Monday 25 February 2013

To Cut Some Crap



Just to cut through some of the crap being spread around by various news outlets, it is not the fault of General Motors or the United Auto Workers that Toyota, Honda, and Subaru are allowed to pay their employees roughly half what GM employees bring home in pay and benefits. We should not be asking GM's employees to give up more than what they already have.

If you must affix blame for the need of a bailout, blame every single employee of Toyota, Honda, and Subaru that has refused to sign a union membership card. Blame the management of Toyota, Honda, and Subaru for hiring temps kept on the payroll often times longer than two years at $12/hr. with no benefits. Blame the politicians that have consistently made it more difficult for workers to organize. Do not blame people that have already sacrificed half of their wage and benefit package for the sake of the company.

Granted you could blame the UAW for not paying its striking members more to walk the picket lines, but the UAW leadership is not what it used to be and apparently they expect to win long term strikes by giving the rank and file a poverty level wage that qualifies for food stamps. This problem, however, is for the UAW's rank and file to fix, not the American Government.