On the subject of who "made out" in the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies, I saw a piece on CNN this morning where they were interviewing employees who will be out of work at the GM Janesville, WI plant. Right at the end of the piece, the interviewer said, "Before you feel too bad for the UAW workers who will lose their jobs, understand that they will get full pay for the first year after their plant is closed and 50% pay for the second year."

That's a far more generous package than almost any that I can think of or have heard of other than those CEO golden parachutes.

Forgive me if I have trouble feeling sorry for all the "tremendous sacrifices" Ron Gettlefinger says were given by the UAW. From everything I've read, the UAW has thrown any yet-to-be hired emplyees under the bus as far a pay rates and benefits ae concerned. But the 60,000 or so remaining employees and the 375,000 retirees haven't been hurt at all. Of course, both Chrysler or GM will have to get profitable in a hurry if that stock that was contributed to the VEBA will actually provide for money to pay the retiree health benefits. But even if it doesn't, the UAW can always appeal to the government for more money or negotiate for more cash from the "new" Chrysler and GM.

Plus the State of Wisconsin is funding "retraining" while they collect their UAW benefits. I'm just a sole proprietor trying to stay in the black. Where's my bailout. By the time this state finishing raising taxes, I'll be out of business.

In an economy built by "the little guys" it's the little guys who the ones to feel sorry for!

to pay the union members FOR NOT WORKING!!!!
In a normal bankruptcy filing one of the big advantages is to be able to not have to pay creditors including the union.
But the Obama/union sweetheart package assures their funding. Not exactly fair to the real share holders of these companies.
I know, I have a son in law who works for GM and he infuriates me when he tells me what he gets paid to NOT WORK and for how long. As the saying goes the devil is in the details and we the people will never know the details and deals made.

From me feeling sorry for union workers is easy....NEVER. So when you see the oh so terrible headlines about the auto workers who were laid off last week, there never is the factoid that says but don't worry....they are being paid for the forseeable future. Misinformation again at it's best.

When unions used to have war chests to support strikes, is it any wonder the rank and file could care less about being shut out of work? They were getting paid at least 60-70% of their normal wage for NOT WORKING.

The unions and politicians that suck up for the votes are to blame for the REAL lost jobs.

As a small business owner or non union employee when was the last time paid for NOT WORKING???

It is a not so funny joke on we the people.

BTK

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

On the subject of who "made out" in the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies, I saw a piece on CNN this morning where they were interviewing employees who will be out of work at the GM Janesville, WI plant. Right at the end of the piece, the interviewer said, "Before you feel too bad for the UAW workers who will lose their jobs, understand that they will get full pay for the first year after their plant is closed and 50% pay for the second year."

That's a far more generous package than almost any that I can think of or have heard of other than those CEO golden parachutes.

Forgive me if I have trouble feeling sorry for all the "tremendous sacrifices" Ron Gettlefinger says were given by the UAW. From everything I've read, the UAW has thrown any yet-to-be hired emplyees under the bus as far a pay rates and benefits ae concerned. But the 60,000 or so remaining employees and the 375,000 retirees haven't been hurt at all. Of course, both Chrysler or GM will have to get profitable in a hurry if that stock that was contributed to the VEBA will actually provide for money to pay the retiree health benefits. But even if it doesn't, the UAW can always appeal to the government for more money or negotiate for more cash from the "new" Chrysler and GM.

Thanks for the post VK.

All the main stream media reports I have seen speak of the "concessions" that had to be made by the UAW, and such things.

Nice "concessions"..but I guess everything is in its own perspective...they probably really believe they got badly hurt.....I think every other employee of any company in the country would not hesitate to make "concessions" that would bring full pay for not working for one year !

Taxpayers get dumped on again...what's new. Almost everybody knew that bankruptcy was the only option last year and the billions given them was only delaying the inevitable. And what about the retiree's? They will receive their pensions from the same source as the social security people?
What a sweetheart deal.
Keedy

Never fear. There's still the 500-page bailout bill that nobody bothered to read that was also a "we gotta do this in a rush" just like the Big 3 bailout. The "best" is yet to come.......

Very hard for me to feel sorry for those folks with that kind of a severance deal. Even harder to understand how GM will survive with still paying these kind of crazy benefits to the union. A poll today on CNN shows some 51% of respondents are now not inclined to buy an American car.

[QUOTE=SteveZ;206888]Never fear. There's still the 500-page bailout bill that nobody bothered to read that was also a "we gotta do this in a rush" just like the Big 3 bailout. The "best" is yet to come.......[/QUOTE]

Indeed Steve.... At the risk of hijacking this thread, but on a similiar note, A new book coming out finally puts to rest a huge myth of this campaign: It was "put out there" in the web world and circles everywhere, that the internet and large numbers of "small donations" accounted for the huge $$$ money poured into Obama's coffers. Now they admit that it had nothing to do with the internet contributions but it came from "Large Donations" from individuals and organizations.
It just gets better and better.
What is the word? Oh ya....SHEEPLE.

Keedy

Always have been....Buicks and Cadillacs over the years.

I am a firm believer that there should be and American car in every driveway (and I don't mean non US cars made in AMERICA).

I will still get my service done at the dealer (who survived!!).

However if a new car should happen to come up in the future it will not be a GM car as long as the government is involved....just on principal.

Looks like there could have to be a Ford in the future. And if I decide to get a newer Vette....I would and will but another new Vette.....

BTK

I tried to keep my vehicles domestically made but I got tired of break-downs and junk. My last one was a new 1972 Chevy. Man, what a clunker. I'm sorry but I talked to alot of mechanics in those days and they were fed up with the country club atmosphere that was Detroit. I know I am treading on sacred ground here and I don't want to offend anyone but I'm a true American and a war veteran, but Detroit's culture in those days were "if it is broken..don't fix it". Problems they knew about in one year carried over into the next and the next. You pull into the dealer and they knew the problem without looking at it. Anyways...they finally did get their act together but their reputation takes many years to restore.
Keedy

Lifted this from a blog:

Lack Of Personal Responsibility: As a society, we encourage a "victimhood mentality" and an overweening government that never met an issue it didn't want to dive into with both feet; so we shouldn't be surprised that so many Americans expect to be rewarded for failure.

If GM fails, we've got to step in and keep it afloat. If people snuck into this country illegally, we can't be so hardhearted as to obey the law and deport them! If you bought a house you couldn't afford, you shouldn't be penalized for that when the market takes a bad turn. If you bought a blender, tried to start it in your bathtub, and were nearly electrocuted -- that's not your fault! The manufacturers should have put a warning sticker on it.

We're descended from pioneer stock. Our ancestors explored, conquered, and tamed a continent. They couldn't rely on the police to show up if an Indian raiding party showed up at their isolated cabin at 3 AM. There was no school lunch program on the Oregon Trail. If your buggy whip company was going out of business because of those new fangled auto-mo-biles, you didn't get 20 billion dollars in taxpayer money so you could open up a new branch in China, you went out of business. If our ancestors were alive, they would sneer in disdain at what a nation full of whining babies their descendants have become.
That was number 1 of 5 character flaws destroying America. PM... me if you want the link to the site.
Keedy

I hope someone buys Obama a calculator for Father's Day. For some reason he doesn't seem to understand the RED column is growing exponentially faster than the BLACK column. I guessed he asked for a printing press instead of a calculator.

If you watch the news cast showing UAW workers at work, it seems the hardest part of their job is making sure that the robot that they are guiding doesnt hit them in the u know where. Doesnt appear to be too strenuous a job for the 60 or 70 thousand a year.

Wonder if GM are sorry for "Killing the Electric Car".