Comments on: Oh, the irony http://cogitabamus.net/2008/12/oh-the-irony/ Marginally sensical ramblings from senility's edge Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:33:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Ben http://cogitabamus.net/2008/12/oh-the-irony/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Ben Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:58:43 +0000 http://cogitabamus.net/?p=64#comment-19 No offense, but you might want to dig a little deeper before you conclude that the UAW is really the major culprit here. There's been quite a bit of disinformation circulated against them. Don't take my word for it, though, look up the CSPAN coverage of the Senate banking committee's latest hearing on the auto bailout. The CEO's of the big 3 actually stood up for Ron Gettelfinger and the UAW, to the chagrin of Tennessee Senator Corker, whose response to every piece of information presented to him was a variation on "The only way to resolve this is for the UAW to take a big haircut." When the CEOs are satisfied that the workers have made every sacrifice they can for the sake of saving the companies, it's time to look for other places to make cuts. The analysts CNN refers to are glossing over that the wage disparities they cite are cherry-picked examples, which are not representative of the industry as a whole. The wage-parity regulation they mention would actually require GM, Chrysler, and Ford to give UAW workers a pay increase in several states. CNN also fails to mention that the GOP Senators leading the campaign to force more concessions from the UAW come from states in the South with foreign automakers' plants. The push to force the UAW to take pay cuts has nothing to do with making sure that the big 3 are bringing costs under control and protecting the taxpayers' investment. It's about discouraging workers at foreign auto plants in their states from joining the UAW. The sticking point isn't short-sighted, pig-headed union members, it's an ideological determination to undermine collective bargaining. It's no coincidence that what these Senators keep advocating is for the big 3 to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy, wherein the judge could modify the terms of the existing contracts without the union's consent. No offense, but you might want to dig a little deeper before you conclude that the UAW is really the major culprit here. There’s been quite a bit of disinformation circulated against them.

Don’t take my word for it, though, look up the CSPAN coverage of the Senate banking committee’s latest hearing on the auto bailout. The CEO’s of the big 3 actually stood up for Ron Gettelfinger and the UAW, to the chagrin of Tennessee Senator Corker, whose response to every piece of information presented to him was a variation on “The only way to resolve this is for the UAW to take a big haircut.” When the CEOs are satisfied that the workers have made every sacrifice they can for the sake of saving the companies, it’s time to look for other places to make cuts.

The analysts CNN refers to are glossing over that the wage disparities they cite are cherry-picked examples, which are not representative of the industry as a whole. The wage-parity regulation they mention would actually require GM, Chrysler, and Ford to give UAW workers a pay increase in several states.

CNN also fails to mention that the GOP Senators leading the campaign to force more concessions from the UAW come from states in the South with foreign automakers’ plants. The push to force the UAW to take pay cuts has nothing to do with making sure that the big 3 are bringing costs under control and protecting the taxpayers’ investment. It’s about discouraging workers at foreign auto plants in their states from joining the UAW. The sticking point isn’t short-sighted, pig-headed union members, it’s an ideological determination to undermine collective bargaining. It’s no coincidence that what these Senators keep advocating is for the big 3 to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy, wherein the judge could modify the terms of the existing contracts without the union’s consent.

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