UPDATE 1-UAW seeking GM board seat -union official

[DavisZR1]

UPDATE 1-UAW seeking GM board seat -union official

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN0832954620081208

[DavisZR1]

If autoworkers who are members of the UAW worked for nothing, they could not save auto companies that face a devastating cash crisis in our deep national recession. Yet a handful of Republican senators were so determined to cut workers’ living standards and scapegoat the autoworkers union that they were willing to block the bipartisan proposal for a bridge loan to the American auto industry and play Russian roulette with our economy. That is outrageous. This group of minority senators failed to act as stewards of the American public.

Gettelfinger says the union had reached an agreement with Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker to make some more concessions that would allow the bill to pass, but opponents in the Republican caucus defeated the deal because a small group is trying to deny workers a voice in the workplace.

The union is the only way workers have a strong voice. The right wing has tried to paint union as a dirty word. There’s no question who the minority in the Senate was representing. They figured they could use this to strike a blow to the heart of the unions.


There is going to be an attempt to use the economic crisis to create a race to the bottom for working people that only worsens the great inequalities that have become the mainstay of the American economy over the last 25 years.


When you look at the facts, it’s clear the men and women of the UAW care about their country and their industry.

All this hatred about unions is crazy.

Unions only represent 12.6 of this country work force and have been slowly fading over the last decade or so.

It wasn't the union that hurt this country,it was the corporations that took the tax breaks that were suppose to be invested in this country and invested the money in countries that use extremely low wage earners to increase their profits, but it back-fired big time.

Why, because they forgot who was buying most of the cars here, The same American public they are laying off by the thousands.

Think about this, during these tough times, what if your employer ended your healthcare, ended your pension programs or fired you unjustly, who would stand up for you.

Yes, in ways the Unions did go too far admittedly, but overall they have helped this great country immensely by improving working conditions, just ask any coal miner. These corporations would rather see us work for McDonalds wages, and bring small businesses to their knees.

Without somebody fighting for good and safe working conditions, fighting to keep healthcare and pensions,soon we will be just like those poor wage earner in foreign countries, which is the goal of every global corporations.

Always remember that it was the unions and workers who fought.... and when I say fought, lives were lost.....and it was the unions who won these important issues for the American public, it wasn't the greedy corporations who would have done these things on their own. We needed to force them, and ultimately many laws were passed because of the fight. Laws that we would never have in effect now. Now new laws need to be passed that fit today's times. And, don't count on the big corporations to solve it, as always, you'll have to count on the American people and the unions.

[UtahZR1]

I read this on another forem it's good.

Quote:

I have had enough of all you know nothings beating down our brothers and sister trying to make a living in this country. In Japan nobody buys anything from America or Korea or China for that matter. If it even got into the country it would be taxed so high as to be unaffordable. Same goes for the other Asian countries they take care of their own and that includes heavy government investment and tax breaks for THEIR AUTOMAKERS. They also manipulate their currency. We over here just eat our own we have no loyalty to our fellow Americans.

I detect a lot of sour grapes that The UAW makes a good wage (at least it used to) because some of you think a monkey could build a car. Try it then. It is nowhere as easy as any of you who have not done it for 10 -20 years think. Your body gets destroyed from repetitive strains and injuries it IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK. And do it for $14 an hour. That IS the starting wage under the Big 3 right now. By 2010(not 2011) the Big 3 and the UAW, in the last contact 2007, would have addressed every argument you guys bring up. The wages would be lower than the transplants and benefits non existent. Yeah a good thing for America right? Unfortunately the greedy bankers and Wall street have brought the lending market to a stop. Ford borrowed their butts off last year and GM was trying to live within its means and that is why they are where they are.

I remember growing up the large employers had a stake in the community they built in ,even building houses for the employees. They were in touch with the towns they lived in and helped them grow an prosper. The CEOs did not make millions they made 4 or 5 times what the guy on the floor made and were happy and lived well.

I hear whining that the UAW is the problem NO YOU ARE the problem. The UAW has helped raise the standards of living in this country in spite of the greedy people who see unions as passé. The same people would have us all have no health care provided by employers and 401Ks( we see how that is working now don't we?) as the sole source of retirement income. Why? So they can make a buck of the backs of cheap labor just like the people around where I live ****ing the blood of the illegals building condos at the beach.

Are we are all pitiful greedy people who would rather spite those that are more fortunate than us to a point that we destroy our own economy and country because we are jealous of somebody actually having a better paying job than we do?

We are supposed to be fellow enthusiasts and have pride in our cars but yet we say let the company that built them die and the workers get a job at mickey Ds. Sometimes I am just ashamed to say I am an American and after reading PR&C threads and what has been said in this forum this is one of those times. Millions of people may lose everything they have worked their entire lives for and all we can say is "good for them" they deserve it. I am sorry I just cannot agree........

Well said! All we have gained over the years from the hard work of our fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers fighting to make the workplace better, is slowly being lost. If no one fights, corporations will get their way, which they already have started to, with employees working 80 hours a week, with medical, pension and 401k's slowly being taken away from them, and their quality of life to spend with their families is being destroyed. We are not setting an example for the rest of the world, but mimicking their work force standards of low pay, no benefits and working way too hard for nothing.

[fatherlarry]

The fact is....The Greed From The Right Wing. And, look where our country stands now. They tried to take on too much like Rome did, and Rome fell. This Republican administration wants to bury the middle class. They want people begging for jobs, on their knees, and they want control. It's a vigilanti government which has reared it's ugly horns more than once over the history of our nation. Look at the persecution of Sacco and Vanzetti.

I understand that you have facts, however, we have facts too. Interview some of the blue collar laborers in this country, such as:

1)Steelworkers
2)Garment Industry sweat shop workers
3)Coal Miners
4)Auto workers
5)Truckers

And, the list goes on. Ask those people about facts. The corporations lobbyied laws into effect to stop the workers right to demonstrate and protest to have a say in their working conditions and standard of living. And, more than half of these workers were ww1, ww2 and Viet Nam vets. The corporations used the police to go in and beat the crap out of them.

Now that the baby boomers and the people that fought for a 40 hour work week, a pension and medical coverage, decent working conditions, fifteen minute breaks and a half hour for lunch, are losing it all. Retiree's now have to go back to work at 69 years old , because of what they have lost due to the corp greed. And, most retirees are struggling to obtain affordable health care. And their children are now working 80 hour weeks, 7 days a week, with both parents having to work. They have strangers raising their kids in day care. Their health insurance, pensions, overtime and dignity are being swiped away from them. I think after working for a company for 20-30 years, everyone is entitled to live as comfortable as corporate management and our politicians do, with a pension, social security and free medical for them and their spouse for the rest of their lives. So you talk about Socialism, no we are not fighting for socialism, but against people that basically are just saying "it's all good for me, so the hell with you" You feel that you don't want government watching, but it's the people that make the government and the people are now saying "enough with this greedy administration, and conservatism" we need help. We do need change, but we need change within our own country, not to help the rest of the world find their way. I hope to God that the unions penetrate Honda, Toyota and Nissan. And if they do, watch how fast they pull out and go back to their own countries.

Oh yes, CHANGE is the spirit that America was built on. The spirit of America is to have a better standard of living for all people. My father and I fought for this country in two different wars, and so did the Afro Americans and look how they were treated. Would you say that they were treated in the American spirit. Liberal rantings to you, but it is actually conservative thievery that cause the problems we have now.


Aftr working for a company for over 30 years, I think we deserve a little piece of the pie to make it comfortable in our remaining years. Or, should just the congressman, sentators and corporate heads walk away with it all.

So if you lose your job, or retire with nothing, and claim you can do it all by yourself without money, see how far you get once the medical industry starts wiping you out. Meanwhile, all the corp execs will sit high on the hog, enjoying their retirement vacations and free medical.