Xtremesynthetic

UAW strike is a smoke screen! If you go back to the media tape on Mr. Gettlefinger after they settled the contract, he looked like he got taken to the cleaners by GM. He looked like a beaten dog. You can see it in his eye's. Get ahold of a GM Contract and read it, UAW members lost! Its in BLACK AND WHITE! Mark my words when I say Chrysler and Ford will only be harder to deal with. The UAW only went on this short strike to give the preception that the union still has a leg to stand on. Trust me when I say they don't. The big 3 could take all this away in the blink of an eye. We all know this is true. They could build cars and trucks in some third world country and have them shipped over here and still be ALOT more profitable then they are in the United States. They would pay these people a couple dollars a week with no health care cost. Seriously people, GM told the union what was going to happen contract wise, the union excepted and walked out the door with tails between their legs. This is not the same industrial environment that was here 50 years ago. I know you hate to here the buzz words, "global market" but it is here and it is here to stay. These company's have to compete with others that manufacture their goods over sea's. Their is no way we can compete with them. When you figure all the costs to manufacture products in the United States vs over sea's, the numbers just don't add up as a positive for United States Manufacturing. Even if you got a break on the Free trade issue, your still on a losing end. I wish I was wrong! Just look at the evidence thats out their. You can go and use any source you feel comfortable with, its all going to wash out the same way.

IF YOU HAVE NO UNION, YOU DON'T WORK AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY!! THIS IS OUR FORUM, MOVE ON.

International contract always trumps the local agreement!

Remember people, We are Ford workers and Mr. Malaly wants plant closures, I believe around 12. So, when they say job security I say blow me! We are never secure, I don't care what is in the contract. You can read the same sentence in every contract and you can interpet it the way that benefits you. Trust me, Ford will make it look good to the UAW and then do what they have to do to be profitable. The UAW is always going to be the fall guy. This is just how I view things. Good Luck too all!

Are you kidding me! Are you telling me that if the auto industry fell apart that this country you wouldn't feel its affects!! Just a blip in the economy. Please tell me you are kidding. If our auto industry were to go down, it would be a start of an American economic crash!! Just GM alone is in more than halfof the states in the United States, imagine all those people not having jobs. Imagine now that all the people that support those plants don't have jobs. You know what I mean right, vendors, parts suppliers, trucking companies, etc. Now if all those people don't have jobs, that means they don't have the need for, police, fire, hospital workers, etc., etc. Also, all the stores and restaurants, department stores etc., etc. Think about this happening in all of the states that GM is in. To answer your question, this will effect the whole United States economy in a very big way! The likely hood of GM totaly removing itself from the United States is unlikely but it would crash the economy if it did happen. Alot of the American people are very ignorant. They have their head buried in the sand, but if these contract talks go any further south, the American Economy will understand the effects of not supporting the American Auto Industry.

These are just my personal thoughts as I look on at the contract talks. First, I have to let you all know that I am a proud retired UAW member. I realize the reason for our union to call a strike. When you go to the bargining table, you have to have two sides to hash out a contract. To me only one side has shown up to bargin. I think GM and their bargining team, are taking a page out of Steve Miller's, no barganing hand book. GM is not going to back down anytime soon, I think that they see this as a perfect time to draw their line in the sand. Ron Gettlefinger even said that in all this time of talks, they haven't hit any major parts of the contract. This is where I think GM and the UAW are going to kill the American car market for everyone. This includes Ford and Chrysler! The sad part is Ford and Chrysler can't do anything about it. The publics perception already is falling faster than ever before. This is just going to be the final nail in our couffan. The asian auto makers are licking their chops right now!! As we go into a free fall, they are only going upward. I think GM is going for the big kill! They are going for throat and I think they are prepared to loose a little to break down the union. They might not break it entirely, but they are going to use the national news media to gain public interest. That public interest will be on their side after the news media spins all the news to favor GM's side. Ron has called for the national strike, he now has to stick to his guns and not pull back! If he shows any weakness, the union as we know it will be gone. This will be a battle, so be prepared to take it over the edge of the mountain and beyound. We all need to stick together now and support one another. I mean GM, Ford and Chrysler union members! Anything we can do for one another to get this contract done. If we need to help picket or bring supplies then so be it. I call for everyone to contact their locals and find out what they can do to support their GM union brothers and sisters. If you want a positive out come in this contract you need to help your GM brothers and sisters!! They are barganing for your futures too! THIS IS AN OFFICIAL CALL FOR ALL UNION WORKERS AND SUPPORTS TO REALLY SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!!!

I would love to see these people try to break pick lines! Then they would see the power of the UAW, I would get my ford brothers and sisters to double and triple the amount of bodies on the picket lines. I also have contacts at chrysler that would even give us more bodies if we need them. This is going to be a nasty fight my freind we all need to stick together on this one!! Believe me when I say ALL BIG 3 UNIONS NEED TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER IN THIS FIGHT!! Find out where you can help, even if its just for a couple of hours. Think about it wouldn't Ford and Chrysler quake in their boots if they see Ford and Chrysler hourly picketing alongside their GM brothers and sister. STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!!!

I don't think anyone wants a strike on either side. If you shut down the plants for a short period of time and save on all the energy costs, and not pay any wages. That could end up saving GM millions and that could end up being a benefit for GM. If it drags out past the month mark or their inventories diminish, that is when GM will need to start bargining again. I think the figures that CNBC are quoting are a little blowated. Just like today when all the news groups stated that their was an agreement! They acted before they obtained the correct information.

Maybe it was isolated to CNN, I just couldn't believe it when I viewed such lack of coverage. I think that this is subject matter everyone needs to pay attention to. Weather you are remotely involved in the Big Three or not. The out come of this historical strike will affect the economy of the future as we know it. Believe me when I say, this will be a moment our grandchildren and their grandchildren will be talking about in their history and economics classes. Lets pray that everything turns for the positive!

You sound like you have had childhood issues. I will pray for you. Why are you so unhappy in your life, please don't blame this on the strike.

I think your version of the truth is clouded!!

That is ignorant to say its just a UAW strike!! Its the UAW and GM Management that are involved! That is not the only people that are effected by this strike. It affects the rest of the big 3, all the supplier and their suppliers, businesses around all those plants. Thats just scatching the surface of who is affected by this strike. GM has plants in more than half the state in America. UAW workers spend lots of money in those states that don't care about us! If we don't spend our money with them they will start to care!

This isn't the time to divide but I think your statement is the most bashing statement I have heard in a long time! I think you have an agenda on this forum to Move it out of here!!

I am watching CNN this morning, only to find that CNN would rather show the Iran President than the story about GM and the UAW going out on strike! This goes to show where are importance lies on a national level.

Don't you have to have a national agreement before you can have a local agreement?

I know all of these people know what is at stake here! This is their lively hood. All these UAW people want is a fair contract. As a union they have already given alot of give backs in the form of health care. So please don't come to this forum with ignorance and don't speak to these people like they are going into this strike with blind folds on.

I believe what you say in the first part of your statement, but those same people know that us that live in the rust belt spend alot of money in their states. So they might want to rethink their position.

LETS BE REAL JUST FOR A MOMENT!! BOTH THE UAW AND MANAGEMENT COME TO THESE AGREEMENTS AND BOTH HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE OR DENIE THESE CONTRATS. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY NEED TO START WORKING TOGETHER, AND BE HONEST AND OPEN ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THE CONTRACT. THE UNION ALSO HAS NOT PRICED IT SELF OUT OF THE MARKET. NO ONE CAN COMPETE WITH THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES ON WAGES AND BENEFITS. FREE TRADE IS ALSO A LARGE STICKING POINT, WHEN YOU HAVE TO ALL THESE FOREIGN CAR COMPANIES BRING THEIR PRODUCTS IN OUR COUNTRY FOR FREE AND WE GET STUCK PAYING ALL KINDS OF TARIFFS WHEN WE BRING OUR PRODUCTS INTO THEIR COUNTRY'S THIS IS JUST NOT FAIR. HEALTHCARE IS REALLY REDICULAS, THIS IS SUCH AN EASY SUBJECT TO SOLVE BUT BECAUSE OF POLITICS THEY WON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM. I MEAN BOTH SIDE ON THIS SUBJECT. YES, ASK ME HOW TO SOLVE IT. I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES. UAW HAS ALREADY BENT OVER BACKWARDS FOR GM, FORD AND CHRYSLER. LETS GET SOME HELP FROM THE OTHER SIDE FOR ONCE. WE NEED TO STICK TOGETHER ON THIS PEOPLE, THIS IS YOUR FUTURE!!

They are blowing smoke!! THEIR IS NO DEAL AS OF YET.

You know I never thought in a million years that this what was going to happen. This is a crushing blow two both sides!! This makes us all look bad in the publics eye.

THEY DO NOT HAVE A TENATIVE AGREEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GM IS STILL ON STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UAW NEWS CONFERENCE IS GOING TO LAY OUT THE ISSUES ABOUT THE STRIKE!!!' GOOD LUCK BROTHERS AND SISTERS

GO GM GO GM!!!

HERE WE GO BOYS AND GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GM ON STRIKE!!!!!!!!!! GM ON STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! GM ON STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GM ON STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!