Strike has begun

[ErylFlynn]

Couple facts:

Average wrangler price doubled since 2018.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/price-trends/Jeep-Wrangler-d494

Stellantis made 12b net profit the first half of 23.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...2023-earnings-first-half-profits/70457190007/

Take from this what you want.

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[flycast209]

Hopefully it gets worked out soon!

Agreed! Plus I don't want a 2024, and it has a 6 spd manual. I am screwed.

 

[NotSo Bright White]

Dictator Rum has the first AI Robot CEO and I am not making this up. It was just on the news.

Their website states:
“ We are boldly driving the frontiers of technology with the appointment of the first AI empowered robot CEO, Mika, who will have responsibility for data insight, strategic provocation and DAO community liaison”

 

[Blade1668]

In the chance that this will be my last posting then banned. I the strike that my cousin participated in support for UAW. His strike pay means his vehicles and house were repo'ed after not being able to pay for them. But the union directed them to strike. The heavy equipment company he worked at wasn't related to the "big 3" that started the strike. At the time I was A.D. making less than $1800.°° a month his job was paying him over $25.°° a hour. He thought it was great at first going fishing and the lake for first few weeks.
That was in 90s. I told him my a## would have been across the strike line after the first week. That strike ended up shutting down 2 other major manufacturers in IL. supporting auto industry, beside knocking CATERPILLAR down from it's past of "being the one" to there is other options that might be cheaper and better. It's still the top MFG. but now there is a few very hot on it tail.
No I don't think that most CEO, Presidents V.P's should be being paid the vast amounts of money that they are. Many jump into a position milking every cent out of a company while running them into the ground. Then jump to another position in a different company to do it again.

But please do tell me that making on average $28.°° a hour isn't a living wage in many areas, not including medical, dental insurance retirement plans paid vacation. I damn sure made a lot less and it was a living. Wait and see what the union top dogs make.
FYI UAW owns 17.5% of GM.
There is a lot more going on than what we see and hear on TV and media. Something to think about what happens if...... American auto industry crashes???

 

[Blade1668]

We already have UBI. Replace "UBI" with welfare. UBI already exists for anyone that wants it. How many people do you see living off of welfare alone? Even when you have able bodied people just sitting around on welfare. (No, I DO realize there are people that need it, but there are reforms needed and that's for a different conversation) The temptation to become subsidized consumers. They don't want to work because they'll lose welfare. So there's no reason to work or come off, you just get used to living at that level. Especially when you have housing and a free cell phone on top of that.

They are riding the backs of those of us that are still producing. What happens when there are no producers?

1984 and Atlas Shrugged are coming around faster than I imagined

Any members here that are single definitely understand your post. We as in myself definitely do or as of now (me) did. My base tax was over 28% of what I did make then on top of required other services, insurances and taxes. It figured out to be over 45% of what I was paid when all said and done. I do feel for many who have busted their asses for a living from low pay to a living wage. One person who was employed where I was, quit because she made more money by not working: single mother of 5, another who is "one of the boys" can afford to take 2-3, 1-2 week trips to Disneyland and a few cruises a year since he and wife have enough dependents to be paid as much as I was paid and more by government. That was besides his employment pay. BTW, he's a fellow Jeeper that had the audacity to tell me he wished he could afford a brand new Gladiator when I bought mine... he was driving a "brand new JL Rubicon" lifted new tires and rims, his other car and minivan was new. ?

My last day of being employed was 3 June 2022. Have I missed it not really little to hardly. I'm in mid 50s retired from Army, DAV, that wasn't trying to push for it for many years. Seeing many who have and are riding the system.... Well, I buried my father a few years before he could retire and enjoy life I'm less than 5 years from his age then.

 

[Sweetums]

Union is asking for 46% more yearly pay with 25% less working hours. That's 82.5% more $ per hour... good luck.

You forgot that's over the next 5 years and they are not pulling the number out of thin air, it's tied to the record profits made by the automakers, lack of pay raises over the last 5 years, and projected cost of living over the next five.

 

[redriderjf87]

It's always "record profits"

 

[Wildtoad]

This is also why companies move offshore and to right to work states.

wanting a 46% pay increase, same wage for less work are both indefensible. Want a return to a pension system for new hires is a non starter IMO. Employees, especially new hires, need to plan for their own retirement.

 

[KC_H]

Only 11% of American workers are union. Unions are not there for the worker. They are there for the Democratic National Committee. The majority of the other 90% of American workers seem to make a livable wage unrepresented.

 

[TwelveGaugeSage]

As a union worker myself(UFCW), I hope they can work out a good deal for themselves. I spent years getting screwed over by corporations because I didn't have a union and the fees I spend now on union membership are some of the best money I have ever spent. Nothing beats the job security and protection from garbage humans who fail up into management potions.

Anyone who thinks unions are a bad thing is a gullible fool who probably buys gold and pillows from commercials on Fox News.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Union is asking for 46% more yearly pay with 25% less working hours. That's 82.5% more $ per hour... good luck.

Vehicle costs, profits, and executive pay have skyrocketed. Worker pay has stagnated.

The 4-day week is likely just a bargaining chip.

 

[coalcracker]

As a union worker myself(UFCW), I hope they can work out a good deal for themselves. I spent years getting screwed over by corporations because I didn't have a union and the fees I spend now on union membership are some of the best money I have ever spent. Nothing beats the job security and protection from garbage humans who fail up into management potions.

Anyone who thinks unions are a bad thing is a gullible fool who probably buys gold and pillows from commercials on Fox News.

Oh please, my first job out of college was in a public employee union environment in California in which the biggest work hazard was sitting at a desk. I’m not saying that people don’t deserve fair pay for what they do, but in my case I eventually went into the private sector, in a non-union job, and did way better for myself than I would have done in the union environment. So I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t/didn’t need a union to do well in my career and I like negotiating my own salary, bonuses, and other employment terms instead of having a third party do that for me, especially when that third party also is politically active and supports a political party that has a vision for our country that I personally don’t support. But, I’m not a factory worker and not working in dangerous conditions. I don’t buy pillows from commercials on Fox News; in fact, I don’t watch Fox at all.

Now, with that said, hopefully the UAW and the Big 3 can come to an agreement quickly so everything can get back on track.

 

[KC_H]

In a true free market (capitalism), the economy would determine pay, wages, benefits, etc. What we're seeing today is the result of crony capitalism. If the UAW isn't smart, they will all lose their jobs, and the vehicles will be built in Mexico and other countries where people want jobs. Or, they will be built in American plants that aren't unionized, if that's possible.

It saddens me that folks are so out of touch on what is really going on around the world and in the US.

1. Laissez-faire Capitalism has never worked and never will work (other than for the top 1%). Controls (unions act as a control) must be put in place or you end up with two classes the ultra wealthy and the poor. Unions were what created the middle class and the middle class is disappearing rapidly.

2. In the US (and other countries) the great re-shoring (reindustrialization) process is taking place. Construction spending in the US is currently double what it has traditionally been and there is a trillion dollars of funds available to re-shore manufacturing. So those that are blaming either of the political parties for our present inflation, just stop. Present inflation is caused by the rapid growth of US reindustrialization (plus the additional effect from global supply chain issues)...

3. The auto manufacturers and the UAW know this, you might have another production plant built in Mexico, but they no longer have the workforce to man such a plant long term. There are only 3 countries that demographics support long term production (US, France, and I forget the third, I will edit the post when I remember). That is partially due to immigration, those immigrants that people love to hate, are what is keeping our country afloat... On the base of the statue of liberty it reads.

"Give me your tired, your poor,​

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,​

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.​

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,​

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"​

4. Right now the dance between the big 3 and the UAW is laying out the future of auto manufacturing in the US. Will there be manufacturing movement to less expensive or RTW states? Of course, but as people figure out there that they are being taken advantage of they will demand higher wages and better benefits.

5. The labor shortage is real around the world, the US is in a bit better shape (thank you latin american immigrants), but with the re-shoring of industrial production, labor will lose its commodity status. Labor will demand higher wages and benefits and it may or may not take the reemergence of unions to support those demands.

6. As an aside expect to see the US manufacture products overseas in the market in which the product will be sold, e.g, Toyota producing automobiles in the US.. Toyota simply does not have the workforce to produce the world supply of Toyota vehicle in Japan. They produce in the US because they are utilizing our work force and people don't perceive Toyota vehicles as foreign produced and dumped in our market. It was a brilliant move.

I hope this helps...

 

[KC_H]

Vehicle costs, profits, and executive pay have skyrocketed. Worker pay has stagnated.

The 4-day week is likely just a bargaining chip.

Interestingly enough, companies that implement a 4/10 work week see higher productivity and higher profits...

 

[smlobx]

I listened to a video yesterday that said the average UAW worker was making $66/hr in wages and benefits and according to another video with the CEO of Ford and Chevy the pay for the average union worker was $77, 000 per year at Ford and $80,000 per year at Chevy.

…and they want a 40% increase and a reduction to only 32 hours per week? Cry me a river…

What the unions are not mentioning is that they all get to share in the profits that the company makes (as they should) but that equates to over $10K in bonuses per year in the last few years.

Anywhere you go that’s good money for a high school graduate.

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