These are all such valid points! Steve you are so right that blame placing is a waste of time, as both management and Unions are obligated to do their best for their constituents (Management the shareholders and Unions the workers), but in the last 15 years we have moved a long way toward the understanding that when the ship sinks, the sailors and officers die. Joint cost and quality improvement efforts (many based upon Deming’s principals) have taken away the poor product argument. If you look to CR there are highly recommended American cars in every category. How much is it worth to each of us personally to commit to buy more American made products?

My father, (a loyal Cadillac guy) a manager with no auto industry ties, used to remind me, when I had a boyfriend pull up in a foreign car, that his stint on the USS Picking in the South Pacific in WWII would have been a waste of time if we gave our country away for a few bucks of savings to out of country government sponsored businesses.

Captain, That point about making "things" is one I have been arguing ever since the financial guys took over the top positions in the auto industry. The car lovers were replaced by the quick return on a dollar guys. These guys didn’t care if we ever made a car again, as long as we made a buck. To maintain a long-term robust economy any economist will tell you that you have to export more than you import, not just push around money and ideas.

When we lost steel jobs, most people not directly effected, didn't notice, “those jobs were dirty and the people didn't deserve the wages they were getting paid,” was the justification. Then came the call center jobs, the engineering and design jobs all outsourced (getting a little scary and closer to home), now we hear talk that European doctors are limited to about $50,000 per year, helping keep health care affordable for everyone. Questions abound about the worth of CEO's CFO's and other executives in banking and industry. We can go on pointing accusing fingers at each other until we all come crashing down or...

The Union's position is to bring everyone up, not down. Our strength is as RS, stated in innovation. The future belongs to the next new idea, and our dedication should remain to to making “it” here thereby keeping this country's economy strong and self sufficient.

They should pay us all to fix this mess, it seems like all of the answers are right in front of our noses!