[bill1952]

> Most of the money was going to support costs, which included engineers, designers, management, and retirement plans for people already retired; medical plans for retirees,retiree dependents, etc., paying coupons on bonds and so forth.

Everywhere has these costs, not just Detroit:
engineers, designers, management,

That leaves:
retirement plans for people already retired; medical plans for retirees,retiree dependents, etc.
AKA, exactly the problem.

As far as:
BTW, UAW and management agreed to deals both sides recognized were not economically sustainable.

Management did that because it had no choice at all.
The unions simply shut the company down so the management kicked the can down the road.

Where I come from they call that Rape & Blackmail, not mutual agreements reached at arms length.

[muawiyah]

Management people are supposed to be smart. Obviously the Big Three were overrun with NOT SMART type managers ~ maybe a few too many guys from Marketing took over the companies.

So, bill1952 are you the third guy on FR to ever work in a UAW plant?