Egret Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 GM offers buyouts to all union workers DEE ANN DURBIN Associated Press DETROIT — General Motors Corp., eager to lower wages and staunch the kinds of losses it saw in 2007, said Tuesday it is offering a new round of buyouts to all 74,000 of its U.S. hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers union. That would include workers at GM’s Lansing Grand River and Lansing Delta Township assembly plants. Workers will be given the details of the buyouts over the next several weeks. Most of those who accept are expected to leave by July 1, the company said. The UAW represents 98 percent of the company’s U.S. hourly workers, with smaller unions representing the rest, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. GM won’t say how many workers it hopes to shed or how much it expects the buyouts to cost, but under its new contract with the UAW, it will be able to replace up to 16,000 workers doing nonassembly jobs with new employees who will be paid half the average old wage of $28 per hour. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said he expects fewer than 20,000 workers to take the buyout. Gettelfinger said the union understood more buyouts would be coming when it agreed to the contract. “We didn’t go into the contract blind. We’re proud of our membership. There are certain things we cannot control,” he said during an interview with a local radio station. Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC already have announced similar buyout offers. GM had been offering buyouts to about 5,200 UAW workers at service and parts operations and some closed plants since December. Those workers, which include those working at the Service Parts Operation facility in Delta Township, now are eligible for the new, sweetened offer. The deal raises the incentive payments for retirement-eligible workers by $10,000 for production workers and $27,500 for skilled workers. Retirement-eligible workers will be offered $45,000 for production workers and $62,500 for skilled workers to retire with their full pension and health benefits. Those workers can take the money in a lump-sum payment or take it as monthly payments. They also can roll the money directly into a retirement account or 401(k). Looks like the union built car just took a hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 America now is not the america we once knew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 America can't compete anymore. I give this country 25 years at most until the collapse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirehairman Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 If American car manufacturers are going to compete with foreign companies, they need to do business like the foreign companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Everytime I step on the gas, I kill another P.O.S. Honda/Toyota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 honda and toyota employ many non union, american workers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirehairman Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 honda and toyota employ many non union, american workers. ding! ding! winner, winner, chicken dinner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Soup Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 America now is not the america we once knew While I understand the freedom of assembly and the formation of unions, I think it is decidedly un-American in other regards. But, we've been through this before...:sorryRobn!: Everytime I step on the gas, I kill another P.O.S. Honda/Toyota. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 While I understand the freedom of assembly and the formation of unions, I think it is decidedly un-American in other regards. But, we've been through this before...:sorryRobn!: Me too. Why do you love China? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 it is awfully ironic that union types incessantly blame politicians, corporations, etc. for sending jobs overseas. look in the mirror, fellas. it is not a failing of american ingenuity or american engineering that has ruined american automaking, but the fact that they have to pay a guy 60 bucks an hour when he's worth half that, they can't fire guys who do bad work, can't promote guys who do good work, etc. as someone else pointed out, the foreign companies that open non-union plants here are doing great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 it is awfully ironic that union types incessantly blame politicians, corporations, etc. for sending jobs overseas. look in the mirror, fellas. it is not a failing of american ingenuity or american engineering that has ruined american automaking, but the fact that they have to pay a guy 60 bucks an hour when he's worth half that, they can't fire guys who do bad work, can't promote guys who do good work, etc. as someone else pointed out, the foreign companies that open non-union plants here are doing great. Realistically I'd have to say it's a combination of all the above, including the lack of American ingenuity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 it is awfully ironic that union types incessantly blame politicians, corporations, etc. for sending jobs overseas. look in the mirror, fellas. it is not a failing of american ingenuity or american engineering that has ruined american automaking, but the fact that they have to pay a guy 60 bucks an hour when he's worth half that, they can't fire guys who do bad work, can't promote guys who do good work, etc. as someone else pointed out, the foreign companies that open non-union plants here are doing great. It was also the sins of the former foremen that created the unions. If people were fair to each other, unions would not be needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 It was also the sins of the former foremen that created the unions. If people were fair to each other, unions would not be needed. this is true. but it also happened in the past. unions are no longer needed today and hinder progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 It was also the sins of the former foremen that created the unions. If people were fair to each other, unions would not be needed. probably true, but blaming people from the past doesn't exactly offer much remedy for present problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) this is true. but it also happened in the past. unions are no longer needed today and hinder progress. False. Whether or not you think unions hinder "progress" depends solely on what your interests are. But since you're a rape and pillage capitalist, I can see how those pesky unions might get in the way of maximizing your portfolio's performance. Of course, I'm sure families of union workers see it a bit differently. Regardless, the time of the unionized auto worker is over. But the existence of unions still provide a necessary counterbalance to market forces that favor the employer too heavily. Edited February 12, 2008 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 False. Whether or not you think unions hinder "progress" depends solely on what your interests are. But since you're a rape and pillage capitalist, I can see how those pesky unions might get in the way of maximizing your portfolio's performance. Of course, I'm sure families of union workers see it a bit differently. do you keep your hair nice like john edwards too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) do you keep your hair nice like john edwards too? I dunno, sometimes. Do you always have to be so petulant? Edited February 12, 2008 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 I dunno, sometimes. Do you always have to be so petulant? wait. you call someone a "rape and pillage capitalist", i ask if you use a blowdryer, and you ask me why i am petulant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 It was also the sins of the former foremen that created the unions. If people were fair to each other, unions would not be needed. yup everything is about the bejamins baby .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 wait. you call someone a "rape and pillage capitalist", i ask if you use a blowdryer, and you ask me why i am petulant? Quit trying to dodge the question you minority lynching dollar humper! Do you indeed ALWAYS have to be so petulant? [Judge Smails] Well... we're waiting! [/Judge Smails] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) False. Whether or not you think unions hinder "progress" depends solely on what your interests are. But since you're a rape and pillage capitalist, I can see how those pesky unions might get in the way of maximizing your portfolio's performance. Of course, I'm sure families of union workers see it a bit differently. Regardless, the time of the unionized auto worker is over. But the existence of unions still provide a necessary counterbalance to market forces that favor the employer too heavily. i wonder what the families of jobless union workers in michigan think about toyota never wanting to build a plant due to the uaw. Edited February 12, 2008 by dmarc117 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 i wonder what the families of jobless union workers in michigan think about toyota never wanting to build a plant due to the uaw. Probably that it sucks, but that over the years they got more with the union than without. The jobs that were going to go overseas were leaving, regardless. And if the out of work union folks want a non-union job building cars in the US they're free to move and apply for them. Like I already said, the day of the unionize autoworker is over. But that's not to say unions are worthless for other professions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Probably that it sucks, but that over the years they got more with the union than without. The jobs that were going to go overseas were leaving, regardless. And if the out of work union folks want a non-union job building cars in the US they're free to move and apply for them. Like I already said, the day of the unionize autoworker is over. But that's not to say unions are worthless for other professions. but that not what those guys on the radio tell us... geppers yo who can we believe . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Wait......are you saying dmarcs oversimplified view isn't necessarily accurate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) But the existence of unions still provide a necessary counterbalance to market forces that favor the employer too heavily. I completely agree. It's unfortunate that unions sometimes over-play their hands during CBA negotiations. Changes in energy prices and the level of foreign competition have rendered many in the auto and airline industries out of work because their employers can't deliver what the CBA demands when their company's revenue shrinks. If I were in a union, I'd be more interested in long-term job security than trying to get as much as humanly-possible out of the next CBA. Edited February 12, 2008 by Bill Swerski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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