Union Boss To Government: Please Bail Out The Companies We Destroyed

• December 1, 2008

This is galling:

WASHINGTON – The head of the United Auto Workers made a public plea Sunday for government help for U.S. carmakers as the Big Three put the final touches on stabilization plans to submit to Congress.
“We cannot afford to see these companies fail,” said Ron Gettelfinger, the UAW chief, calling on Congress to approve the aid during a special session the week of Dec. 8.

Translation: “These companies are one of the last bastions of organized labor in America, and despite the fact that the ridiculous labor contracts we’ve foisted upon them are driving them into insolvency, we think the taxpayers should have to bail them out in order to prop up the millions in union dues we rake in from unionized auto workers.”
Discussion question: Why is it any better for certain politicians to be in the pocket of Big Labor and call for bailouts than it is for certain politicians to be in the pockets of Big Business and call for bailouts?

Tags: Asshats, Politics, The Loony Left

http://Array 2Hotel9

Oh, and dinothefakehomo? No opne is blaming “workers”. We are blaming the scumbag lawyer fucks who are stealing all the Union members’ money.
http://www.valleydeals.com/cgi-bin/board2/YaBB.pl Kevin

They’re due to health care being made the responsibility of the employer instead of the individual.

Which was a result of government wage and price controls.
bill-tb

It would be hilariously funny if it weren’t so true. There is no way to fix Detroit without taking out the unions.
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Which was a result of government wage and price controls.

Sort of.

The original health care benefits were to circumvent the price caps for high end jobs. But back then, health care only covered emergencies. By the old standards, any major company in the nation could cover every man woman and child in North America.

But then the government backed the unions. And demands went from basic health coverage to 100% job based health pay.

That’s what’s been bankrupting our economy.
di butler

I know some people in the unions care about the workers, but I don’t think the union bosses give a rip about the workers. They care only about the bottom line for them. They will break the worker’s backs for a few extra dollars. I don’t believe they even remotely care if they destroy the Big 3. I think they figure they will get bailed by the government and still screw the workers.
sc

Unions are all about what can the company do “more” for the union members (even it breaks the company), when there should be some appreciation for having and keeping a job. Unions, also, control the public education system and isn’t it interesting that, along with the big 3, enjoy comparable success.
richNJ

When I first started working, I thought I had a grievance with the company over the way overtime was distributed. The Union rep sat me down and we went through the contract. He pointed out how the Company followed the contract. I understood the contract better and I think the Union Rep did his job properly. When I retired from work, the Union reps were looking to put in as many grievances as possible. Their explaination? To tie up the Companies assests and frustrate the Company. Thereby making it cheaper to give in to their concessions. Which is the better way for a Union Rep to act responsible? Which is a more mature way to act?

A Union which is to powerful is just as corrupt as a Company that is to powerful. The UAW as abused their power for to long and now has to pay the price. But just like in Management or Politics, the Union leaders will not pay the price. Only the workers will. And Dino, your response that “Right on cue the conservatives rush to blame the workers.” gives the impression that Conservatives are always wrong and liberals are always right. Which is the attitude that put the Unions and Companies in the mess in the first place. Both sides have some explaining. After all, the Companies approved the contracts.
2Hotel9

dinothefakehomo spewing more stupidity. Why am I not surprised?!?

You should read this gem, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901776.html?wpisrc=newsletter Government Unions. No wonder everything the government touches turns directly to crap.
http://boyddrivefollies.blogspot.com/ Good Ol Boy

Dino- Go ahead and explain. I’ve got time, as long as Rob has bandwidth.
Mickey

I have one word for the unions that will fix the Big Three:
CONCESSIONS.

It is sad to say but the industry would be better off if they filed chapter 11 and renegotiated the contracts and THEN were bailed out by the government.
Dino

Right on cue the conservatives rush to blame the workers. “It can’t be managements fault, it’s those people I resent because they make more than me and have better benefits”.

Remember, conservatives always side with the more powerful side. They always oppose the little guy. You can bet your life on it.

If you haad a brain I would explain to you why a good part of the car makers’ problems are due to the lack of universal healthcare but that would onyl confuse you and challenge your deeply held notions that if we just reduce everyone’s pay to minimum wage (except YOURS, of course) then capitalism will reign supreme!
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

There is no way to fix Detroit without taking out the unions.

I should note that I don’t think unions should be banned or anything like that. Unions have their rights and freedoms just like business do.

But I think government laws and regulations that force workers and businesses to deal with unions need to be ended. If unions are such a great and necessary thing people will join. That union enrollment is declining, and has been for years, tells me something else entirely.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Both sides have some explaining. After all, the Companies approved the contracts.

I agree with that.

I say we let the companies that signed the stupid labor contracts fail. No bailouts.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

I would explain to you why a good part of the car makers’ problems are due to the lack of universal healthcare

The automakers’ problems aren’t due to a lack of universal health care. They’re due to health care being made the responsibility of the employer instead of the individual. Which is something accomplished by the UAW, when they included health care in a labor contract with GM decades ago.

Shifting the burden of health care from Big Business to Big Government isn’t going to solve the problems with health care. Namely, expense.

Right on cue the conservatives rush to blame the workers. “It can’t be managements fault, it’s those people I resent because they make more than me and have better benefits”.

You assume that Big Labor represents the interests of the workers. They don’t, really, any more than Big Business does.

SayAnythingBlog.com

Union Boss To Government: Please Bail Out The Companies We Destroyed

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