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Thursday, October 11, 2007

UAW Shooting for a Non-Strike Trifecta

So the UAW rolled out another non strike, this time with Chrysler.  A six hour show of force?

The union members walked off the job like a online poker player going all in with fake internet money.  Regardless, both sides are claiming a victory (even though Chrysler and GM still have labor costs $20 an hour above Toyota).

The union thinks that it protected health care for retiring workers.  I have to ask, the question, why was the health care of retiring workers on the table in the first place?

What round of negotiations in the past did the UAW screw up so much that it put their members health care at risk after retirement?

If they didn't make a mistake in the past and 'suddenly' the health care was at risk, couldn't another unforeseen event put that same health care at risk again?

The skeptic in me suspects that all of those auto workers are getting duped by both the company and their union leaders.  Part of the problem here is that the two prime negotiators, the company and the union leaders drive what goes on the table and that ultimately makes the workers codependent on the Union and weirdly enough on the company. 

Its almost akin to a crack addict having their crack dealer renegotiate better prices with a Columbian drug lord.  At the end of the day, you know the crack addict is not going to come out on top and neither will the rank and file in this case.  The crack addict can go to drug rehab and the rank and file can renegotiate, but that doesn't change the dependency dynamic.

UAW Targets Hobbled Ford

So next up the UAW is going after Ford, a company that almost went completely under this year.  Ford has labor costs $20 an hour above Toyota also.  How much of the union rank and file are going to be protected if Ford or GM go bankrupt?

That's the real question here, right now.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

UAW Strikes Again!

This might appear like DeJa Vu.  A little over a week ago, the UAW went on strike against GM and then all of a sudden the strike was over.  Seemed almost like the strike was orchestrated to make a statement as opposed to actually kicking of a strike.

UAW walks off the job at Chrysler

Well the UAW may have stolen a few page from their own books at GM to apply to Chrysler.  Workers are walking off the job in Detroit this morning as it appears talks are breaking down and the union may soon be going on strike against Chrysler.

Will this be another 1 day all show, now teeth strike?

Or is this one going to be the real thing?