If only we could figure out a way to send those UAW chiefs over to China to start unions over there....

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

I think it is more or less an obligatory strike on their part. A sort of traditional sabre rattling, if you will.
GM probably doesn't mind too much....this way they can get rid of excess inventory; and the UAW workers, will get a make believe satisfaction, that they've "stuck it to the man" once again.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

If unions weren't run mob-style, they'd serve an essential purpose.

And, even though the UAW poorly serves its members, they are hardly the only reason American auto companies are in the crapper. There's plenty of mismanagement going on, it's not like they'll all be healthy and growing if only that pesky UAW wasn't around.

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1984 300TD

How is making your workers strike when a company is most vulnerable not hardly a way to put a company in the crapper? The UAW is THE reason American companies are in the crapper UAW does not allow quality incentives, work performance based compensation and many other things that make a company productive.

Case in point GM Europe and Mexico is making enough money to handle the shortfall in CONUS operations.

If you have any dispute with that please try to present something factual; high CEO salaries don't count BTW.

Don't forget Mercedes!

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The reason car American manufactures came close to failing is because the workers have 0 incentive to do a good job, good bad or ugly they get paid the same and per Union contract it has been impossible to punish a worker for doing a crappy job.

If a worker shows up to work drunk they are sent home if they do it again they are sent home if they do it again they are put into rehab with full pay. I have never heard of one being fired the ones with real bad problems are the guys you see at picket lines.

Excellent suggestion. They could do for the developing auto industry of China what they have done for the USA. Actually, that's only partly tongue-in-cheek.

American unions were absolutely the only way that workers were going to get any sort of justice out of industry. At the time, it was not the role of gov to interfere with industry and so employees were basically ... f**ked. Conditions were ghastly, hours long, pay, miniscule and unfair pay preferences for whites and the management's chums. Unions did workers in the USA a great and valuable service. But they quit being a positive force for change and shifted into greed-o-matic parasites designed to bleed the company from the bottom.

So now American industry has doubly burdened with plutocrat parasites on the top who don't seem to know crap about their own businesses who are in collusion with union management to gang-rape stockholders and consumers. I'm all for exporting that management style to China.

B

The UAW is not the only problem. The Big Three don't innovate, don't compete, don't perform, produce poor quality, and trot out stale backwards looking designs. They are terrible marketers and design obselensce into their cars. And CEO salaries do count.

They still use ancient technology. Leaf springs, pushrod engines, etc.. They sit back and watch the imports innovate to see if it'll work before they even think about trying it. They gave up on cars in the early 80's to make SUVs and minivans. Now that the Japanese have crushed them in the minivan division, the big three abandoned that market.

The UAW is a big problem for them, no doubt about that. I didn't say Hoffa would be proud of them meaning it in a good way. But let's not pretend they'd dominate anything if the UAW magically went away.

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1984 300TD

Wanna get rid of a union worker? Kill him. It would be easier and/or cheaper than firing him.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Last time I checked GM is locked tight with Toyota for top automaker, I'd say that is domination don't you?

Um, no. I think tied for a place is the opposite of domination.


EDIT: Also, it was management with no foresight that agreed to some of the ridiculous protections for UAW workers.

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1984 300TD

Oh, OK so you don't think even 2nd place is domination. Have you ever studied the proportion of cars sold by manufacture 35% of the China market and 25% of the US market is domination.

On quality last time I checked GM was up with Toyota and above in a many cases.

Um no, federal regulators forced the automakers to accept the contracts.

Domination:

1 : supremacy or preeminence over another
2 : exercise of mastery or ruling power
3 : exercise of preponderant, governing, or controlling influence

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Then who dominates? 1% over your competition is not domination.