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Come on, you're using productivity in an unfair comparision. Union-staffed factories in the U.S. are mostly running on older lines, not the new ones built to accommodate hi-tech assembly procedure. Higher productivity isn't necessarily as physically possible in those plants. And don't forget that internationally, Korea and Japan have damn strong unions and generally have incredible assembly times in comparison to the U.S.
contracts is not wrong; that they have hurt the country's manufacturing base and limited freedom of contract is.

I'm not out to defend the UAW or fat-cat union contracts. I just don't think it's wrong for people to work together--if owners can legally collude in the marketplace with government assistance, and they do (IATA being a prime example), why workers shouldn't have the same ability to do so is unfathomable. Are the people who here stand against unions actually suggesting we ban them, and the right of free association? How? I'm not saying workers can't fire them at will, or I am a member! Just that unions can serve a purpose and aren't any more inherently evil than other associative groups.

You are very misinformed. Each new model year an assembly line is revamped to maximize efficiency. If an investment is shown to be paid off over time then it will be made to allow for greater efficiency. Of course all of that is limited to what the UAW will allow! If the efficiency is seen as detrimental to the union, then they will not allow it to take place. If the plant can become more efficient while avoiding layoffs the union will allow it to happen. That hinders productivity and it is no surprise to me that it takes Ford or GM twice as many "man hours" to produce a unit than the transplants.

Whenever the UAW tries to infiltrate the transplants they have failed. Proof that unions are bad!

Have you ever been in the parking lot of a UAW OEM Assembly Plant? Have you ever been in that same parking lot at lunch? Try it some time, you would be surprised. The amount of alcohol drank and MJ smoked would shock you. The number of people sitting around during a work day would shock you.

Let me give you a concrete example: Suppose a line goes down on Monday and the number of units produced falls short of the required number of units. That production is made up on the next day. Now imagine that the same shift is able to make their Tuesday production goal 2 hours early on Tuesday. What would you imagine that they do? Wouldn't you think that they just work straight through to make up the loss of production on Monday? Nope, they shut down until their shift ends and work the extra production on OT. Another 2 hour loss of productivity.

This is just one example, add lack of flexibility, job classification, paying for UAW reps that are not producing, etc. and it is clear that the transplants have a huge advantage over the US OEM's. That is a big reason why the big 3 market share is declining while the number of vehicles sold increases.

Yes, this is not the only reason, it is just one of the top 3. I can't think of any instance where unions are a benefit to our economy.