any auto workers here?
- Thread starter MadJack
- Start date
I had about an inch of ice on my auto here after the storm today, worked about 1 hour to get rid of it, and it sucked!
Hope this helped.
Administration unwilling to see automakers fail
WASHINGTON ? The Bush administration simply wasn't willing to stand by and watch the American auto industry financially collapse ? the stakes were too huge.
So the administration committed Friday to step in and help avoid the collapse of the industry that was once the backbone of the nation's economy. Administration officials are talking with those automakers about conditions that must be met to get the aid and have not made final decisions on the size or duration of the help.
"A precipitous collapse of this industry would have a severe impact on our economy, and it would be irresponsible to further weaken and destabilize our economy at this time," Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said. She noted that in normal times the administration would prefer to let the markets determine the fate of private firms, but these times are far from normal.
She said that because of the current state of the economy the administration would consider various options, including use of the TARP program, which has been aimed at bailing out the nation's finance system. TARP is the $700 billion Troubled Assets Recovery Program, the financial industry bailout plan enacted in October and the White House has long insisted that money should be reserved for stabilizing markets.
Perino said that while "the federal government may need to step in to prevent an immediate failure, the auto companies, their labor unions, and all other stakeholders must be prepared to make the meaningful concessions necessary to become viable."
The White House comments were welcomed by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
"The effort to provide emergency bridge loans to U.S. automakers is still very much alive," Levin said. "I am encouraged that the White House said today that they will consider other options to assist the auto companies, including use of the TARP program."
Wall Street rebounded from an early sell-off Friday to finish in positive territory after word that the government would assist U.S. automakers.
General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have warned they are running out of cash and face bankruptcy without some form of assistance. Ford Motor Co., which is in somewhat better shape financially, has been seeking access to a line of credit.
Highlighting those difficulties, GM announced Friday it would cut another 250,000 vehicles from its first-quarter production schedule ? a third of its normal output ? by temporarily closing 20 factories across North America. The move affects most plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Many will be shut the whole month of January.
Congressional efforts to aid the industry ran aground Thursday. The White House and congressional Democrats agreed on a $14 billion measure that would have extended short-term financing to the industry while establishing a powerful new "car czar" to make sure the money was used to turn the Big Three into competitive companies. That bill passed the House on Wednesday but immediately ran into opposition from Senate Republicans who said it did not go far enough.
On Thursday, the GOP lawmakers demanded the United Auto Workers union agree to accept a lower pay and benefits package that would be in line with compensation earned by workers at U.S. factories producing cars for Japanese companies such as Honda, Toyota and Nissan. Those companies have plants in the states represented by some of the most ardent critics of bailing out Detroit. The effort ultimately collapsed when the UAW balked at the terms demanded.
"We've already stepped forward and made enormous concessions," UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said Friday at a news conference. "But as we made it clear ... , we were prepared to make further sacrifices. But we could not accept the effort by the Senate GOP caucus to single out workers and retirees for different treatment and to make them shoulder the entire burden of any restructuring."
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who played a leading role in the Republican effort, said the likelihood that the White House would step in probably made sure there would be no deal with the UAW.
And Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who has been one of the most strident critics of bailing out the Big Three, said any plan by the Bush administration to give the automakers TARP money should require them to restructure their companies.
"If they're going to give them TARP money, this administration ought to have the courage in its last 40 days to stand up and say, If you're going to get that money, you're going to restructure,"he told CNBC. "I don't believe the Bush administration will do that."
WASHINGTON ? The Bush administration simply wasn't willing to stand by and watch the American auto industry financially collapse ? the stakes were too huge.
So the administration committed Friday to step in and help avoid the collapse of the industry that was once the backbone of the nation's economy. Administration officials are talking with those automakers about conditions that must be met to get the aid and have not made final decisions on the size or duration of the help.
"A precipitous collapse of this industry would have a severe impact on our economy, and it would be irresponsible to further weaken and destabilize our economy at this time," Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said. She noted that in normal times the administration would prefer to let the markets determine the fate of private firms, but these times are far from normal.
She said that because of the current state of the economy the administration would consider various options, including use of the TARP program, which has been aimed at bailing out the nation's finance system. TARP is the $700 billion Troubled Assets Recovery Program, the financial industry bailout plan enacted in October and the White House has long insisted that money should be reserved for stabilizing markets.
Perino said that while "the federal government may need to step in to prevent an immediate failure, the auto companies, their labor unions, and all other stakeholders must be prepared to make the meaningful concessions necessary to become viable."
The White House comments were welcomed by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
"The effort to provide emergency bridge loans to U.S. automakers is still very much alive," Levin said. "I am encouraged that the White House said today that they will consider other options to assist the auto companies, including use of the TARP program."
Wall Street rebounded from an early sell-off Friday to finish in positive territory after word that the government would assist U.S. automakers.
General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have warned they are running out of cash and face bankruptcy without some form of assistance. Ford Motor Co., which is in somewhat better shape financially, has been seeking access to a line of credit.
Highlighting those difficulties, GM announced Friday it would cut another 250,000 vehicles from its first-quarter production schedule ? a third of its normal output ? by temporarily closing 20 factories across North America. The move affects most plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Many will be shut the whole month of January.
Congressional efforts to aid the industry ran aground Thursday. The White House and congressional Democrats agreed on a $14 billion measure that would have extended short-term financing to the industry while establishing a powerful new "car czar" to make sure the money was used to turn the Big Three into competitive companies. That bill passed the House on Wednesday but immediately ran into opposition from Senate Republicans who said it did not go far enough.
On Thursday, the GOP lawmakers demanded the United Auto Workers union agree to accept a lower pay and benefits package that would be in line with compensation earned by workers at U.S. factories producing cars for Japanese companies such as Honda, Toyota and Nissan. Those companies have plants in the states represented by some of the most ardent critics of bailing out Detroit. The effort ultimately collapsed when the UAW balked at the terms demanded.
"We've already stepped forward and made enormous concessions," UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said Friday at a news conference. "But as we made it clear ... , we were prepared to make further sacrifices. But we could not accept the effort by the Senate GOP caucus to single out workers and retirees for different treatment and to make them shoulder the entire burden of any restructuring."
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who played a leading role in the Republican effort, said the likelihood that the White House would step in probably made sure there would be no deal with the UAW.
And Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who has been one of the most strident critics of bailing out the Big Three, said any plan by the Bush administration to give the automakers TARP money should require them to restructure their companies.
"If they're going to give them TARP money, this administration ought to have the courage in its last 40 days to stand up and say, If you're going to get that money, you're going to restructure,"he told CNBC. "I don't believe the Bush administration will do that."
They have no plan. They are looking for a loan to tide them over until the economy turns around. The fact of the matter is that they do not have a sound business model.
Until they are willing to take about 15 steps back they are going to continue to fail. They do not make money off of small cars, so they try and shove SUV's down our throats.
The problem is they are paying for their past mistakes and the only way to fix it is to start over, which would essentially destroy the economy.... at least for the next 5-7 years.
They need to downsize tremendously and stop producing they same car with 4 different names on it. For example, look at GM, they have an SUV for each line of car (Pontiac, Buick, Chevy, Cadillac, Saturn). They are competing against each other for the same consumers. Look at the Acadia, Vue and Enclave... can you tell me any major differences?
GM made a decision about 10-15 years ago to upgrade their plants to be more modernized. They had the opportunity the do a complete overhaul and make the plants multi-dimensional (IE - make more that 1 type of car at a factory). In the long run, it would have saved them billions, but short term, it was too costly.
They continue to make poor decisions like this. Their management is concerned about short term, rather than what is good for the long term direction.
Until they are willing to take about 15 steps back they are going to continue to fail. They do not make money off of small cars, so they try and shove SUV's down our throats.
The problem is they are paying for their past mistakes and the only way to fix it is to start over, which would essentially destroy the economy.... at least for the next 5-7 years.
They need to downsize tremendously and stop producing they same car with 4 different names on it. For example, look at GM, they have an SUV for each line of car (Pontiac, Buick, Chevy, Cadillac, Saturn). They are competing against each other for the same consumers. Look at the Acadia, Vue and Enclave... can you tell me any major differences?
GM made a decision about 10-15 years ago to upgrade their plants to be more modernized. They had the opportunity the do a complete overhaul and make the plants multi-dimensional (IE - make more that 1 type of car at a factory). In the long run, it would have saved them billions, but short term, it was too costly.
They continue to make poor decisions like this. Their management is concerned about short term, rather than what is good for the long term direction.
The UAW is the problem.
The average union worker for the auto industry makes $70-90 per hour. This is due to the UAW. The average union auto worker in Japan makes $35-45 per hour and they make a hell of a lot better cars. It's about the same in other countries such as Germany, Italy, etc again where they make better cars. This is recipe for disaster for the American auto industry.
kneifl
The average union worker for the auto industry makes $70-90 per hour. This is due to the UAW. The average union auto worker in Japan makes $35-45 per hour and they make a hell of a lot better cars. It's about the same in other countries such as Germany, Italy, etc again where they make better cars. This is recipe for disaster for the American auto industry.
kneifl
Snoozer,
You are spot on especially towards the end and that is the problem with the large manufacturing industries in the US. Mismanagement of funds is rampant and the consumer has to stomach that load. Unfortunately, most citizens have the notion that unions and their "high wages" demands are what drives the cost of these businesses to operate which could not be further from the truth. UAW employees do NOT make $71 per hour and if anyone thinks that is true then they must have voted for Bush for a third term thinking that was possible too.
Mismanagement of the travel industry as a whole is due to overspending on outside services, poor management and policing of those services and unneeded bonuses and payouts to top executives. All labor unions in the transportation, yea I said it, ALL labor unions in the transportation industry hve already taken severe cutbacks and layoffs for the last ten years and the first thing the American public can think of is the damn unions. Just like when your baseball tickets go up again this year, it will be because Sabathia is making 23 mill a year. Not because some asshole paid him that much because he is making so damn much money that it doesn't matter to him to pay that kind of money, no it will be the players fault and hence..........................we all cut our own throats. I see it every day and it is unbelievable. for anyone that doesn't know it or hasn't figured it out yet....................rich people don't just give you a pat on the head and a living to support your family comfortably. People actually DIED so you can go to work for 8 hours a day and it wasn't some CPA that did that it was a union man, they died for medical benefits and a five day work week, all of which we enjoy today throughout the US. The NLRB was created and instituted by a bill that was lobbied for by the TEAMSTERS for chrissakes. You know the ones that got you the right to go to lunch every day? People better wake the fuck up.
Anyone out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign and wait a minute.
Hope this helps,
FDC
UAW labor costs are around $70 per worker, and that's rather a bit higher than Toyota workers in US.
It's all covered here.
It's all covered here.
