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Carlos Osorio / AP
Cars are seen on a Chrysler assembly line in Sterling Heights, Mich.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Chrysler have reached a tentative four-year labor contract deal, the automaker said on Wednesday.
The deal follows agreements between the UAW and Chrysler's Detroit rivals General Motors and Ford. The UAW deal is Chrysler’s first since its bankruptcy and government bailout in 2009. It covers its 26,000 hourly production workers.
The agreement is subject to UAW member ratification. The GM contract was ratified by its workers late last month and Ford workers are in the process of voting that ends Oct. 18.
UAW President Bob King said in a press statement that the Chrysler pact will create 2,100 U.S. jobs and will include $4.5 billion in investments to produce new models and upgraded vehicles and components by 2015.
“Less than three years ago, Chrysler was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy as our nation was thrown into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,” King said. “This tentative agreement builds on the momentum of job creation and our efforts to rebuild America by adding 2,100 new jobs by the end of the agreement in 2015 to communities left in turmoil in the wake of the country’s economic collapse.”
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But If the Republicans amd the Tea Party would have gotten their way, both GM and Chrysler would have been allowed to disappear; thus causing Ford to then disappear; and tens of thousands moreAmerican jobs would have been permanently gone. This is a success story and voters should remember it in 2012. Sometimes you may not like it, but leaders have to do the mature, responsible thing and make unpopular decisions.
That's complete crap. The two companies were stolen from existing inverstors and bond holders by the obama administration and the UAW. Ford did just fine without the governments help.
Me, and 20% of amaericans according to a poll, will never buy a car from GM and Chrysler. The company was stolen, we lost 1.3Billion on Chrysler and we own GM at 41-44 bucks a share and it's trading at $21.
I will never buy a car made by either company. They can kiss my arse, it's nothing but a bunch of union thugs.
THIS is why Obama gave Chrysler to the Itallians for NO MONEY
The fix was IN for this SWEETHEART UNION DEAL at TAXPAYER EXPENSE
If you understood how a bankruptcy works, you would know that had they been allowed to actually go they would be in much better shape today. The companies would not have shut down, they could have renegotiated their contracts, they could have shed their debt, and they could have relieved themselves of any bad contracts. Delta and Northwest airlines went through bankruptcy and they came out much healthier than GM and Chrysler did. Obama did what he did to protect the unions, not to help the aurto industry. He hurt the auto industry.
well afmcala. On 2012 there will be two choices :
Did I need to remind you the CONServatives took our saving, ours jobs and our home equity?
QUESTION, MY FELLOW AMERICAN : Are you willing to stay home and let the CONServatives take your social security checks and your 401 k ??
Gotta love the righty lies: "government take over of health care", when the proposal for a public option was nixed. Then there was : "government take over of the auto industry", when they were simply loans that were paid back.
The biggy: "death panels", which was politifacts lie of the year.
It's clear that the party of lies is the Republican party.
DOUCHEBAGGERS and SEAL LOVERS are CRYING!
Why? Because they can't get pee pee pants mad at either management or unions when a deal is cut. Bwaaaaah!!! I'll have to wait for the crying for when bad management or a bad union causes the collapse of a different company. Guess those radicals can't make their personal soap box points when something works now, can they. Boo hoo.
MR: Don't stop there! Stop watching union thugs who play football, baseball, and basketball. That'll show 'em.
Tired of this: You have no idea what would have happened to either GM or Chrysler had they declared bankruptcy. The best you can do is criticize what is ACTUALLY occurring and has occurred. GM and Chrysler are producing autos again, and many thousands of workers are working. Whether there would have been more or less depending on other actions, we will never know. The fact is people are working RIGHT NOW as a consequence of the bailout.
Madison from NY: Check out ALL the terms with the Italians. They did not get Chrysler for free. While your checking facts - a first for you - go look up Cerberus and note the role of your vaunted free-market capitalists in the collapse. The bailout saved their bacon too.
Check out why they didn't want TARP money. Nah, I'll tell you. Had they participated in TARP, they would have had to abide by the checks on executive pay. If there's anything that's intolerable for inept "financiers" it's having limits on how much they can steal.
The fact of the matter is the GM bailout has cost taxpayers over 10billion to this point and that is without interest, GMs recently agreed UAW contract will increase the cost of every GM vehicle an average of $500 for the same taxpayers who saved them. I'm sure this contract with Chrysler will do the same, increase the cost of each vehicle for the same taxpayers who saved them. Now Unions are only good for the 15% of the folks and their families in them, for the other 85% of Americans not in a Union, they do nothing but increase the cost of every single product, service and tax we pay. This country needs a US Auto manufacturer building autos in the US with a Non-Union workforce, we need that option, I want value and quality and we can not get that with UAW wages, benefits and pensions averaging over $56 an hour. This makes for a non-competitive auto industry here in the US while they focus in China.
Um, the above is not a very convincing arguement against unions. There are some, but your point of raising the price on a car $500 is really silly. Yeah? $500 whole dollars based on how much you pay for a new car now? Big deal. If $500 goes to keeping people from rising up and stealing the money, and allow them to retire, if they are working, I have no problem with that. I don't think most other people do, either.
Worse, you talk about 15% of workers being represented by unions. Used to be over 30%. Terrible stat to bring up your point. If anything, it shows unions are less representative than they used to be. I. E. they wield less power and are less of a threat.
This is why it is just simple to leave the arguement at that a good company is a good company, period. If you run a company like s**T, it doesn't really matter if you had a union or not. The union is a straw man arguement for the suckers. By the way, SO is the management arguement. If we get back to making cars that do not suck, people will pay more for them. It has already been shown that they do. The problem is your average worker from MANAGEMENT and UNION is all trying to cry cry tears over their own little personal, selfish lives than make a company that works.
Sound familiar? Sounds like our voters. Sounds like our government. Sounds like all the whining on Newsvine that isn't actually intersted in solving anything, but just more b!tching. Few of us are an exception.
wcritiquing, are you really that naive to believe only one party created the mess this country is in? Our home equity was pooched when Bill Clinton forced banks to make mortgage loans to people without the resources or employment history to pay those loans. that in turn lead to homes being over valued, which then corrected itself when the people who received mortgages they couldn't afford defaulted, which caused the housing mess. Businesses tend to do much better when allowed to prosper or fail without government interference and had GM and Chrysler been allowed to figure it out or do it on their own they wouldn't have added to our current national debt. By the way the stock market crashed under Clinton as well (dotcom bust of '00). The Reps haven't done much better but you're a fool to blame only one party. They're all for sale to the highest bidder, even your beloved Dems.
Nice to see that a few years later and still most of you have learned who saved the car companies, who got a share and for what, who runs them or anything else. Sad that people who are so blind to the truth, and clueless in what really happened, talk about that as they prepare to vote. They should have a test at ballot boths, fail the test your ballot is not counted.
@Eric-913730
Why lie? The loans were paid back but what about the capital injection from the treasury where we bought preffered stock of both companies with non voting shares? The US Govt owns those shares at between 41-44 bucks, when GM is trading today for barely 21 bucks. When do we get the 50% back?
Looks like a horrible investment to me, proping up a failing corporation only prolongs the hurt.
Learn facts and stop spewing nonsense like I see you do all day on these blogs.
I did not see a single detail of the contract, or any reporting of wages, working conditions or anything else that may have been in the contract. I see posts all over the range spazzing about the contract or companies , or bail outs or politics. What's in the contract ? Does the reporter know ?
Why would Ford have disappeared? They would have had a monopoly on US auto sales?
Very well said. Very mature. Very Correct.
Brendan, it was a wonderful investment, look at how many jobs were saved and created.
ive never understood how a liberal could spin a 50% loss saying it was and is a wonderful investment
Same as a Douchebagger can disregard Enron as a tax loss. Anybody who thinks it is either liberals OR conservatives at fault needs only look in the mirror to see the problem.
Right on! Four more years of smoking pot and drinking beer at lunch, making pure crap and driving home in my Ford.
American cars are making a comeback. The Ford fusion is sold widely in Europe and is favorite.
It's not so hard to negotiate with unions.
Eric, last we knew the Ford Fusion was made in Mexico and had less US Part content then the Toyota Camry which is made here in the US. Has that changed?
Not true UAW, they are made here in America.
When is Chrysler going to pay back the 1.3Billion they owe the US taxpayer?
Here's your answer. If it hasn't already been done, it will be soon.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/us-chrysler-idUSTRE74M6BT20110523
Next question !
Bu...but...but the Republicans keep telling us that Chrysler is costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars!
That article claims they have payed it all back.
One of them must be lying, and everyone knows that politicians would NEVER lie to the public!
/sarcasm off
Erir, aka Jackass
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/21/autos/chrysler_government_exit/index.htm
Direct from the fed who loaned the money
I have to agree with you Banashcar. You know, afmcalaxn's post above yours sounds like it is coming from someone that makes $35.00 and hour, sweeping the shop.
So he's well paid, you aren't bitching about the 7 figure salaries for Wall Street CEO's.
Vote Republican and live on cat food!
You can afford cat food? I'm thinking the Republicans want us to eat Soylent Green.
Bush average unemployment 5%, Obama average unemployment 9%. Facts beat fascist propaganda every time.
Liberal lies are so easy to debunk.
that 1.3 billion has been paid back. When the government sold their shares to Fiat, that got the government out of the car business.
The government is still in the car business, GM hasn't paid back all it owes. Oh, isn't Fiat a foreign owned company?
Watching, we lost 1.3Bil of our investment when it was sold to the italians -- jackwagon.
So, to recap, the Obama Energy Department is loaning a foreign car company $3.5 billion so that it can pay the Treasury Department $7.6 billion even though American taxpayers spent $13 billion to save an American car company that is currently only worth $5 billion.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/05/truth-behind-chrysler-s-fake-auto-bailout-pay-back#ixzz1aZZbPd7x
Canman, that has been widely refuted. The long and short of it is the loan will be repaid with interest.
The strategy worked and saved lots of jobs and an industry. There are too many industries leaving the US, we need to keep all we can get.
jackass
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/21/autos/chrysler_government_exit/index.htm
I can see you calling the fed a liar mind you, but I don't think they were this time. And chrysler is now an italian company...
The contract reportedly has 18 PAGES of EMPLOYEE SENIORITY RIGHTS that among other things STOP management from promoting hard, effective workers over entrenched lazy workers and STOP management from firing slackers.
How will this help Chrysler compete against Toyota and Honda?
It won't help them compete.....that's not what Unions are about. They are about keeping Unions in business. The Unions have done a bang-up job (decades and decades) of pitting employee vs employer when the Union lies to it's members and only cares about keeping the dues income stream flowing. They bankrupt companies, pure and simple. I despise Unions and feel sorry for (some) of the members.
When the same union represents the employees of 3 competitors, that should explain it all. Competitors want to beat the others, plain and simple. Unions want everyone to be the same. They do not want Chrysler to out do Ford (or take your pick). They want every worker at every plant to be the same. That is pretty much what communism wants, everyone is the same.
come on madison, you know union and competition are complete opposites and are not to be used in the same sentence.
didn't you get the memo?
Wow, the communist UAW actually figured out working is better than striking against people who pay you for your inferior work. Way to go boys, you might be starting to think!
banaschar, it seems your work habits are seeping through into your post. Educate yourself about the history of the labor unions. Your weekends are a direct result of union negotiations after bloody confrontations, as are the wages you're being paid. Both sides of the fence are being paid what they're being paid because of union involvement. I spent 30 plus years working for a major corporation. The wages I received in management were directly tied to what was paid on the shop floor. It was always slightly above the union scale both in pay and benefits. Obviously things change over the years, and sacrifices must be made, but John Deere is doing just fine with their arrangement with the U.A.W. Jealousy sucks!
We know what Unions did long ago, now they do nothing but hinder this country. Unions are good for the 15% of the folks and their families in them, for the other 85% of Americans they do nothing but increase the cost of every single product, service and tax we pay. Yes John Deere is doing fine, but if you examine deeper you would see that farming is no longer just family business but now large Corps who have the means to purchase the best. Look at Harley Davidson, they were strong but the Unions had to give in just last year to stay in Wisconson rather than go south to a right to work state. Watch over time, John Deeres workforce will have to give as well.
Buy American or quit yer bitchin'
James, plenty of products are manufactured here that do not have the badge Ford, Chrysler or GM.
Let me help you: Buy non-UAW or quit yer bitchin'
Tried that already. Got a piece of junk that we had to "lemon law", that was was replaced by ANOTHER piece of junk, and we're still paying for the bailout of the unions.
mmmm mmmm mmmm Barack Hussein Obama mmmm mmmm mmmm
James...good luck buddy buying an American vehicle built entirely in the U.S. Many of the components of today's "American built" vehicles are manufactured overseas and then used in the vehicle assembly here.
Also, if you're true to your principle, stop buying gasoline for your American vehicle that was made from oil bought from a foreign country. Good luck with that too!
hes basically saying buy toyota, honda, or BMW considering they have more % built in america
holy ironic!
After wasting thousands and thousands on bull $hit foreign status symbols that were nothing but a huge and undependable pain in the a$$, I have converted all my vehicles to American made, frankly, I don't give a damn where the parts came from I only care where the profits and jobs go---to America.
As for the gasoline, we buy much of our foreign oil from Canada our good friends to the north and I don't mind helping them out one bit.
Buy American you fools, we are cranking out very good cars that make the others look like crap because they are. And never ever buy a Mercedes, the worst piece of unbelieveable over priced, over optioned junk on the planet. Germans revere auto engineering and mechnics so much they would rather sell you the car as kit so as not to deprive you all the fun of putting it together!
Buy the way my American made vehicles are terrific, AND, any person over the age of fifty with a screw driver and a pair of pliars can fix them!
Union mentality........scratch your a$$, earn your cash. What a parasite to a company, and to employees. Employees are brainwashed and end up paying into this secondary business. What a sham.
The economy still in an almost freefall, housing prices still plummeting, unemployment at 9%, 18 million Americans either out of work or working part time jobs, but the unions always make sure they get theirs, don't they?
Notice that they don't give ANY details of the agreement. All we get is a statement from the UAW President about how this is going to create 2,100 jobs. Union members whose dues will be used to elect Democrats so they can get more Billions of taxpayer dollars in paybacks, payoffs, and exemptions.
As for the Billions that Chrysler STILL owes the American taxpayer? Well, who really cares about that anyway. After all, the UAW survived and is now not only getting pay raises but more union "contributors", and that's a whole lot more important than the American taxpayers that kept them alive after they bankrupted the company.
UAW did a great job. I wonder how long before Chrysler goes bankrupt again. Especially since what Chrysler (and Fiat) actually owe the American taxpayer is worth more than the company itself.
Just another "greedy corporation".
I think it's "FIAT" now...
Where is American PRIDE?
Where is American LOYALTY?
Many of the above posts are proof as to why our country is in such dire straights!
This every man for himself attitude is destroying our country.
We no longer rise up each day to a BETTER nation, but to a BITTER one.
How about instead of going on their 30 minute breaks and one hour lunches to party, drink, and smoke a little dope, these workers build a QUALITY product?
We bought a GM vehicle, and had to "lemon law" it, and we got ANOTHER piece of junk in replacement. Sure makes me want to "buy American" after that experience. Meanwhile WE are still paying the interest on the money borrowed to bail out these people, and they are getting new contracts that give them even more in the middle of an economy that's in the tank.
Yep, sure makes me feel "loyal" to them.
How about their loyalty to US? Did you ever think of that? How about they take PRIDE in what they build instead of throwing junk out the door and turning their backs on us?
The "every man for himself" attitude is epitomized by the UAW. To hell with the taxpayers that bailed them out. To hell with the people that buy JUNK from them. They got theirs and now their getting more while tens of millions of Americans struggle just to get by.
Thanks UAW, you set the example for EXACTLY what "Disabled Voter" is talking about.
Hey disabled voter you hit the nail on the head. These idiots keep buying these imports and don't realize that they are killing this country.
Hey Tomvet.....Just in case you didn't notice, most of the "American" cars made today are ONLY "manufactured" (that would mean put together) in this country. The parts used are from OVERSEAS on nearly all of "American" cars.
As for "buying imports" and "killing this country", why don't you pay attention to WHY that's happening please? Why should ANYONE pay for an expensive piece of what is quite literally JUNK, just because it was "American made"?
They tried that back in the 70's. You know, "Buy American". And they were selling leaking, falling apart, gas hogs, that they wouldn't back.
Now they are selling "union made" pieces of junk and DEMANDING that this country "buy American" again.
You really think that saying that we need to "buy American" and then selling us pieces of junk, while they get raises in the middle of a tanking economy really "sells"? You think the fact that THEY get bailed out with OUR tax dollars, get their pay and benefit raises, and still haven't paid this nation back is going to get them ANY sympathy?
Why don't you wake the hell up? The UAW ripped off the American taxpayers for Billions of dollars. And now they continue to demand more raises, more benefits, putting more pressure on the companies that still us this nation tens of billions of dollars.
How long before we have another bailout demand vet????????
The problem Disabled Voter is Unions no longer do any good other than for the 15% of the folks and their families in them. For the other 85% of Americans they do nothing but increase the cost of every single product, service and tax we pay. These new Unions contracts will increase the cost of the products for the same taxpayers who are already overburdened in part from bailing these companies out. Its not about slave wages, its about fair wages and when you have a workforce averaging over $56 an hour in wage, benefit and pension to perform relatively low skilled repetitive work, that makes for expensive, uncompetitive product and a company that struggles to be profitable, hence the need to bail them out.
I don't know where you get your information from, but being that I work for Chrysler, and not to mention I am NOT a UAW member, you have no clue what your talking about. Chrysler has ALREADY PAID OFF THE GOVT LOANS almost 9 years then expected. Second the average salary is not 59$ an hour, hahaha thats crazy even for the UAW try closer to 15-25$. You people who complain are usually the ones not doing anything about the problem, but sitting our your @$$ in front of a computer and b**tching hoping the problems fix themselves. I agree that the UAW is very selfish and demanding it gets very old ( witness everyday bc I work at a Chrysler Manufacturing Plant) they have no idea how good they have it, but thats the UAW NOT Chrysler, which people neglecte to realize, they are NOT the same. They do not get a hour paid lunch, try 18 minutes, yes 18 minutes and thats not paid. Only the salary employees get paid on lunch and thats only 30 minutes. So to all those out there acting like they know, get a clue. Because of MY TAX MONEY AND THEIRS (UAW MEMBERS) AND EVERY OTHER AMERICAN OUT THERE, PEOPLE STILL HAVE JOBS!!!!!!!
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/21/autos/chrysler_government_exit/index.htm
Just.. Direct from the fed genius, 1.3 billion loss to the taxpayers. On top of it, most was repaid from a slush fund setup from money stolen from the investors. So if they paid back the government they did it with funds stolen from private citizens. STFU you moron.
dear big three, come to the south(texas, specifically) and leave the unions behind. as a former butcher, (a union job in some states), i know what non-union pay is like. it's decent, and there's a plenty of positions. HEB grocery sent Kroger and Albertsons packing(haha) bc they had union labor. HEB is non-union, and competes very favorably. try it, you'll see.
Listen here, all you republican do-do heads, I love the unions, I love making the big money, and I love working at the plant I currently work at. There's good money in the auto industry. All I can say is your tax money and mine went to a good investment. It kept me in a very good paying job, Thanks. Now I think I'm going to find me some Republicans wife to have a good time with. HA HA HA HA HA HA LMAO!!!
Thanks Spook. You just ensured that hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of people voted Republican next year.
Sure do appreciate you union people. I think I'll copy and paste your comment to the RNC. I'm sure they can do something with it.
Meanwhile, rest assured, there aren't many Republican wives out there that will give you the time of day. Maybe you can go to New York and get some of that "prime" stuff you're paying to walk the streets.
You know the people that the unions are paying to demand the destruction of "Capitalism", Wall Street and Corporations. The very SAME Capitalism, Wall Street, and Corporations that pay YOU by the way.
Typical union intelligence.
Do you really think I care what you do with my comment. All republicans twist and distort what ever they can to accomplish their agenda. Fortunately for you, there are so many ignorant people out there that you actually are successful in pushing your agenda. Republicans would love to see this country die, and bleed than to actually see the Obama administration have any success with the future of this nation.
Twist and distort?
And what have I "twisted or distorted"?
Republicans actually believe that this country should be based on the Constitution and what it was originally founded on, Individual freedom and Individual Responsibility.
People like you think this country is there for YOUR benefit, that everyone else should be paying YOUR way. Nanny state from birth, if you're allowed to be born, to death, which will be based on whether ObamaCare decides your treatment is "cost effective" or not.
You don't believe in actually WORKING for anything. You believe you are "owed" everything. Either by having the union making "demands" (notice that the unions always have "demands"?) or by having the government make your decisions for you.
Heaven forbid you EVER have to actually go out and EARN a living. But then again, you don't need to, do you? After all, as long as you keep giving those kickbacks....ooops I mean "dues" to the union, your job is safe, right?
Spookduke, kind of just like the liberals and Dems did under Bush so they could have their candidate elected in '08? This class warfare is a fire started by the Dems that they keep pouring gasoline on so they can keep getting re-elected while they pillage the citizens. They saw Bill Clinton's "scorched earth" policy work so well that they keep using it, knowing people incapable of or afraid to think for themselves (like you) will blindly follow them. Why would you keep blindly voting for a party that has more millionaires in Congress and has protected their own wealth through opposing mortgage reform and making sweetheart union deals even though its bankrupting this country? They divide and conquer with class warfare while smoking their big cigars and getting Lewinskied, yet lemmings like you follow them over the cliff.
@spookduke
Keep working for the union, you obviously have no experience outside a union or have any education for that matter.
Any educated individual would never work for a union, educated people realize early on that unions cater to the lowest common denominator, effectively screwing productive people.
the workers at the Chrysler plant produce a great automobile a true American dream machine ,all one can say is keep up the good work and keep America working
Well, well the union is happy so that is all that matters, long as the union gets what they demand the rest of us be damned, jobs going overseas because of labor rates, benefit packages we all end up paying for although you will never see that item on your window sticker and if trouble comes again to the auto industry because of union practise no worry boys and girls we will demand a bail out!
I feel sorry for you, that you go through life with absolutely no idea or understanding of what your talking about when it comes to Unions. Let me guess, Your friends or Daddy, Told you about those terrible Unions, and they told you to be a "yes man" when the big boss man says do it. "Why, Yes Sir Boss" I make sure I go to your back door next time.
"Let me guess, Your friends or Daddy, Told you about those terrible Unions, and they told you to be a "yes man" when the big boss man says do it. "Why, Yes Sir Boss"
Perhaps. And perhaps he exceled for that very reason. I know....it's far fetched....wanting to please your BOSS and the OWNER of the COMPANY who you WORK FOR. Wow....what a novel idea.
My father is union. UAW as a matter of fact. He made good money in the Bay Area in California. Of course he worked for three different dealerships, since two of them went bankrupt because they couldn't afford the union costs anymore. Although he was good at what he did, it really didn't matter if he had been totally incompetent, because after all, he was in the union.
He's making a fine pension too, and has good health insurance.
Meanwhile, we are NON-union, make good money for our HARD WORK and ABILITY, and we haven't put ANY businesses into bankruptcy. We don't have to pay anyone "dues". We pay for our own health insurance, and we'll draw a decent pension, not counting what we are saving.
The difference? Why we aren't paying the union for just having a job. We aren't supporting the CORRUPTION that the unions support in Washington. We are actually AGAINST the payoffs and paybacks to the teachers, public employee, SEIU, and UAW that people like YOU support.
Laugh all the way to the bank Spook. But also be aware. Then nation was pretty well 50/50 on the last bailout to you. They'll be 75/25 AGAINST on the next one.
cheryl how much did the cock brothers pay you to spew this bs???
What's the matter John? Can't face reality? Afraid of the truth?
Too bad that when someone has any kind of success story that does NOT involve unions that people like you call it a lie. (Look up Dailey Chevrolet in San Leandro....see when they went out of business John, and I can't even remember what the other one was because it was in business for only a couple of years before the owners went bankrupt)
And how much do you pay in "dues", that we don't? How much money does the union take from you monthly to pay for the election/reelection of Democrats so your union can steal more taxpayer dollars that we get to put in our savings?
Too bad that you think someone actually being willing to WORK for and EARN what they have is "bs".
But that's the liberal, union, mentality. Why work for, or even earn anything, when it's so much easier to steal it from either the taxpayers, or the consumers in this country?
This is absurdity. I cannot believe, whether a person was against the bailouts or not, that they actually want to see people lose their job, who have families and bills to pay. GM and Chrysler could have gone through bankruptcy, and possibly came out ahead, but at the cost of how many jobs? I was an engineer in the automotive business for many years, and there are good and bad people who work union jobs. Trust me, there are just as many people who are corrupt, lazy, and overpaid in the executive branches of the auto industry, as there are in the unions. Don't tell me, when I sat in the meetings with the top tier, listening to their "business plan", and watching them take two-hour lunches, leave the office early to play golf...etc., while at the same time they were watching each others back, that unions are the detriment of the industry. I am not taking up for unions, but the blame is shared, although not recognized that way. I personally hope that GM and Chrysler continue to thrive, and I now have no problem in looking at their products when I need another vehicle. I am a republican, and I have an education, I am pro-American, and I drive an American engineered and American MADE car that is a Mercury Montego Premier, and I am impressed with it, and I traded a BMW in on it, and don't regret it at all. Before we start complaining about losing taxpayer money on the bailouts, lets include Wallstreet, and also the fact that we give tons of taxpayer money away, with no chance of getting it back, to the U.N. and to other countries.....just GIVEN AWAY. Do the governements of these countries, or the U.N., or the people of these countries pay U.S. taxes?......NO!
Could someone please tell us how many times the word "merit" is mentioned in this union contract (or any union contract for that matter). Unions do not promote based on merit, productivity, efficiency, diligence, conscientiousness, etc... The union contract specifies that promotions will be based on 'seniority'. This 'concept' breeds complacency and laziness! Seniority destroys initiative! Look at what unions did to the textile industry, the steel industry, the garment industry, etc... Today, look at where our steel is made, our garments are made, our textiles are made, our electronics, etc.... Unionization will ensure that, in the not-too-distant future nothing will be Made in America. Nothing. Obama depends heavily on the 'union vote'. Is there a message here?
WOW! 10.09 jobs per week over the mext 4 years. So how much of an impact does this deal really make on the current economy. I am thankful for those 10.9 people who will be employed each week but I think they could have done better. More like 2100 jobs now and then another 10 or 20 per week for the next 4 years.
Now, a more productive negotiation would be how to reduce the cost of electric hybrids by at least 40% and pass that savings to the customer by reducing the retail by 40% also.
Sorry lam......that kind of stuff doesn't put any extra money and benefits into the union members' pockets.
They brag about "job creation", but they don't give any details on their raises or other benefits that Chrysler/Fiat have to pay for now.
Notice that they also don't say a thing about paying back any of that bailout money that WE put out for them.
My statement was suppose to be sarcasm. It was suppose to relay a message of a waste of negotiations.
Well, I have a 2002 Grand Cherokee with only 85K on it. When it hit around 80K, the power windows (3) failed 3 separate times $350 / each to replace. The air bag light is stuck on - who know how much that will cost to diagnose and fix, the radiator blew and had to be replaced, and now the turn signals don't work. I'd love to buy American but I'm not going to do so going forward with Chrysler... piece of junk! My wife's Nissan Maxima lasted past 200K miles with minimal repairs.
Can the democrats on here please explain something to me. You are all saying this is an example of good policy by Obama. All those protestors out there now are protesting against bailouts. Why was this good policy if everyone out there is protesting against this kind of policy. I am no bankruptcy expert but as far as I can tell going through bankruptcy would have left these companies in better shape without public funds being spent. I see a lot of posts that accuse republicans of protecting the rich even though most of them aren't rich. Aren't democrats supporting the transfer of public funds to union coffers even though most of them aren't in a union. I would really be interested in a reasoned logical answer. If there is no answer I would ask that you just not reply rather than rant about how I am an idiot right winger without the brains of a slug for having the audacity to ask questions.
john, right now UNIONS are actually paying some of these "protestors" to be up there.
I'd like to see them explain why they are not only supporty but are actually paying people to demonstrate against bailouts, Wall Street, Corporations, and capitalism, when bailouts, Wall Street, Corporations, and capitalism are the very reasons they have jobs in the first place.
This is absurdity. I cannot believe, whether a person was against the bailouts or not, that they actually want to see people lose their job, who have families and bills to pay. GM and Chrysler could have gone through bankruptcy, and possibly came out ahead, but at the cost of how many jobs? I was an engineer in the automotive business for many years, and there are good and bad people who work union jobs. Trust me, there are just as many people who are corrupt, lazy, and overpaid in the exucutive branches of the auto industry, as there are in the unions. Don't tell me, when I sat in the meetings with the top tier, listening to their "business plan", and watching them take two-hour lunches, leave the office early to play golf...etc., while at the same time they were watching each others back, that unions are the detriment of the industry. I am not taking up for unions, but the blame is shared, although not recognized that way. I personally hope that Gm and Chrysler continue to thrive, and I now have no problem in looking at their products when I need another vehicle. I am a republican, and I have an education, I am pro-American, and I drive an American engineered and American MADE car that is a Mercury Montego Premier, and I am impresseD with it, and I traded a BMW in on it, and don't regret it at all. Before we start complaining about losing taxpayer money on the bailouts, lets include Wallstreet, and also the fact that we give tons of taxpayer money away, with no chance of getting it back, to the U.N. and to other countries.....just GIVEN AWAY. Do the governements of thses countries, or the U.N., or the people of these countries pay U.S. taxes?......NO!
The crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority-
That is the definition of extortion, for those who don't know. Threatening to shutdown someone's company, thus costing them large sums of money, in order to take slightly smaller sums of money, would fit in that definition to any logical person. Strikes, in this day and age with our legal system protecting workers rights, are a form of extortion. We have a legal system that handles labor disputes. Use it and stop the unethical gamesmanship...and that goes for the businesses too!
Anyone arguing that unions are good because they helped get us the laws that protect workers has lost track of what is important. You can't keep a job for life because you did well the first month you had your job. You have to do something productive all the time. Unions created an income bubble that has basically popped. Their wages were so artificially inflated for what they were doing, they couldn't sustain the model. Now you have millions of workers unable (or unwilling?) to find new jobs because they aren't skilled enough to do anything else or because they are looking for something that will pay them what they were earning with the unions. If you've seen the employment numbers in that sector, you don't need me to tell you how that is going for them.
Unions truly have lost their place. They drive the cost of goods up for no reason other than their own desire for artificially higher wages. Even in times when wages aren't rising anywhere else. Unfortunately, the jobs union workers do are no longer high skill positions. It takes them longer to learn the union rules than it takes them to learn their job. Machines do more and more of the work, but they still want more money.
I find it disturbing and yet telling that while doing tax returns for several Chrysler employees that a general line worker who had been with the company in basically the same capacity for 25 years was making $25k more than one of the engineers that designed their cars. You want something that attests to the quality of a product and how backward a company can get when they are forced to give into the unions who want what they want regardless of what it costs? There you go. Want a reason why their cars can't compare to Toyota or Honda in quality? And if you think you want to quote a certain brake/acceleration issue with Toyota here you need to check the releases by both NASA and NHTSA that say there is and never was anything wrong with the electronics in those cars.
If unions seemed to care about the company and the products (everyone has heard of the abuses unions allow their employees to get away with that would get you fired anywhere else) they wouldn't seem to disregard quality and profitability for their companies. But when the companies can't do business anymore, the unions won't have anyone to extort their money from.
It's funny because I do earn every dime I make and have Carpel tunnel killing me. I was just kidding about the very first comment I made in a sense. I don't want you thinking I don't earn my living. My pay is what I consider right. Not too much, but just right. I don't want my Union asking for any more but I'm just not willing to give any back either. This nation is in a fix right now because employers look at this current situation as "Just how cheap can I get away with." Our recovery is going to take longer because the house hold income has dropped considerably. More people have gone back to work they just don't make enough to float the boat any more. Now who's fault is that, Let me guess your thinking Obama, right. No, its tight azz business Republicans.
No offense spookduke, but the reason why the auto industry here in the US is having trouble is because machines aren't used as often in repetitive tasks. Such as the ones that would give you Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The reason is because our unions fight them.
We can't have a union job taken away by a machine, right? Well, what about a newer and more advanced union job that revolves around the machine itself? Do you think the machines repair themselves? Check their own work? There are things that humans simply can't do as well as machines. And fighting the machines for the sake of a job in opposition to quality seems wrong.
I don't want someone to lose their job. But I don't want someone to lose their life because of poor quality either.
"My pay is what I consider right. Not too much, but just right" - Spookdude
Good call captain obvious. You think anyone goes out and says, "i think i get paid too much."
idiot