COLA VS INFLATION

[danehilby]

Back in 2005, when we started giving up concessions, we still had COLA to protect us from inflation. Now, we have given up COLA and are subject to the changes in inflation. Since we gave up COLA in 2009, inflation has risen 8%. What that means is if you are making $30 an hour, what you could buy with that $30 an hour back then now takes a job paying $32.40 an hour.

 

However, since we have not received a raise since 2005, we must consider what inflation has meant to us since then. Since 2005, inflation has increased 19%. Hince, your buying power has dropped that much since 2005. In other words, what a $30 an hour wage could buy back in 2005, now takes a job where the wages are $35.70 an hour. This could get much worse. Let me explain!

 

During and after the 1990's recession, inflation increased 30% in 6 years. During and after the 1970's recession, inflation increased 70%. The worst inflation increase since the 20th century was during and after World War 1, when inflation increased a whopping 100% in just six years. Notice that each of these periods were during and/or just after war periods (WW1, Viet Nam, Iraq). What do you think will happen during the next few years when the U.S. either keeps fighting in the Middle East or finally pulls out??? We may have a period of drastic inflation rate!

 

Do we dare take that chance without the protection of COLA???

 

Vote NO until they give us COLA back!!!!!!!

[Len_A]

COLA means that the employers labor costs go up with inflation that they have otherwise nothing to do with. DO you realize that of all unionized work forces, you were the last, if not the only ones, to ever get any kind of significant COLA? There is no way I see Ford knuckling under to give you COLA, and furthermore, no way I see the IUAW bargaining team negotiating to add cost to Ford's labor rate when GM's and Chrysler are virtually guaranteed to be lower (and significantly so). I just don't see it happening.

[danehilby]

It must be nice, Len_A. Based on your response, I assume you don't have to worry about inflation. Must either be in Ford's management team or with IUAW. We, who have to worry about inflation need protection from it. In your first sentence who does "they" represent: employers, labor costs, COLA, or inflation?

 

If the IUAW negotiating team can't see that far into the future to determine we need COLA to protect us from inflation, then we are in trouble. Ooops. Just answered my own statement.

 

Let me ask you, Len_A, what happened in the 80's when Chrysler UAW workers had to accept lower wages then their counter parts? Oh, that's right, they eventually caught back up to GM UAW and Ford UAW workers in later years when Chrysler became more profitable. If IUAW had negotiated with that in mind, then IUAW could well have asked for more money from Ford. Then, in later years, GM and Chrysler workers could have caught up.

 

But, I guess that is what we get when our negotiating teams are probably only high school educated, or less. We send people in to negotiate business related subjects without a clue as to the business field. As far as I am concerned, our negotiating teams should be made up of people with business degrees, or better.

[MTP WORKER]

COLA means that the employers labor costs go up with inflation that they have otherwise nothing to do with. DO you realize that of all unionized work forces, you were the last, if not the only ones, to ever get any kind of significant COLA? There is no way I see Ford knuckling under to give you COLA, and furthermore, no way I see the IUAW bargaining team negotiating to add cost to Ford's labor rate when GM's and Chrysler are virtually guaranteed to be lower (and significantly so). I just don't see it happening.

NO voters do not understand that Ford will not raise the already highest in industry fixed wage. Ford is a business and they need to stay as an attractive as they can to the investers and credit raters. I guess that a lot of workers think that they know better then people with business degrees. Most factory workers were not hired in for how smart they are. I am not saying that all of the NO voters are just plain stupid with low IQ's but I think that the HATE for the company and DISTRUST of the IUAW can cloud the good judgement of even the most intelligent ones. They are tired of feeling like victims(aww) and know they have the POWER TO SHOW THE MAN! LOL. They do not care and are willing to gamble( with my money too) even though THE RISKS OF A NO VOTE OUT WEIGH THE REWARDS! If this thing passes do not fret NO voters your way of life( at least financially) will still be pretty good compared to most others that do not have a college degree. If you short sighted No voters are lucky the Yes voters will keep you from hurting yourselfs( and the rest) when we pass this decent deal under the current economical circumstances.

Edited October 11, 2011 by sez

[Raws41900]

Here's what i am!

[novotingit]

Inflation was definitely not considered in this current agreement..

 

This is why It gets a no vote from me.

[Len_A]

It must be nice, Len_A. Based on your response, I assume you don't have to worry about inflation. Must either be in Ford's management team or with IUAW. We, who have to worry about inflation need protection from it. In your first sentence who does "they" represent: employers, labor costs, COLA, or inflation?

 

If the IUAW negotiating team can't see that far into the future to determine we need COLA to protect us from inflation, then we are in trouble. Ooops. Just answered my own statement.

 

Let me ask you, Len_A, what happened in the 80's when Chrysler UAW workers had to accept lower wages then their counter parts? Oh, that's right, they eventually caught back up to GM UAW and Ford UAW workers in later years when Chrysler became more profitable. If IUAW had negotiated with that in mind, then IUAW could well have asked for more money from Ford. Then, in later years, GM and Chrysler workers could have caught up.

 

But, I guess that is what we get when our negotiating teams are probably only high school educated, or less. We send people in to negotiate business related subjects without a clue as to the business field. As far as I am concerned, our negotiating teams should be made up of people with business degrees, or better.

First of all, I think most of your negotiators are college educated.

 

Second of all, bringing up what happened to Chrysler workers in the 1980's shows how narrow minded and ass backwards your point of view is. You have MORE competition than just Chrysler & GM. You have the transplants to deal with, and in case you didn't get the memo two years ago, those in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, gave not only the Detroit CEO's but Ron Gettlefinger a verbal beating over the disparity in pay between the Detroit Three and the transplants. After you remove things like the jobs bank, the next most irritating thing to non auto industry middle class Americans is COLA. The idea that they should be loyal to their fellow American and buy Detroit iron, so that you can have inflation protection that they, the customers, do NOT have, irritates them to no end. You want to get COLA, then enjoy it when you're on ILO, as you lose sales.

 

 

What are you going to do, in order to help your non auto industry neighbors, get inflation protection? Oh, wait, there's not a damn thing you can do.

 

You going to help organize the transplants? Most of their employees already see staying non union, because of consumers reactions to things like COLA, is in their best interest. Good luck helping convince them otherwise.

Edited October 11, 2011 by Len_A

[danehilby]

NO voters do not understand that Ford will not raise the already highest in industry fixed wage. Ford is a business and they need to stay as an attractive as they can to the investers and credit raters. I guess that a lot of workers think that they know better then people with business degrees. Most factory workers were not hired in for how smart they are. I am not saying that all of the NO voters are just plain stupid with low IQ's but I think that the HATE for the company and DISTRUST of the IUAW can cloud the good judgement of even the most intelligent ones. They are tired of feeling like victims(aww) and know they have the POWER TO SHOW THE MAN! LOL. They do not care and are willing to gamble( with my money too) even though THE RISKS OF A NO VOTE OUT WEIGH THE REWARDS! If this thing passes do not fret NO voters your way of life( at least financially) will still be pretty good compared to most others that do not have a college degree. If you short sighted No voters are lucky the Yes voters will keep you from hurting yourselfs( and the rest) when we pass this decent deal under the current economical circumstances.

 

 

sez, please explain to me where Ford gets off telling us we are being paid $58 an hour. As a person getting paid $28 cash an hour, I do not see where I am making $30 an hour in benefits. And Ford refuses to break it down for us so we can better understand why they claim so. Therefore, the claim MUST BE BOGUS. If the claim were true, they would gladly break it down for us.

 

You would be surprised how many of your younger co-workers are working at Ford but still have a college degree. They started working here under the guise of this being a well payed job. Now, it is barely enough to pay the bills because as the cost of living and inflation keeps creeping up, our wages stay the same. Well, actually they have decreased since we gave up COLA. Did you know that according to NCCP (National Coalition of Children in Poverty), that it now takes a job paying over $17 an hour just to stay out of poverty. You know, "keep your head afloat". By the time this contract is over and the big possibility that inflation will soon SKYROCKET, my $28 an hour would probably just be enough to put food on the table. Oooops. Then I won't be able to afford a new fancy car to keep you working. Sorry, I didn't get a raise to be able to afford a new car and your job just went to another country.

[Raws41900]

First of all, I think most of your negotiators are college educated.

 

Second of all, bringing up what happened to Chrysler workers in the 1980's shows how narrow minded and ass backwards your point of view is. You have MORE competition than just Chrysler & GM. You have the transplants to deal with, and in case you didn't get the memo two years ago, those in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, gave not only the Detroit CEO's but Ron Gettlefinger a verbal beating over the disparity in pay between the Detroit Three and the transplants. After you remove things like the jobs bank, the next most irritating thing to non auto industry middle class Americans is COLA. The idea that they should be loyal to their fellow American and buy Detroit iron, so that you can have inflation protection that they, the customers, do NOT have, irritates them to no end. You want to get COLA, then enjoy it when you're on ILO, as you lose sales.

 

 

What are you going to do, in order to help your non auto industry neighbors, get inflation protection? Oh, wait, there's not a damn thing you can do.

 

You going to help organize the transplants? Most of their employees already see staying non union, because of consumers reactions to things like COLA, is in their best interest. Good luck helping convince them otherwise.

 

Oh i see the government said WE'RE overpaid, hmmph.. well if they say we are, we must be.. i mean the government who writes checks their ass cant cash and have caused a recession, must be right telling automakers they spend too much..

News Flash it doesnt fucking matter what we do short of making minimum wage, the general public will think we're over paid and dont deserve shit.

 

You sound like you're in management with your scare tactics like get COLA and get ILO bullshit, it's not going to happen because NEWS FLASH, our wages arent the problem with the company, or the country.

Edited October 11, 2011 by Raws41900

[danehilby]

First of all, I think most of your negotiators are college educated.

 

Second of all, bringing up what happened to Chrysler workers in the 1980's shows how narrow minded and ass backwards your point of view is. You have MORE competition than just Chrysler & GM. You have the transplants to deal with, and in case you didn't get the memo two years ago, those in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, gave not only the Detroit CEO's but Ron Gettlefinger a verbal beating over the disparity in pay between the Detroit Three and the transplants. After you remove things like the jobs bank, the next most irritating thing to non auto industry middle class Americans is COLA. The idea that they should be loyal to their fellow American and buy Detroit iron, so that you can have inflation protection that they, the customers, do NOT have, irritates them to no end. You want to get COLA, then enjoy it when you're on ILO, as you lose sales.

 

 

What are you going to do, in order to help your non auto industry neighbors, get inflation protection? Oh, wait, there's not a damn thing you can do.

 

You going to help organize the transplants? Most of their employees already see staying non union, because of consumers reactions to things like COLA, is in their best interest. Good luck helping convince them otherwise.

 

Looks like you answered my question about your job and who you work for. Not once did you use the term "we" as in we workers. Therefore, your ranting and raving is lost on those who really are Ford UAW workers. So please get your miserable feeble mind off of these posts and go join your cronies in the glass house.

[MTP WORKER]

HA HA Very intelligent response RAWS. It must suck to have to go to work for a company that you hate. If is was not for the UAW in which you have no trust a lot of you haters would of been fired a long time ago. I will side with the IUAW by voting YES. If the money and benefits we are getting is not enough for you then go down the road and use your expert skills to make more somewhere else.

Edited October 11, 2011 by sez

[wildosvt]

Looks like you answered my question about your job and who you work for. Not once did you use the term "we" as in we workers. Therefore, your ranting and raving is lost on those who really are Ford UAW workers. So please get your miserable feeble mind off of these posts and go join your cronies in the glass house.

 

 

Can you be so kind as to tell everyone here what COLA would be right now if it were in the tenative agreement?

[Len_A]

Looks like you answered my question about your job and who you work for. Not once did you use the term "we" as in we workers. Therefore, your ranting and raving is lost on those who really are Ford UAW workers. So please get your miserable feeble mind off of these posts and go join your cronies in the glass house.

First, I never said I was hourly. Haven't been hourly since 1978. secondly, the only reason anything, other than your own thoughts, is lost on you is because you're obstinate, and in being so, you give credibility to those non auto industry workers who routinely badmouth the UAW rank-and-file and talk up the transplants. I would tell you to take your head out of your ass, but someone needs to dim the lights first, so it doesn't hurt your eyes.

[Raws41900]

HA HA Very intelligent response RAWS. It must suck to have to go to work for a company that you hate. If is was not for the UAW in which you have no trust a lot of you haters would of been fired a long time ago. I will side with the IUAW by voting YES. If the money and benefits we are getting is not enough for you then go down the road and use your expert skills to make more somewhere else.

 

Sorry suck ass, i don't hate ford, always liked ford even before i worked here, but i'm not going to blindly follow them and believe everything they say or you for that matter. and why exactly would i have been fired a long time ago? I go to work and do my job to the best of my ability and NEVER have missed a day that wasnt scheduled or have been late in my time here.

Why have a fucking union? just settle for whatever the company gives you.

[jerrymaker]

NO voters do not understand that Ford will not raise the already highest in industry fixed wage. Ford is a business and they need to stay as an attractive as they can to the investers and credit raters. I guess that a lot of workers think that they know better then people with business degrees. Most factory workers were not hired in for how smart they are. I am not saying that all of the NO voters are just plain stupid with low IQ's but I think that the HATE for the company and DISTRUST of the IUAW can cloud the good judgement of even the most intelligent ones. They are tired of feeling like victims(aww) and know they have the POWER TO SHOW THE MAN! LOL. They do not care and are willing to gamble( with my money too) even though THE RISKS OF A NO VOTE OUT WEIGH THE REWARDS! If this thing passes do not fret NO voters your way of life( at least financially) will still be pretty good compared to most others that do not have a college degree. If you short sighted No voters are lucky the Yes voters will keep you from hurting yourselfs( and the rest) when we pass this decent deal under the current economical circumstances.

 

 

Haave you seen the price of a f-150? Haave you seen the ceo's salary? did you see the new hires will get a $$$3.50 raise? are they making profit? can you see what they are doing? if not mail me $1000.00 because you won the lotto in nigeria, just send me they check!! and you will get the lotto winnings!

[danehilby]

First of all, I think most of your negotiators are college educated.

 

Second of all, bringing up what happened to Chrysler workers in the 1980's shows how narrow minded and ass backwards your point of view is. You have MORE competition than just Chrysler & GM. You have the transplants to deal with, and in case you didn't get the memo two years ago, those in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, gave not only the Detroit CEO's but Ron Gettlefinger a verbal beating over the disparity in pay between the Detroit Three and the transplants. After you remove things like the jobs bank, the next most irritating thing to non auto industry middle class Americans is COLA. The idea that they should be loyal to their fellow American and buy Detroit iron, so that you can have inflation protection that they, the customers, do NOT have, irritates them to no end. You want to get COLA, then enjoy it when you're on ILO, as you lose sales.

 

 

What are you going to do, in order to help your non auto industry neighbors, get inflation protection? Oh, wait, there's not a damn thing you can do.

 

You going to help organize the transplants? Most of their employees already see staying non union, because of consumers reactions to things like COLA, is in their best interest. Good luck helping convince them otherwise.

 

 

You think? You think our negotiators are college educated? I can tell you that I do not know one person from our plant that went down to IUAW that has any college education other than what some of them learned in the trade classes.

 

Sure glad you brought up the idea that we must compete with the TRANSPLANTS. Seems to me that Mr. Mullaly is NOT competing with the TRANSPLANTS. Didn't I just read that he makes more money than most of the transplants CEO's all put together???

 

And yes, you do sound too much like management. Therefore, just stay away. This seems to be a place for blue collar workers to throw ideas out to each other and not for white collar big stuffs to throw rhetoric at us that is just meant to scare us into voting for the contract. In fact, if you were posting in true honesty, you would identify yourself as a white collar worker so that the rest would realize just where your true colors and posts come from.

[whereswaldo]

Can you be so kind as to tell everyone here what COLA would be right now if it were in the tenative agreement?

 

Someone posted that it would be $2.12 /hr if we had never lost it and it wasnt rolled into our hrly wage . I'm not sure I agree but according to the BLS, inflations has risen around 10.7--11.3 % from 2007 thru August of 2011. This is for unadjusted(which most bargaining contracts go by), all Urban workers, all items included.

[Len_A]

You think? You think our negotiators are college educated? I can tell you that I do not know one person from our plant that went down to IUAW that has any college education other than what some of them learned in the trade classes.

 

Sure glad you brought up the idea that we must compete with the TRANSPLANTS. Seems to me that Mr. Mullaly is NOT competing with the TRANSPLANTS. Didn't I just read that he makes more money than most of the transplants CEO's all put together???

 

And yes, you do sound too much like management. Therefore, just stay away. This seems to be a place for blue collar workers to throw ideas out to each other and not for white collar big stuffs to throw rhetoric at us that is just meant to scare us into voting for the contract. In fact, if you were posting in true honesty, you would identify yourself as a white collar worker so that the rest would realize just where your true colors and posts come from.

Never said I wasn't white collar, and again, this is NOT an hourly only forum. Deal with it.

[danehilby]

Someone posted that it would be $2.12 /hr if we had never lost it and it wasnt rolled into our hrly wage . I'm not sure I agree but according to the BLS, inflations has risen around 10.7--11.3 % from 2007 thru August of 2011. This is for unadjusted(which most bargaining contracts go by), all Urban workers, all items included.

 

Waldo, inflation in the U.S. has risen 8% since we gave up COLA. It has risen 19% since we gave up our first concessions in 2005.

[whereswaldo]

Waldo, inflation in the U.S. has risen 8% since we gave up COLA. It has risen 19% since we gave up our first concessions in 2005.

 

No shit Sherlock. All in CPI includes food & energy. GOVT/Markets often use CPI with these taken out.

[lquidspine]

Simple sollution;

 

Look at all your W2's since 2006 and tell me year to year how much you have lost.

[Dale143]

Simple sollution;

 

Look at all your W2's since 2006 and tell me year to year how much you have lost.

HERE ARE THE FACTS. figuring in inflation we have taken a pay cut almost every month since 2003 when we lost raises .

I agree with another poster,Everyone will get a raise in this contract except seniority workers . The union gave themselves a raise,2nd tier , team leaders (that's a joke). All we get is an offer to retire .Anyway...

 

http://www.miseryindex.us/irbymonth.asp?StartYear=2001-09&EndYear=2011-08&submit1=Create+Report

[danehilby]

Simple sollution;

 

Look at all your W2's since 2006 and tell me year to year how much you have lost.

 

 

First, we have lost $2.12 in COLA (in today's market).

Second, we have lost 19% in buying power due to inflation.

Third, we have lost another small percentage in tax increases.

 

But the first two are HUGE!!!! What my $28 an hour wage (plus COLA) could buy in 2006, now takes a wage of $35.90 an hour to buy.

 

So, LS, apparently you did not do your homework. You fail the class. Go back to 3rd grade.

[lquidspine]

HERE ARE THE FACTS. figuring in inflation we have taken a pay cut almost every month since 2003 when we lost raises .

I agree with another poster,Everyone will get a raise in this contract except seniority workers . The union gave themselves a raise,2nd tier , team leaders (that's a joke). All we get is an offer to retire .Anyway...

 

http://www.miseryindex.us/irbymonth.asp?StartYear=2001-09&EndYear=2011-08&submit1=Create+Report

Just too point out how accurate your source is

This Page was

last edited on

7/21/2010

 

But yet it has inflation rates as recently as August 2011, good source there bro.

[danehilby]

$31.68 according to CPI Inflation Calculator.

 

And its more like 6 percent or a little less. 2009 was close to 0 from out our first concession vote.

 

 

$35.98 from $30. So, I stand corrected and according to MY source, SO DO YOU.

 

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

 

Plug in the last year a UAW worker got a raise, 2004, through to todays date, in 2011. Tells me clearly that inflation has risen 19%. Can't get any clearer than that.

 

Heck, just the inflatin rate for 2006 & 2007 was over 6%. Might you need some reading glasses???

 

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/

 

But, then, I highly doubt you will look up this information. Also, using a different set of rates, from a different internet site, the same rate of inflation is calculated within 1%.

 

http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Rate/HistoricalInflation.aspx

 

So, I do not accept your 6% crap. Sounds like another set of misleading information from another person sent from either IUAW or Ford to confuse the masses.