Where Would GM Be Without the UAW?

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That guy has a biased, one-sided opinion and is obviously anti-union. And BTW labor is only 20% of GM's total cost of operation. Toyota also has union plants where the Tacoma and Corolla are assembled, so using his reasoning why isn't it in the same situation? GM is floundering because of high gas prices, and people like the author won't be content until the whole American middle class is wiped out. Being union has absolutely nothing to do with a person's work ethic. In fact, I dare say that most people would work harder knowing they were well paid and could make a comfortable living without having to work 70 hours a week.
 
. . . A life in a bubble.

ANSWER TO HIS QUESTION: GM wouldn't be.

GM is not in trouble because of high labor costs.

GM is in trouble because fewer and fewer people want to buy their product.

All these workers are the same people who buy everything. I think they're called the market.

Let's just lay EVERYONE off, have everything made by Chinese slave labor and see what happens to the market.
 
Hah..monday-morning cars. Do those actually exist, or have I merely been very "lucky" in only having car problems that are the result of bad engineering decisions (which would be present no matter what day the car was made)?

I wonder if somewhere on that guy's website he talks about how much lettuce will cost if we ever enforced our immigration laws...
 
^^^ Lettuce would probably only increase a little. Think about how many heads a well paid worker can cut and pack in an hour and the difference wouldn't be much. Well worth the extra $$$ if you ask me and I would gladly pay it. Just think about the high cost of cheap labor when we're paying more for healthcare.
 
Not much food for thought if you ask me. Obviously this guy has an agenda.

I agree with Volvohead "GM is in trouble because fewer and fewer people want to buy their product".
 
GM is in trouble because there is a perception in "the market" that better products are made by other companies.

The big problem, especially for bigger companies, is: the definition of "better" is a moving target. "Better" used to mean "Faster", hence the big engine craze of the 60's/early 70's. Then, with a fuel crisis, it meant more efficient...hence the Japanese small car proliferation. Then as fuel became cheaper (figuring the cost of inflation), "better" became "Bigger"...hence the SUV Urban Assault vehicle popularity. Safety was also associated with "bigger", helping the perception of bigger being better. However, with single vehicle deathrates reportedly higher in SUV's (due to one factor....rollover) than almost any other non-motorcycle vehicle, combined with fuel prices escalating, "better" may require higher fuel efficiency. And so "better" continues to change. If the economy is perceived to be bad enough, Value becomes more important, conversely, when it's all roses, Appearance or Performance becomes more important.

Whether these statements are exactly correct doesn't matter, it's the concept that's valid.

Companies that can hit the "better" moving target the quickest are usually the companies that thrive. Maybe GM will be quicker in the future. Maybe not. Success depends upon hitting the target quicker than the "others".
 
quote:

GM is in trouble because there is a perception in "the market" that better products are made by other companies.

Well, if your intent was to get the flame-throwers going, I'm not biting...but I think you're a bit wrong there.
 
Somebody needs to explain why vehicles under the names Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infinity, many made here by US workers, are perceived by the market to be of better quality than GM, Ford. Better "capital" (equipment), better engineering, better labor input, more attentive management? Or just better marketing, or cheating, or just luck?

Methinks they have better and harder working managers, better trained & motivated workers, newer capital and equipment, and more intelligent, harder working engineers.

Thank Heavens this scenario didn't play out after December 7, 1941!
 
Someone should probably ask the morons whose Chrysler dealership here in Pasadena shut down.
Oh wait, I have some ideas.
1) No markdowns on Crossfires - one of the cars that stays on the lot the longest.
2) 8k markups on the "hot" Chargers - of which there were rows of unsold units sitting on the front row...
3) Salespeople that sucked eggs.

I never have the same experience at a Toyota/Honda dealership.

Just some thoughts...
 
PS - in regards to the above - yes, Honda is known to markup models - but only those that are legitimately "hot" sellers...

Scott
 
That article made it sound like the union held a gun to G.M.'s head and made them agree to all their demands. G.M. agreed to all those contract provisions, they weren't forced to sign.
They made their bed and now they have to lay in it, and they don't like it...POOR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, plain as day.
Had there not been greed and usery, the union wouldn't exist in the first place..... POOR MANAGEMENT DECISION.
The companies forced labor to organize and then signed agreements with them...sounds like MANAGEMENT created the problem. What are they complaining about ?!?!
They are lucky that organized labor doesn't sue them for negligence for losing their jobs.
One way of looking at it.
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P.B.
 
I really wonder how long before GM would be smacked down legally if they ever told their dealerships how much they were allowed to sell cars for?
 
I remember going into a Chevy Dealer in 1991 to ask them how much they wanted for their new SS 454 truck. The salesman said with a straight face no less...... $10,000.00 dollars over sticker price since it was limited production.
 
"So the advertising says, in any event"

Before it said it there it said it in the "Dealer Franchise Agreement". They actually have to agree under penalty of losing their franchise to neither discount nor markup from the MSRP unless told to do so. Last year the local Saturn dealers were all selling a "loss leader" 4 cyl. stick Vue for $13,495, the local dealership council thought it was a bad idea, but the good folks at Spring Hill insisted. It did seem to generate some traffic.
 
quote:

Originally posted by ScottB:

quote:

GM is in trouble because there is a perception in "the market" that better products are made by other companies.

Well, if your intent was to get the flame-throwers going, I'm not biting...but I think you're a bit wrong there.


Perception doesn't equal truth, Scott. Perception drives choices. Choices being made are such that GM is losing market share. No target for flame-throwing intended in my comment...maybe that's why there has been none.
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