroad and laying people off.
The union is doing it AGAIN.

Answer 1

The UAW last struck GM in 1998. In that strike, workers at two GM parts plants walked out for 54 days.

This is the first nationwide strike during auto contract negotiations since 1976.

You make it sound like this is a regular occurrence. Its not.

People will speculate about what the hangups on negotiating a new contract are (UAW workers have been working without a contract until now) but nobody knows except those at the bargaining table... but many "experts" in the media think that GM guaranteeing that jobs remain in the US is the problem.

UAW wants jobs here, GM says they want Mexico as an option.

The UAW is trying to stop the exodus you are asking about...



***response***
The UAW is trying to stop the exodus you are asking about...
Its members are US workers, and they want to keep their jobs. The #1 goal of the UAW is to keep its workers w/ jobs. Without jobs there is no union. I'm sure you won't disagree.

That said; if you wanted to discuss what concessions need to be made by either side, or possible solutions, or what party is to blame for the shrinking middle-class, the entire array of political components to the issue, then I missed that part of your question.

QUESTION:
Will the strike mean more US plant closings?
ANSWER:
Not if the UAW has its way.

Answer 2

Like every other issue, there are two sides to this story. The union definitely has its faults, but so does GM.

The biggest issue where management is concerned has become the whole problem with outrageous salaries and stock option packages. That money has to come from somewhere other than the bottom line since they still have to show a profit to keep investors interested. If american corporations can't find a way to limit what they pay their top execs then they will have to find a cheaper labor market and a new nation to call home. Most americans can't afford a pay cut so that the ceo can earn a few hundred million including stock options.

Unions are all about job security and maintaining a decent standard of living for american workers. The biggest problem with unions is that they protect workers who shouldn't be protected. I know steel workers who complained about losing union jobs, but many of them were used to clocking in and walking across the street to the topless bar for breakfast or finding a nice stack of pallets to nap on. If the union wants to stop the exodus then they really should learn to police themselves rather than defending those who exploit their union ties.

Negotiations won't achieve anything until both sides take an honest look at themselves.

Answer 3

Edna, you have got to be kidding. youre comparing obamas spending with bush's?! do you realize we have quadrupled our national debt in a little over 100 days, sure bush spent too much but not near the amount as your messiah obama. and to answer the question haha, the money he gave only prevented bankruptcy for a few months. if you look at the numbers, the original bailouts he gave were enough to keep them alive until april-may and then they would need more. in order for them to stay alive the government will have to give them billions of dollars every few months. its ridiculous and a waste of money. and our economy will not colapse with the loss of these companies despite what liberals love to say, we will be fine without them and a new and better company will emerge

Answer 4

The "exodus" overseas is a good thing for business. Both political parties are responsible for making it happen. Unfortunately, it is terrible for the American worker. Let me say this: Businesses are not in existence to support American workers. They are in existence to make money, period. The American worker has been fooled into voting for candidates that want to strengthen business, not workers. More and more legislation is passed yearly that makes it harder for blue collar Americans and yet the workers vote for the guy who will "end abortion" or "protect the sanctity of marriage" at the expense of your wealth.
All this has been good for me, but I don't vote for them because they have good morality, I vot e for them because they line my pockets. I'm not trying to undermine myself, but it gets old listening to the complaining from the very people who allow it to happen.

Answer 5

There is a G.M. Plant in Fort Wayne, IN. That turns nothing but profit after the first three months of the year. This includes labor, taxes, cost of operations and so on...

Is not making “profit” the same as "not making what they'd like to make"?

Gee, I didn’t make two billion dollars last year, can I write that off on my taxes as a lose???

Answer 6

They need to FIRE all those idiots and hire replacements for 1/3 the cost. There are plenty of ppl who would jump at the chance to make that kind of money - salary + benefits. And yes ultimately all those jobs will be shipped overseas or the companies will go bankrupt altogether leaving those UAW morons high & dry.
Sorry, I just have NO use for unions - long story.

Answer 7

Mean while...
Subaru and BMW are putting up plants and I know from the inside that the unions havent gotten anywhere with those workers. They are simply killing themselves off. Ford is very close to just going chapter 11 and having the judge cut all this off like the airlines do. Ford has all their plants mortgaged now.

Answer 8

With Toyota, Honda, and Mazda building plants in the US were are they going to go Mexico it certainly won't be Japan.

Answer 9

OMG! Auto workers are some of the best paid, IN THE WORLD! They have excellent healthcare and pension plans, and their still throwing a fit. They sound like baseball players, who get paid millions still wanting more. Spoiled brats! They are contributing to the downfall of this nation.

Answer 10

Why not? Everything else has. Cars are not manufactured in the USA anymore. They are, at best, assembled here occasional.