UAW to strike at Detroit Big Three after failed contract agreement

It's amazing to me some of the responses I am seeing. Like it's the workers fault. I was born and raised in the Detroit area and for most of my life worked within the automotive sector. In the 60's through the early 90's these WERE unionized wages. It allowed these people to own nice homes for their families, nice meals, vacations, etc. Basically they had a very nice life.
So, what happened? These companies bloated their white collar force. There is so much waste at these companies (not to mention crazy salaries and bonuses) that they cut cost where it wouldn't affect them. The manufacturing process and workers. If Elon Musk went into any of these companies he would slash their salaried workforce by at least 40 - 50%. And you know what? They'd still sell cars, they'd make a huge profit and hourly workers would have a living wage.

Everyone that works deserves a living wage. Everyone.

It's not ALL the workers' fault, but let's not pretend they aren't part of the problem. This kind of greed is why manufacturing went overseas in the first place. These demands are not insubstantial and can't be solved by laying off a few salaried workers. The fact is the industry makes junk and people don't want to buy junk. ICE is dead. Just look at the car lots overflowing with unsold pickups. Companies like Tesla are going to eat Detroit's lunch because they can make cars cheaper with fewer parts and no whining. The only guarantee is that the industry will blame everyone but themselves. Having the politicians in their pocket is not going to be enough to save them. They are about to trade a strike for a permanent lay-off where the only jobs for these so-called "skilled" workers is flipping burgers at McDonalds. if the industry does figure out how to make EVs profitably, they won't need as many workers to do so, so it's lose/lose for the workers either way. The entire industry is changing and a good many workers won't be able to transition, either because of attitude or low IQ. That goes for the companies and management as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they all went under.

Think it can't happen? Take a look at Pittsburgh and the steel industry. Those used to be "union" jobs, too. Now they don't exist. You needn't even go that far. Take a look at Detroit itself where entire city blocks have been bulldozed just to keep the rat population down. The city is already like the Walking Dead.

It's all over but the crying. You can thank the UAW for the coming recession.

originally posted by: DAVID64
www.foxbusiness.com...

The United Auto Workers will strike at the Big Three Automakers-GM, Ford and Stellantis on Thursday night at midnight after the companies did not reach a tentative labor deal with autoworkers.

If you think cars are expensive now, just wait.

The workers are demanding a 40% pay raise over a 4 year period. Full time workers make $32.32 an hour, so that will almost double their pay. Part time workers make about $17, so that would bring them up to roughly $30 an hour and include benefits and pensions.

The union is also pushing for making all temporary workers at the automakers permanent, cost-of-living adjustments, increases in pension benefits for current retirees and restoring pensions for new hires, among other benefits.

I'm not saying they shouldn't get all that, but we know the companies are not just going to eat the cost, it will be passed on to the consumer.

This affects my youngest Son, as he is in the chip industry and his company has asked for volunteers to be laid off. This will have a trickle down effect on other industries that supply the auto makers, so it's not just them. Used car prices were coming back to normal, but they'll skyrocket again because folks just can't afford a new one.

Better get'em while the gettin's good.

at least more of those skyhigh prices will go towards working people in America

originally posted by: schuyler
It's not ALL the workers' fault, but let's not pretend they aren't part of the problem. This kind of greed is why manufacturing went overseas in the first place. These demands are not insubstantial and can't be solved by laying off a few salaried workers. The fact is the industry makes junk and people don't want to buy junk. ICE is dead. Just look at the car lots overflowing with unsold pickups. Companies like Tesla are going to eat Detroit's lunch because they can make cars cheaper with fewer parts and no whining. The only guarantee is that the industry will blame everyone but themselves. Having the politicians in their pocket is not going to be enough to save them. They are about to trade a strike for a permanent lay-off where the only jobs for these so-called "skilled" workers is flipping burgers at McDonalds. if the industry does figure out how to make EVs profitably, they won't need as many workers to do so, so it's lose/lose for the workers either way. The entire industry is changing and a good many workers won't be able to transition, either because of attitude or low IQ. That goes for the companies and management as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they all went under.

Think it can't happen? Take a look at Pittsburgh and the steel industry. Those used to be "union" jobs, too. Now they don't exist. You needn't even go that far. Take a look at Detroit itself where entire city blocks have been bulldozed just to keep the rat population down. The city is already like the Walking Dead.

It's all over but the crying. You can thank the UAW for the coming recession.

the big 3 harm people in America and the more those workers make the more our markets via their pensions , investments and shopping go up
a real trickle down plan instead of the fake one Reagan pushed through in the 80s

originally posted by: knoxie
36%, not 40%.

I wonder if the CEO has had a 36% wage increase in the last 4 years…

yes she did

Think Ford First ....

originally posted by: WingDingLuey
32 hours paid for 40 is a 25% increase alone

what about electric car workers?

They also build in required overtime too as part of the deal. So in this case, if 32 was normal to work week and they worked 45 hours per week as part of the union then they are getting 13 extra paid hours of work at 45 per hour if 30 was their base.

originally posted by: MetalThunder

So what is your point? If we ripped 90% of their wages from them and gave it to the workers that would be 63 million extra dollars to pay workers. DOWN WITH THE BAD RICH PEOPLE!!! The extra 63 million to the people comes out to 16 cents raise per hour or 338 dollars per year.

People who keep playing this stupid game just do not realize what makes one person rich gives the masses 16 cents...lol

a reply to: ArcAngel

9.16.2023

It's stunning to learn that GM/Chrysler/Ford auto workers have not had a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) since 2009!

From a primary architect of the prosperous, low-inflation President Trump economy...

I may not agree with everything the UAW is asking for in their current strike, but I do think they have a lot of important points on their side.

Two key points are Bidenflation and Biden's completely unbalanced, insane climate policies.

On Bidenflation, remember when former President Obama negotiated the auto bailout back in 2009, the UAW agreed to forego cost-of-living adjustments in their contract. Hat-tip to Breitbart's John Carney for reminding me of that one. So, they haven't had a COLA increase in many years.

That was OK until recently, when Joe Biden came into the White House and launched a left-wing spending frenzy, which the Federal Reserve playing along, at least until recently.

The Consumer Price Index has increased almost 17% since Joe Biden took office. Necessities like food and gasoline have spiked 20% and over 60% respectively.

So, their real wages have plunged and they're not happy about it. Can't blame them. Not surprisingly, one of the key union demands is the return of cost-of-living adjustments.

Continued at: www.foxbusiness.com...

originally posted by: DAVID64
www.foxbusiness.com...

The United Auto Workers will strike at the Big Three Automakers-GM, Ford and Stellantis on Thursday night at midnight after the companies did not reach a tentative labor deal with autoworkers.

If you think cars are expensive now, just wait.

The workers are demanding a 40% pay raise over a 4 year period.[....]

the ceo makes $111,000+ PER DAY. thats more than double that average YEARLY wage for the worker.

a reply to: ArcAngel

I forget which one it was, but back during the big automaker bailout under obama one of them is 1 billion in the hole every single year due to UAW pensions, pay, and benefits packages.

not a company on the planet can afford that deficit.

a reply to: carewemust

I went 10 years without a COLA adjustment in the military, or it was like 1%, nobody cries for us, I sure dont cry for them.

Just like I wont cry for UPS when their business flags due to price increases after their astronomical pay raise.

Moving an entire plant is no simple task...

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: DavidsHope
The cost of a new vehicle is one of the catalysts that will bring this country to its knees. And no one wants to be on their knee unless they are in front of God.
Some of this is greed. Some of this is need. Some of this is not needed for the sake of a country slowly disintegrating.

These plants are in expensive areas to live brought about by the higher average income ranges that unions create. They need to move their plants plain and simple. In San Antonio at the Toyota Truck plant the wages are $13.75 to $20.67 and when the plant opened they had 15,000 people apply for a job. A new 2023 Tacoma is about 29k and a new 2024 Tundra is like 39k so what kind of Truck are you looking for?

BTW I buy my cars 3 years old with low mileage. One of my cars was 85k new and with 9k miles I got it for 40k, the other was 60k new and I got it for 14k low mileage. I'll never buy another new car again.

Lastly, as 2 nurses you both didn't have a 401k program for 30+ years?

originally posted by: Haxlee
Moving an entire plant is no simple task...

True, so you do it in phases. Boeing opened up their 777 plant in a right-to-work state, and Toyota opened up their Truck plant in Texas with 15 to 25 per hour averages. The big 3 should start moving their cars to other states, a good direction would be to move all electric car production to other states as at least a future fix.

So, Biden is going to show up here in MI today. To walk with the picketing workers. Suppose to be the first time in history. (A president did this)

How is he going to mess this up? Get lost? Claim he worked there in the 80's when they went out on strike?

a reply to: chiefsmom

I hope there are a few directional microphones pointed at him. Biden loves to talk like a tough guy when he's around Union people.

Funny how last week Biden said no way he was going to Detroit, then President Trump announced he was going. Then Biden said I'm going one day earlier than Trump.

a reply to: carewemust

But Trump is not even going to a UAW plant. He's going to a non union plant that is a nightmare to work at. The UAW does not want him anywhere near them. Remember when he told Lordstown UAW workers to not sell their houses, that he would bring even more jobs when he wanted their vote? Then that plant and others were closed 2 years later. Remember when the union had to sue him because he had undocumented Polish immigrants do the work? Remember a month ago he told union workers not to pay their dues? The same union that provides them a check while striking?
The UAW remembers.

a reply to: frogs453

The UAW chooses to strike and do what they can to damage sectors of the economy, while Joe Biden is president.

Ok ...

originally posted by: namehere
why is it always American companies being targeted by strikes? its never foreign companies, so it almost feels like industrial sabotage or the action of a foreign government to make American companies uncompetitive.

America has the worst working conditions of any 1st world country. We're always striking because we're always getting F'd.

Other places have shorter work weeks; but we give people busy work to fill out the work week.

Busy work is just made up tasks to fill hours. We can nip the busy work out of the equation and stop trying to justify what we pay people by eating up their time.

A business is in business to make money; if I make a company 35,000$ a month; what should it matter if I make the company that in 32 hours or not? If I make that in 32 hours; why do they feel the need to make me mop clean floors in order to get to 40 hours to justify my pay check?

STFU and let me live my life. They eat up your time because it gives you less time to find other options. They force you into schedules that stop you from having multiple sources of income.

You know this is just surface level stuff. The laborers of America all know we're slaves, it's not even hidden anymore.