Chrysler has some brass ones...

[tinroofrusted]

Amazing that some people feel comfy walking off the job to "protest" in this economy.

I know here in MI we are ESPECIALLY feeling the pinch, and this just angers the tar out of me!

[Bandit]

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008744693

Interesting contrast...

Chrysler is the most generous among Detroit automakers, by the time all non-cash benefits are factored in, including health insurance and pension costs, each worker on average costs Chrysler $75.86 per hour in wages and benefits.

In contrast, the average hourly wages plus benefits for employees at Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co. cost around $48 per hour when adding in all benefits, such as health insurance, disability insurance, workers compensation, pension and unemployment insurance.

You don't see much of this today, good thing for the few unions that still exist. Striking was big in the last century when most everything was still made here & it worked. Today if you strike in most jobs then that will be equal to quitting & don't expect to go back.

[HRx]

It's one of the luxuries of being in a union!! lol

[Run]

Yeah striking without a union equals out of a job, don't ask me how I know... Cost the company a lot of money and a lot of downtime, but they didn't care.

[robivi3]

Odd, when the UAW used to go out on strike it "400,000 GM workers walked off the job today...". Today, WalMart is the largest employer of welfare recipients in the world, those in the Chinese factory System and the US employees. What a shame.


And no, I don't think the Unions caused it, they gave the excuse for it. And many people who complain and gripe about having crappy jobs were the first to go along with that argument. If you have a labor problem you have a management problem to start with.

As far as Chrysler walking out, uh, not the best move at this time. I do not know what the argument is all about, has to be some sticking point other than money. I would bet it is pension related or time related. Once you hit your late 40's (assuming most of those left are vested and senior) money is secondary to benefits.

I have to agree with Tin, not good to walk out. Not good.

My Dad was a systems Engineer for Bell and I remember he had to work several strikes in TN when i was young. One time someone shot at him and another they blocked his car with a tree in the road. Now that was Union in action! I remember hearing about the cabby strikes in the 60's in Chicago, cabs and bodies in the east river and the like. Those days are gone. My last real "Union Action" was marching down 36 street in front of Eastern (I'm TWU) and shouting with Ol' "Jesse J" in the lead. My single act of NEAR disobedience was tripping and nearly exiting the sidewalk while carrying a candle outside the Union Hall during that same era. The Miami Springs PD had an order to arrest anyone leaving the sidewalk. Guess I missed the fun days of molotovs and strike breakers and such. Must of been fun in some sort of bizarre way.

I still have a picture of my Dad and I standing at JD Rockefellers desk in Arkansas. We drove right up to the Governors Mansion and my Step-mother presented her Press Pass and a letter from George Wallace (this was 1971) and the Butler? let us have absolute free run of the mansion after a short tour, imagine that!! My dad hated the man becuase of the miners strke in West VA where they killed twenty miners back in the 30's when either that JD or his brother was Governor. Obviously he voiced it after we left.

I don't blame Unions for the problem. The same corporation will poison your water, deform your children and defend itself and Officers 'til the end of a large lawsuit. It will be some rinky-dink guy IN THE UNION who blows the whistle just out of pure guilt and he'll be on 60 minutes crying because he succumbed to pressure from the higher ups for so many years. I don't love or defend corporations. People have to work for them, yes. But they possess no feelings of loyalty for anyone nowadays. All of the cohesion that came about because a generation of men struggled and fought corporations, strike breakers then went to war together and came home and struggled harder together is gone.

[tinroofrusted]

Robivi, as always we are in agreement. I just truly believe that we are living in a time where unions are no longer necessary, and are more of a harm than a help.

[$$only4ever]

Has anyone had to deal with them while you are in bankruptcy? They are so nasty and rude. They will not provide you with any information about your loan, which I can understand to an extent. But they just go out of their way to give you a hard time. I just requested my attorney to ask them for a payment history because they will not give it to me.

The way I look at it is what goes around comes around. I won't be in bankruptcy forever and I will not ever deal with them again.

[JollyGG]

Robivi, as always we are in agreement. I just truly believe that we are living in a time where unions are no longer necessary, and are more of a harm than a help.

See I don't agree. I've never been in a union and never want to be in a union. However, I believe that their mere existence keeps some employers in line. My dad is a miner. The area he works in has both union and non union mines. The non union mines try to keep everyone really happy so that the unions don't get an in with their workers. So while my father does not belong to any union he benefits from their presence in his industry.

However, no matter what if enough people walk off the job, union or no union, you would hope the employer would get the point.

I have to say a good point was made that often by Robivi worker-employer problems have as much to do with benifits as with salary. I am looking a my company considering changing the benifits package for us. The new health insurance would be more expensive and cover less. I'm viewing that as a pay cut.

[BKOnce]

The point is just try to survive, keep your bread on the dining table for you & family or don't care nothing. Either give in or fight till the end for everyone self-interest. Your pick, their choice, or deal versus no deal!...

[tinroofrusted]

See I don't agree. I've never been in a union and never want to be in a union. However, I believe that their mere existence keeps some employers in line. My dad is a miner. The area he works in has both union and non union mines. The non union mines try to keep everyone really happy so that the unions don't get an in with their workers. So while my father does not belong to any union he benefits from their presence in his industry.

However, no matter what if enough people walk off the job, union or no union, you would hope the employer would get the point.

I have to say a good point was made that often by Robivi worker-employer problems have as much to do with benifits as with salary. I am looking a my company considering changing the benifits package for us. The new health insurance would be more expensive and cover less. I'm viewing that as a pay cut.

Unfortunately, I have been in unions twice, and I have only seen more harm than help. In one case, the employer I was with could not fire this lady who was near retirement. She literally came in all day, played solitaire, and collected a paycheck. They wanted to fire her, but because of the union, they were unable to do so.

A union in some cases, is great to help fight for people. But when most places don't have unions, or even health insurance nowadays for that matter, it irks me that a large company thinks they can just shut down and call it a day because they aren't getting a dollar out their employer to help pay co-pays or whatever nonsense they have come up with.