Comments on: The UAW is Poised For Growth – Are Toyota, Honda, and Nissan Ready?

By: Van

Van — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:50:50 +0000

I think it is ironic that people dump on the UAW pertaining to the jobs bank. It kept employees who would have been otherwise off the un-employment rolls, taking stress off the state tax syste. There is now proof that Toyota, Honda and Nissan have “jobs banks” of their own and no one is even making a peep. On difference though, the Japanese government subsidizes this jobs bank, un-like the UAW ones.

http://blog.mlive.com/autoblog.....nk_of.html

By: admin (Jason)

admin (Jason) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:47:46 +0000

Kabuki Jo – I don’t get it – you accuse me of being non-factual, then fail to show what statements I made that were wrong. The best statement you made was that “one cannot use the past six months as evidence of a ‘new and improved’ UAW.” I agree. However, that’s as close as you’ve come to proving one of my points wrong [I said that unions aren't necessarily bad for automakers, especially if they're like the union we've seen over the last 6 months].
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For the record, I’m not saying that the UAW WILL grow, I’m saying that the UAW has the best position to grow that it’s seen in a long, long time. Exactly how is that misleading? You say that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota have taken care of their employees (true), but I say that they’ve had a significant labor cost advantage over the domestic automakers for the last 30 years (also true). Just because Japanese automakers HAVE always taken care of their workers doesn’t mean they always WILL – especially if Ford, ChryFiat, and the new GM are able to make competitive vehicles at a profit. Love it or hate it, the road just got a lot tougher for all the foreign automakers. Read the article again – I think you’ll find my ideas (and my facts) have merit.

By: Kabuki Jo

Kabuki Jo — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:33:42 +0000

This is an intersting article, but not all that factual. That is the benefit of being a “writer.” You simply formulate an opinion and then attempt to pass it off as reality.

The UAW is not the only reason Chrysler and GM failed – but they were a willing and able partner in that failure. One cannot use the past six months as evidence of a “new and improved” UAW. Yes they finally made concessions – at the cost of tens of thousands of jobs.

Japanese automotive plants have remained union-free for one simple reason. They take care of their employees (i.e. keep their promises). Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have kept their employees working, in most cases with full pay and benefits, through the worst economic time in the history of the auto industry.

The automotive industry is indeed changing. Everyone hopes that GM and Chrysler emerge from their failure as stronger companies. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan will have to do things differently – but their core values will continue to keep them head and shoulders above the competition.

By: meetbone

meetbone — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:12:52 +0000

I was a union member at my company for 10 years. Our Union didn’t seem to do much of anything, but protect jobs of people who should have been fired years ago. One example would be a drunk alcoholic co-worker of mine had issues of stumbling in late or not coming in for work at all. The company went through the proper right up procedures with the verbal warning, then written warning, final warning, and then finally fired him. Two weeks later he gets his job back because the union filed a grievance and said he had an addiction and needed help. 6 months later he was fired again for the same thing.
Ironically I know someone who’s company’s employees voted to be represented by the UAW. The UAW came in made a bunch of promises and didn’t do anything for them. Now the company just got sold and all the employee’s have to each interview to keep their jobs, what protection did the UAW provide. NONE!

By: Mickey

Mickey — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:11:15 +0000

Unions haven’t changed since my job with Kaiser Aluminum and we had United Steel Workers Local 13,000. It was the best Union a company could buy.

By: Jeremy the Truck Guy

Jeremy the Truck Guy — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:35:32 +0000

I’m sorry. I swore I stopped taking those drugs weeks ago but man this article makes me doubt myself. Back in the real world the UAW had it’s hands in everything and was too powerful. The UAW was a MAJOR factor in the demise of the American auto industry. The point that it put itself as an enetity ahead of it’s members was the day it should have been dismanteled. If you think the UAW is for it’s members, try disagreeing with the union line, you will be diciplined and re-educated in the ways of the dark side. Trust me, If you do you will be looking for another, non union, job if you are lucky.