Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The U in UAW - As In, "It's You They Want Dead"

Big Three
Addendum
PPS

Here's the latest from Digby:
So the Republicans have thrown a roadblock in front of the auto bridge loan. There is no longer any doubt that they want the Big Three to fold by the end of the year. . .

This is really beyond destructive. These people are willing to take down the entire economy so they can bust the unions and prop up a completely discredited ideology with the bodies of middle class Americans who are losing everything.
Here's the post from Stoller she quotes a great deal from. Both are highly recommended reading.

I don't have a dog in this fight nor any real ideological position on the bailout, but I think it's wholly honest to believe that this is not just about killing the Three, but killing the UAW as well as strategically advancing the auto companies invested in Right to Work states. But Digby's probably off on her assessment of racism though - I'd want to see what the racial hiring composition comparison between non-union and Southern plants & unionized Northern plants is first.

This is a very dangerous game for the GOP. They have to play now before the inaugeration, they have to win in some fashion that props up their supporters and their sugar daddies, and they have to win in someway that doesn't cause everyone else whom doesn't instantly hate a Republican to keep their 'independence' intact.

13 comments:

iamcoyote said...

I suppose the GOP is figuring they can do what they've always done: break things, then point at the other guy and say "he did it." And they're already trying to wedge in a connection with Blago. They're hoping that by putting out the image that Obama's stained by the Blago thing, they'll make people skeptical of the changes he's going to spring out on day one. They've already got a hold on Obama's AG, which means instead of getting to work on cleaning up the DoJ, they're going to have to go through the whole Marc Rich rehash, disguised as confirmation hearings. They're going to impeach Clinton again through Obama! And that's just the beginning.

We'll see how well it works this time.

idiosynchronic said...

I can't believe they're dragging out Marc Rich. Again.

Like I said last week - it's Clinton Rules all over again. And apparently, since the GOP thinks they lost because they weren't conservative enough, it's time to return to Newt Gingrich's playbook.

Anjha said...

Hey people. Call congress. Please call congress. Let your Senators know that you support the Auto Industry and you support this bridge loan.

The Democrats are getting bad information - they think that we are pissed about "all of the bailouts" rather than the more truth that we are pissed about the need for the bailouts to begin with and we are pissed about the shitty oversight - but we still support the loan to the auto industry. The Dems are confused.

We really cannot allow manufacturing to die in the US.

Please - Call Congress.

Seven of Six said...

I was going to do a big write up about this. Thanks Id.

You bet your ass it's about Union busting!! This is the last big thing on the neo-con agenda and the MSM has fallen right into the trap by giving Union Labor a bad rap!!

My wife's company has already asked the Teamster's for a 10% cut in their pay. They vote on it this month. They keep their healthcare benefits and pension intact but pay is cut accross the board.

Emptywheel and Ian Welsh have been doing some great write ups on this at FDL.

Case in point... Republic Windows... breaks Illinois State law about notification days to its Union employees... then Bank of America gets rave reviews in the press after they come to the rescue... AFTER WE, THE TAXPAYER, GAVE BANK OF AMERICA A 15 BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT!!!

How much more can they squeeze from the Labor force in America... there is nothing left... time to start taking congressional jobs away!!!

I guarantee this will be the start of the depression/revolution!!

For me to think rational about this is hard but if the Union can just tell it's workers to go home for about month (or even strike if they have to) until Obama comes into office that is what I would do. Stop this insanity and war on labor.

Seven of Six said...

This is the start of new class warfare, Unionization at Wal-Mart stores in Canada.

Wal-Mart will fight it anywhere they can but at least wages will be a little better, maybe a 40 hour work week and forced to pay OT. Canada already has universal healthcare so at least pensions will get looked at.

This is what the repukes are trying to avoid in the U.S. The Union's might eat into profits... boo-fucking-hoo!!

Seven of Six said...

Check out the nice retirements former members from congress get!!!

Seven of Six said...

Disability rights in Wisconsin gone astry... It will break your heart... what scum.
Get the tissue Anjha if you're brave enough to read it!

phidipides said...

How much more can they squeeze from the Labor force in America...

A ton. Remember when Muck and the other trolls were all over this issue? "We gotta compete" was their mantra. Well, at that time China was paying .54 cents an hour. That's what those assclowns wanted Americans to compete with. Now China is closing factorys and shipping them to Vietnam. Why? They can't compete with the wages they have to pay in China (.54 cents an hour).

It's a brave new world.

Seven of Six said...

Reading at the Agonist... we better watch out if GM does close down, there will be a ton of Mexican workers out of work also. Probably come here for jobs that don't exist.

Judith said...

I have been subjected to the rantings of a Republican recently about the auto industry. Here, according to him, are the reasons the industry is failing:

1. Workers, because of Unions, cannot be fired, and therefore

2. Management cannot fire workers who are incompetent, or lazy, or slipshod, and therefore

3. They stay on for years producing crap cars and doing slipshod work, and therefore

4. American cars are crap, and because the workers demand high wages, the industry cannot possibily compete.

There it is in a nutshell from a member of the Republican Party, and he truly believes it.

The propaganda that an average worker makes $75.00 an hour is pure bullshit, propagated by anti-union people. But hey, throw that out so the idiot on the street believes it. That means that the average union worker makes $144,000.00 a year plus overtime. (see The Media Myth: Detroit $70 an-Hour Autoworker).

Indeed, that $70-an-hour meme, actively promoted by the anti-union conservative media, has ricocheted around the traditional press as well as the political landscape, where it was picked up by congressional critics last week during hearings and used to argue against aiding GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200811250012

Judith said...

Seven of Six, your right. Tell the union workers across this Country to walk. They should show the assholes how much trouble they can really be.

muckdog said...

With 43 states running budget deficits, Schwarzenegger warning of financial armageddon in CA, and the US government running $1T deficits annually, I suppose we should take US auto companies running perpetual deficits as the new status quo. It's "change."

"When I grow up, I want to create a car company that loses a billion dollars a month! And with each and every car I sell, I want to lose more money!"

Ah, the American dream!

Seven of Six said...

Workers at Republic windows reach settlement. This is a success story for a Union and it's workers.

muck, It's not the workers fault that GM negotiated the contract that pays livable wages, healthcare benefits and decent pension.
It reminds me of pro-ballplayers who sign a contract, then want to re-negotiate after the fact.

Listen bub, Labor always gives in. Time for GM to realize that making green cars was the way of the future, like maybe... 20 years ago... shed some white collar stuck in the mud workers... tell them to catch up to Toyota and Honda fast. If we could do it in a time of war, we can do it in a time of economic crisis... after all, it's their survival that's at stake.

But blame the workers and the Union just like the repuke Senators. You do realize that southern Auto plants get goverment subsidies worth millions to operate. What's the difference with GM getting a bailout to help it retool for green vehicles?