GM strike is OVER!

[Mindz]

Can I make 45 an hour to do what I do? That's more than double my yearly income =/

EDIT: My stand has changed on the whole union thing. MAKE MY DAMN CAR!

[Mr. Wyndham]

well....now that is a bit much....see, I didn't know that particular number.

(sigh)

[Jak]

On the CBS evening news, I heard them say that with this agreement that there would be up to an extra thousand dollars added to the cost of GM vehicles. Gonna try an see if I can find the story.

[acscamarochick06]

See, that's the problem with the Union. They throw a fit and stop working for a couple of days because they want better benefits and stuff than everybody else, and it drives up the cost of GM's vehicles because GM has to fork over more money to the Union workers. I can understand them wanting to make good money, have good insurance, etc. and know that it will be there when they retire, but IMO they are getting a little greedy. Okay, maybe not just a little. If GM isn't careful, complying to the UAW could hurt them if the cost of their vehicles is going to go up that much. Some of their vehicles are expensive enough as it is! $42,000 for a new Tahoe?! I love the new Tahoes, but I don't know if I would want to spend THAT much on one...

[Mr. Wyndham]

I thought all they said was that the prices may go up as a result of any contract (this was before it was settled)...but this agreement prevented that...

That's what I heard - no sources, though - so don't quote me.

[Jak]

Sorry guys, I know that I'd heard on CBS say that the cost would go up to a thousand, just tried looking it up and nothing about it. Gonna keep looking cause I know that's what I heard.

[Jak]

Okey, sorry for the double post here. Found something. It's on "freep.com" It's the Detroit Free Press site. Maybe I heard CBS wrong, but according the the DFP under the story "Deal gives GM cash to build better cars" the cost of cars should go down. Kinda like the sounds of that better then the other way around. Sorry again, for the mixup

[Silverado]

You probably didn't hear it wrong....

Usually when the UAW pulls its crap, it does cost GM (and Ford, and Chrysler) a lot of money, which of course they pass on to the consumer. So, that is probably what was being reported.

However, since this little "chest puffing" flair up by the UAW was really nothing but a show, it ended so quickly that those people reporting on it were just getting to their "initial thoughts" kind of articles while the real situation was wrapping up. From what I read, GM didn't really give in on much, shifted the healthcare costs to the Union, got some different pay scales for non-core workers (meaning those that don't work directly on assembly), etc.

Here's a very short article that gives a little info.

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-new...r-ar44303.html

Question....where the hell does the Union get off? "Guaranteed job security"? Who the hell has that? Again, the Unions (yes, all of them) have outlived their usefulness and need to go away. I apologize to those of you in Unions, but it's true. I think the jobs need to stay here and the Unions need to go away.

If the UAW isn't going to go away, then Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc should have to use the same union workforce to build cars here in the US, like the American car companies do. That would help level the playing field.

Alright, I'm done ranting now.

[Mr. Wyndham]

You hit the nail on the Head Silverado - it's not the idea of Unions that are bad(I know, you didn't say that)...rather, it's their ability to compete against non-union companies in the same market...it's Very, Very Hard to do.

And since GM managed to shift the healthcare burden onto the Union, and paying "new recruits" less than their older, seasoned members...GM has finally freed itself to build better cars. Not necessarily for less - but the development, design, and tech research that goes into these cars should start to increase - resulting in lots more masterpeices. I mean, look what they've managed to do before this VEBA thing! (CTS, Malibu, G8.....CAMARO)...I'm expecting great things in the next few years.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by Jak

On the CBS evening news, I heard them say that with this agreement that there would be up to an extra thousand dollars added to the cost of GM vehicles. Gonna try an see if I can find the story.

If this were the case, you wouldn't want to hear what I have to say to all the UAW members. I have a great deal of respect for those who try to secure their future, but...well...I could go on w/ this topic for a while. I'll skip the "what if."

Originally Posted by acscamarochick06

See, that's the problem with the Union. They throw a fit and stop working for a couple of days because they want better benefits and stuff than everybody else, and it drives up the cost of GM's vehicles because GM has to fork over more money to the Union workers. I can understand them wanting to make good money, have good insurance, etc. and know that it will be there when they retire, but IMO they are getting a little greedy. Okay, maybe not just a little. If GM isn't careful, complying to the UAW could hurt them if the cost of their vehicles is going to go up that much. Some of their vehicles are expensive enough as it is! $42,000 for a new Tahoe?! I love the new Tahoes, but I don't know if I would want to spend THAT much on one...

YEP, YEP, YEP. Ed Welburn in the year 2015..."Well, we had planned to keep the price down on the Camaro...about 20K for the V6 and 30K for the V8, but we had to jack it up to to 30k for the V6 and 40K for the V8." You know...we have to pay for all those high priced workers somehow.

Originally Posted by Silverado

Question....where the hell does the Union get off? "Guaranteed job security"? Who the hell has that? Again, the Unions (yes, all of them) have outlived their usefulness and need to go away. I apologize to those of you in Unions, but it's true. I think the jobs need to stay here and the Unions need to go away.

I more than understand striking to keep the jobs here. But, it gets scary. Why? When you strike, you cost the co. lots of money. But, you tell them you want more money. Well, we are already losing money because of the strike. Oh, and we want better health benefits. Ok. Now we're losing money because of the strike, because of the raises, and because of the healthcare.

....and why don't we outsource the factory jobs...and save MILLIONS on tax breaks through building factories overseas (like Toyota over here). Why...then, we could drop the price of each car by $5,000 selling more cars to the public, we could line our pockets w/ money, and we could be filthy rich being the top selling car co in the world!!! This is a great idea!!!

This UAW stuff can be good up to a point. Eventually, GM is either going to go under by working with it's employees....OR IT'S GOING TO TRY TO SURVIVE BY GETTING RID OF A GREAT DEAL OF THEM.....just like the past and all the other car co's we've seen. And then, there's going to be 40 thousand people crying because they lost a job.....WELL, GO FIGURE!!!!!!! YOU KILLED YOUR OWN JOB, GENIOUS!!!

[Pencil.Fight]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

This UAW stuff can be good up to a point. Eventually, GM is either going to go under by working with it's employees....OR IT'S GOING TO TRY TO SURVIVE BY GETTING RID OF A GREAT DEAL OF THEM.....just like the past and all the other car co's we've seen. And then, there's going to be 40 thousand people crying because they lost a job.....WELL, GO FIGURE!!!!!!! YOU KILLED YOUR OWN JOB, GENIOUS!!!

That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

[Silverado]

Tag, I hear you, but realistically, if (big, big IF) GM (and Ford, and Chrysler) could get rid of the "union", they would still need to fill the jobs. Everyone that is working on the line (I mean the whole line, not necessarily just assembly) could all stop working for the Union on Monday, and still have their job on Tuesday. They just wouldn't be union members at that point.

The biggest problem that I have had with every union....they promote mediocrity. There is absolutely no point in being a "standout" worker. It gains you nothing more than the guy doing just enough to not get fired. He gets the same pay/benefits/etc as you do whether he dogs it or not. That's %#@ked up.

Again, the unions have long out lived their usefulness. It's time for all unions to go and company costs, therefore product costs, to come down.

Don't people get tired of paying union dues as well? I mean seriously, I think I would get pretty sick of that.

[The_Stache]

Don't people get tired of paying union dues as well? I mean seriously, I think I would get pretty sick of that.

Thats why I didn't join the union for my night crew position.. i basically told the rep that if i needed to pay $25 a week to ensure i kept my job that i would be a worthless employee.. he just shook his head and told me to wait until I'm forced to join because the store would become a full union only shop... 1.5 years later the shop kicked the union out..

Oh and another off topic story... same store.. another employee (union guy) coped an atitude and threatened to follow me home, kill me, and my wife. I left work letting my manager know I wouldnt put up with that. The next day I get written up for leaving work and he continues to keep his job because his union rep called the store manager and said that under no circumstances was his client to be reprimanded... I was biased against unions before this .. but after that it killed any respect I have for them.

PS I also had to work with the guy for the next 3 months untill he got let go by a technicality (they where looking for an excuse to get rid of him).

[Mr. Wyndham]

Now...before you read this. And before I get flamed. Understand: In no way was he right in what he did. And in no way do I think he deserved to get away with that.

Having said that. That's one of those bittersweet advantages of a union. You've got this massive shield over you, no matter what you do. Unfiortunately, some ass-holes learn the loopholes, or lackthereof, and take advantage of that shield. That unconditional protection needs to be seriously reconsidered: A$$-hats like that, need to be written up, reviewed, and let go if need be.