[SJSAMPLE]

After benefits, my company (a Tier One industry partner) was paying $48 per hour.

Not a single one of those jobs remains in the USA.
We now manufacture in Mexico and Korea just to stay alive.

[Centurion2000]

Union Workers at Big Three Automakers Average $73 an Hour

This is AVERAGE???? That's 146K a year without overtime plus benefits. And the cars kinda suck.

NO BAILOUT!!

[RightWhale]

Is it right to tax the average worker making $28.50 to bailout workers whose labor cost is over $73 an hour?”

Of course not, but what is right is secondary to what is less disastrous.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Gee, the big three have about 150 thousand workers and about 450 thousand retirees. It would seem that the bailout of the big three and the UAW looks a lot like the coming bailout of Social Security.

[gibsosa]

bump

[LiberConservative]

Half of the $25 gazillion dollars the UAQ wants to steal from our pockets is just for health care expenses.

[CSM]

“Is it right to tax the average worker making $28.50 to bailout workers whose labor cost is over $73 an hour?” Perry asked. “

Wow, what a play on words. In reality, the $28.50 earner actually costs $60 per hour and that is the actual number that should be used for the comparison. Yes, there is a disconnect, however it is not as sensational as the headline and the article are trying to imply.

[waverna]

The new talking point is that the Japanese government pays the healthcare costs of their auto workers, so of course their costs are lower. It doesn’t sound right though. Are they actually sending checks over here to pay workers’ health insurance premiums?

[KeyLargo]

How American is that car?

It’s harder than ever to figure out which cars are the most American. The government requires that automakers disclose what percentage of a new vehicles’ components are U.S. or Canadian and where the vehicle was assembled. Here is the information for most new models. The 2006 data was the latest information disclosed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by automakers. The 2007 and 2008 statistics were compiled by USA TODAY from automakers and from visits to car dealerships. (Story)
Manufacturer Make and model
Model year Percent content US/ Canada Assembled in:
US/Canada Outside

Go to: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-03-21-car-content-chart_N.htm

[Issaquahking]

Chapter 11 is going to be the only intelligent solution. Tell the retirees that there will be some belt tightening. Anyone with less than X amount of years of service in the company will have to come back to work, or, if not vested, go to work someplace else. Medical service will be dialed back.

Companies are going to have to get down to about $50 to $55 an hour to be competitive. management is going to have to give up a lot. Millions in "bonuses" for zippo, need to go away. Middle management layers could be stripped out.

If neither of these groups want to consider these options it's going to get tough. It will get tough enough that they could all be out in a soup line if they don't want to think about these things...

[ncfool]

I am against any bailout unless the UAW and its members take about a 40% haircut on Wages and fringes. The same applies to the AutoMakers.

Why should AMERICANS pay for the corrupt unions bailout if they won’t take a haircut too. Enough is enough.