Auto Bailout
I am thoroughly disgusted with the hypocrisy of the Senate Republicans. Last night, they blocked $14 billion dollars of assistance to the Big Three auto companies, because there weren't enough wage and benefit concessions from the autoworkers. This coming from many of the same senators who voted for the $700 billion dollar bailout for the banking industry. A bailout that has little oversight and does not include any wage concessions for banking CEOs or employees.
The labor cost for a new car averages 10% of the vehicle cost (click on the link to also find out why the $73 an hour claim is misleading). Even if the labor costs were cut in half, that would only result a decrease of $1,500 on a $30,000 vehicle. It is the poor vision and leadership of the management of the auto companies that have led us to this situation - not the workers. The Republicans are simply trying to destroy the United Auto Workers Union.
I am not too pleased with Democrats in Congress either. They didn't fight for enough oversight with the $700 billion bailout of the banking sector. The Bush Administration is controlling the distribution of the funds. The same inept administration that has screwed up so many other facets of our country's government.
posted by Me @ 4:09 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Thank You Verrrrry Much.
I agree that all sides in this case need to take cuts. Maybe they learned something from the public outcry over the intial banking loan?
But please don't tell me you have any sympathy for unions. They are far from blameless. If the workers would kick out the union and merely forfiet what they were paying in dues on every check there would not need to be any consessions. Speaking as someone who has worked in a union plant, in heavy industry, I have never seen an honest employee benefit from a union.
There was a time for the unions, but with all of the government imposed regulations and interferrence, there is no longer a need.
Sorry, this is your blog to rant on, not mine. You just touched a cord there. I saw too many hard working guys get screwed over in Illinois by their "brothers."
Maybe these cuts will help free these guys from the mistakes of there fathers and grandfathers -- the real reason so much heavy industry has had to leave our borders.
236566
I almost forgot:
rrrrrrrrr
Many unions, although not all, do need to make changes. When you hear stories of a one union worker climbing a ladder and taking off a light fitting off, and then another guy climbing the ladder to screw in the light bulb, you gotta wonder where the common sense police went. (Although, I never know if I should believe everything I hear about unions, as union busting is a multimillion dollar industry). I wish that unions weren't needed, but every year (can't remember the exact number), workers are screwed out of billions of dollars because regulations aren't enforced. Pretty much, both unions and executive managers or owners need reformation. Otherwise, unions are a needed counterrrbalance.
N-
Complicated shit to work out with the bailouts. While I fall on the side of workers, I'm also finding myself laughing my ass off at the misfortune of the greedy auto companies who have fucked us over for years and years. The e-car was ready to go years ago and yet the companies bet on dick cheney and oil to build big ass ugly cars. To hell with em. Let the market do its thing. Buy a subaru.
jsg
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