Makeastand

It really pisses me off when I read the posts at the bottom of those articles. The public slams the UAW and all auto workers. They say we are "unskilled" and "uneducated". What a poor assumption. Even if it were true I just don't see why anyone would hold a grudge against another person because they have a better job. Why in the hell do those people wish for doom on others? How is it ok for execs to make millions upon millions and receive millions more in bonuses for sinking their companies, but it is a crime for a blue collar worker to make a living wage? One guy said that he would do our job for $14 an hour and few benefits and be happy to do so. I've seen several temps come into Ford making $20 an hour and at first break they say "this work is too rough for me and $20 an hour isn't worth it," and quit. I realize that there are no jobs out there right now but if my job was too rough for you to do yesterday then I've got news for ya, they turned the line speed up! As far as the VEBA goes, yea that was a bad idea from the get go. Now the big 3 expect to get something for nothing at the expense of retiree’s health. On one hand GM says we want to give you this all but worthless stock for your healthcare, then on the other hand they say "we may still file chapter 11". If I'm not mistaken the stock would be discontinued if they file for bankruptcy and if I'm right about that then the VEBA would be where it is today. Zero balance. If the stock was not discontinued then it would join the ever growing pile of penny stocks so either way it seems to me that it would be impossible for GM retirees VEBA plan to take over this year.

This could get very ugly.

Tough guy shit? I made a few short statments and asked one question and you blew up like an atom bomb then you tell me I'm frustrated. Dude you are wound up a little too tight. I even went as far as to say that partisanship is killing us but because I didn't say anything bad about the dems you think I'm just a gop hater. I have beefs with both parties. You are right, we are in this together and corporate America wants to pit us against each other. So does our government, thats why parties exist.

It is very clear that you have never read any of my posts and it doesn't matter. You can sit behind a computer screen and name call all you want. It is only a reflection of your intelligence. I have stated on this forum several times that "they all screw us". The GOP is acting like babies right now and because I say that you ASSUME that I totally agree with Obama and the dems. Maybe you should get to know people before you bad mouth them.

What is wrong with EFCA? Workers should be able to organize. Unions are getting smaller and smaller so we need to make it easier for workers to organize.

Where have I been for 30 years? In case you haven't noticed the majority of the American people are not big fans of labor unions and if we just walked off the job we would get the blame for every thing wrong in this country. We are out numbered as of right now but all of the bad news coming out about Wall Street and what they have done with the bailout money, people will slowly start leaning to our side. If you think the whole country is going to stop working because auto workers are being forced to make concessions by our government, you better wake up. The people are not sympathizing with us. Don't get me wrong brother, I understand exactly what you are saying and I support it, but the rest of the nation doesn't. At least not yet, but we could be getting close soon. We are just out numbered right now because of manufacturing being outsourced over the years and tech jobs coming into place which are typically non union. The southern states hate unions because the GOP has campaigned so hard against unions and convinced those people that "right to work" laws are better than having a union. This whole economic crisis is due to bad government, partisanship, and career politicians. They let the lobbyists pay them off to pass outrageous bill that should have never even been thought of so corporate America can get fat checks. This is a byproduct of politicians playing on our emotions to get us to vote for them. The working class voting for republicans, who in turn shit on us because they hate us. The dems love everybody from the welfare junkies to the illegal immigrants who are stealing Americans jobs and milking the system. It is all bad politics and the only way we could have a "national strike" right now would be not to associate it with the words union or strike. The American people would be more likely to participate right now if we called it a one day revolt. You could make it a week or what ever. Then you have those management folks who would never go for it and also the people who would say "I have a family to feed", like the rest of us don't. The American people are week when it comes to this sort of idea. People in other countries would revolt in a heart beat. The point is this. What we need and what the people are WILLING to do are two different things. You and I know what needs to be done and we are willing, but the majority isn't. We have to get them pumped up about it.

Republicans are so damn sore about losing the election. Wasn't eight years of Bush enough? If the GOP really wanted to win this election they should have prepared a better candidate. McCain/Palin was a sick joke. Partisanship is ruining this country along with career politicians.

You hit the nail on the head.

My best friend has a master’s degree and has been out of work for 11 months. Another friend of mine is a union trained welder with 25 years experience and has been out of work since last April. Another friend of mine just lost her job also of 25 years at a bank and was replaced by an immigrant with a work visa. After unemployment runs out, they get extensions but these extensions have to have some kind of repercussions to our economy and these extensions will eventually run out. When they finally do run out, do you think these people will still sit at home and draw nothing? No there going to find minimum wage jobs which under normal circumstances would be turned down for the job because they are over qualified. Soon minimum wages jobs will be flooded with applicants that have degrees or trades and this will force non skilled workers who have been loyal to their employers for years to live on the streets when their extensions run out. If you don't think were headed for the crapper you better look again because corporate America just put a plunger over our heads. If you haven’t noticed this is only the beginning. There is a lot of momentum with this depression or recession or down turn or what ever you want to call it. There are at least 11 million Americans who do not have a job. The rest of us are too scared to spend any money. That means more businesses will close, more lay offs, more bankruptcies. It’s going to get much worse before it gets better. Jafo I’m afraid this is very real and you are not an exception to this economy. It doesn’t matter what skills you have if your company cuts your job or just can’t stay afloat. I’m not trying to shit in your wheaties but you just sound so much like George W. Bush about this whole thing.

Minimum wage in my state is something like $6.55 and hour. You would gross $262 a week. I don't see any spending power there or a chance of ever being a home owner or owning a newer vehicle. Hell with that kind of money you couldn't even afford to own and feed a gold fish. But this is what American companies are pushing for so we can be "globally competitive" while CEOs make millions. Technology replaces human workers. The government replaces American workers with immigrants or they just demand that union employees take wage cuts and benefits cuts while politicians make a six figure income in the public’s eye and millions under the table from lobbyists and dirty ventures, oh and don't let me forget that they don't even pay their taxes. Hey Furious, when you and I are making minimum wage (that is assuming that we can even find a job) and the rich elitists are committing tax fraud, where is the money going to come from to pay for our public housing?

There is no agreed definition of a depression so to say we are not in a depression is just an opinion. It will get much worse before it gets better. We are far from being in the clear. Even if Obama, congress, and the senate came up with the best plan of action for stimulating the economy and implemented it today, it would be several months before we see the effects.

They said the same thing about manufacturing so the government gave companies incentives to move over seas and pay employees there pennies a day because there are no labor laws and now they want to complain that American workers can't compete with over seas wages. Now thanks to the GOP most of our manufacturing has been out sourced and they wanted to create jobs in the financial sector which in short screws everybody because the execs in that sector (which BTW cannot compete with their foreign counter parts wages) can lay off hundreds of thousands of workers at a time when those execs make a mistake then give themselves a "bonus for failure", to make a long story short. It is inevitable that technology will keep advancing and getting better as it should. The down side is that is does away with more jobs than it creates. A simple software program can terminate thousands of tech jobs. Our country has become efficient in cutting jobs and raising unemployment levels by means of out sourcing, technological advances, the liberal dems supporting illegal immigrants, and the republicans issuing work visas to "skilled immigrants" in "our “global talent pool”. Our economy will never improve if people don't have jobs. Most workers now are scared to spend any money because they are living in fear that technology will take over their job, their company will move over seas, their company will go out of business, or they will be replaced by cheaper immigrants. Plain and simple this country needs major policy change towards supporting the average worker.

Ford lost 5.9 BILLION in the fourth quarter of 2008. 50 million isn't even a drop in the bucket so we would never get profit sharing out of it. I don't think any exec at any company should recieve any bonuses in the form of cash or stock if the compay isn't making a profit. As a matter of fact they should make concessions until the company retuns to profitability or be terminated.

This is a never ending battle and will be very trying. We all have to stand together and be strong especially now while we are most vulnerable due to the depression that our government and corporate America has created. Now is the perfect time for the rich elitist to stick it to us and turn the non union members of society against us. This was easily proven during the auto bailout. The good news is the tables may be turning in our favor since the general public is hearing how the financial bailout was a huge waste of money and the American citizens got poked in the butt on that one in so many different ways. One way we can help out is to always speak positive about our union, go to work every day on time, build one hell of a product that you would be proud to drive, and if you have any problems about the union or even the company, take it straight to the source and not the public. The union needs positive press, even if that means we (the body of the union) are the only press. We must speak louder than we ever have in order to keep our pay and benefits and to help maintain the quality of life for ALL blue collar Americans. Brothers and sisters please take this seriously, our jobs at Ford are not the only jobs at risk. As brothers and sisters we must help our fellow Americans buy telling them how organizing a union can be a very positive benefit for them and their families. In Solidarity

Not trying to be a smart aleck but did you try at the local level then work your way up? If you can get a few union reps to work with you it might come easier. Like I say, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, just asking.

If I am not mistaken KC is the bigest plant and also has the most available land in the Ford system, making it possible to produce several vehicles at one time. No chance of closing. There would be a better chance of Ford closing other plants and moving work to KC.

Thats what I've been saying. We are beating up the wrong people. The government is behind all of this. It is ok for congress (and the rest of the country) to demand us to take pay cuts and benefit cuts but the execs can make whatever they want? Pay attention people because the tables are turning. Just keep watching the news and you will see. CEOs pay being caped if they apply for TARP funds now. Public demanding that all CEOs have a pay cap. The GOP holding up the appointment of Hilda Solis (they are scared to death of her, I wonder why). I know she is too liberal and supports immigration but she is also a strong union supporter which is why the GOP hates her. We've not have a secretary of labor who actually supports labor in a while. Keep praying because its working.

I can understand the fact that you’re not happy but who is right now? You people are forgetting that we still have to vote on all the changes being made. As of right now they are just suspensions. Like I said in a previous post, the whole country including the government is against Ron and it sounds like the same people he is fighting for is against him also. You don't even know what is going to be presented to us yet and you are bitching, moaning, and groaning like little bitches. The whole world has Ron backed into a corner, he is only one person for Christ sakes. Should he pull a thriving economy out of his ass or what? Man I wished you all would pitch in and help out as fast as you are willing to stab a brother/sister in the back. You have no idea the pressure that is upon a union president during a depression. WTF? As far as the transplants a few plants are union (don't remember which ones but I’m sure you can look it up) and Gettlefinger has tried to organize Toyota several times and was unsuccessful as was Stephen Yokich who also tried several times and failed. Right before a vote Toyota would hire hundreds of temps just to have them to vote no on a union and promise them a permanent position after they finished firing the union supporters who got caught. I know several people who work at Toyota plants and trust me the UAW has tried very hard to organize them. They didn't "let" anyone go unorganized. Remember that the union is a business also and they want to keep as many members as they can. More members = more dues. Fewer members = less strength which is why they are hitting hard right now (after thousands of buyouts). The anti-union movement kicking us when we are down. How can the richest union in the world continue to go down the same road that has failed in the past? Ask our government. The union doesn't have elitist connections that our politicians have. They blame us for higher pay and benefit standards that make us (the United States) uncompetitive in global markets. The elite politicians and CEOs see us as thieves stealing gold from their off shore piggy banks. They hate us so they figure out ways to get rid of us like moving their operations over seas and paying those workers bread crumbs while our government pays the company tax incentives for moving. All of this is way bigger than Ron Gettlefinger. I know that everyone on this forum says things like "why in the hell did he give up this' or "if I was Ron I'd do that". Well maybe instead of bitching about Ron you should stand up and help him like going to a Union meeting or making a phone call or writing him a letter suggesting you ideas. You don't have to hold an elected position to make suggestions to help out our union. If you think otherwise then f*cking run for a position. It is easy to degrade our officials when you are not willing to do the job yourself. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Solidarity

Can't you read, it says "EXPECTS." That is not concrete, and further more it says "SHUTTER" not closed. When we were on furlough sometimes they called us shuttered. Interpret it the way you want.

The government is allowing the banks and Wall Street to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers and hire immigrants in their place while the government is issuing them work visas. The dems are all for immigration and the gop has changed their stance on immigration as well. The gop says we need a "global pool to recruit the best workers". All of-em can go f*ck themselves. I don't believe in party affiliation but I generally vote dem because they support the working class more so than the gop, but immigration at the current rate supports everyone but the American worker.

"Chrysler on Friday said it was temporarily idling three plants, but there's been no talk of closures. Ford Motor Co. (F), which isn't receiving aid, continues to adjust production but has no plans to close plants at this time".

This is all I found but it doesn't say Ford is "closing" 2 plants. Click Here

I went to CNN money but couldn't find it. If its not BS I guess we will find out soon enough.

Why didn't you post a link?

Thanks for clarifying that, I wasn't sure of the trade laws.