Are We on the Verge of a Massive New Vehicle Price Increase?

[rbattelle]

but I'll tell you what if I had to make a choice between Someone who served a apprenticeship for 5 years and worked in the same trade during that time to someone who just applied for the job and got hired because they are cheap

Pick the guy who was an apprentice, no question about it!



Ox, please don't think that anyone here is saying that all unions are bad. I think such a generalization would be imprudent.



I agree that healthcare and labor costs are what's crippling the US automakers and suppliers, which is the primary source for supplier cost reductions being demanded among the OEMs.



-Ryan

 

[sstefanini]

This topic has the same opinions attached to it as everything posted in the politics forum. There will always be people for and against unions and there are alot of other factors involved here than just benefits of workers. I just wouldn't listen 100% to complaints from upper management either. Everybody always tries to blame someone else to make themselves look better.

 

[Jeff H]

About people slackin on the job. That one really p sses me off. My last full time job every one gets a raise. You don't even half to work for it. I was senior on my crew. I got paid the same amount as a guy that has four years less then me. They put little or no effort while the other guy pushes his own weight and covers for the slackers. Then supervisors tend to count on the competent ones to contiually covers for the slackers. So I finally just quit and now going to school. Hope things get better? This part time work thing is really nipping me in the azz.

 

[KBennett]

Are We on the Verge of a Massive New Vehicle Price Increase?

Probably, but it will probably be over a longer period of time than you might think.



I think unions are now like big government and insurance companies, they cost so much to run that people are working just to pay for the overhead.

There have been quite a few cases where it cost less for the employer to give the employee better benefits than the union and have the employees boot out the union.



Labor is not the only way to cut costs. The automotive companies are incorporating more and more automation into the process, very little is assembled by hand anymore. I think the problem now is healthcare, EPA regs, and taxes. They have so much overhead that they can't spend the money on quality anymore.

 

[tractorface]

People that think the unions are the reason folks have benefits etc. are simply repeating what they heard from the folks in charge of brainwashing them. Supply and demand is why we have benefits. Electricians are very scarce in my area, we pay them very well because we need them in order to get the job done.

I am a non-union electrician by trade but now work in manegment. I also teach apprenticeship school for ABC. The IBEW has a very good training program, second to none. There are some very skilled workers in both camps. Everyone has seen what the union has done to big companies in this country, but the IBEW is somewhat different in that respect as they are mainly a contractors union.

The tactics of intimidation used by the IBEW are wrong. I would never be a member of an organization that bullies non-union contractors they way the IBEW does. There is no place for that type of behavior in this country.



If the unions are so great why can't they stand on thir own merit. Instead they must rely on thug tactics to keep the membership going. Sorry for this reason alone I feel they need to be outlawed. The intimidating letters I have received from them simply strengthen my resolve against the union.

 

[EBottema]

I do also agree that we are on a verge of even higher prices. Guys our country is going down the toilet. It costs 30k to get a dodge Dakota, i mean come on the thing is a pos. A normal f150 is 35k... . Way too much. Way to combat this is make more money but jobs are outsourced so just go buy an old car...

 

[SGrooms]

If the unions are so great why can't they stand on thir own merit. Instead they must rely on thug tactics to keep the membership going. Sorry for this reason alone I feel they need to be outlawed. The intimidating letters I have received from them simply strengthen my resolve against the union.

I think there is a lot of truth in just this statement. It seems that even within the unions they can't keep the peace. If they are such a great organization they should have the widespread support of all people. They don't.



I also read a post in here about the employer being responsible for a good wage and worker's comp. Outstanding post. There could be nothing further from the truth in my mind. I don't feel that my employer is responsible for me having all those things. If I want them, I need to plan for them accordingly. If I can't, that's my bad.



Unions are a defunt dinosaur, and it is going to be hard to convince me any other way. I feel they are the reason most people can't afford a new house, new car... new hardly anything. By the time the contractor is done passing on prevaling wage, it makes it impossible to have anything.



Let them go!

 

[cgoder]

$250. 000 new house,10 acers of land, company van to and from work. Like I said before unions are not that bad. It allows me to support my family of 4 on one. Thanks to the union. :-laf

 

[zstroken]

Thug tactics?? I think you guys must be thinking of the gangsters

 

[KDillard]

Ive never worked union. Ive always done military and Retail. Now the rest of my family has been union and let me tell you they lived decent. Unions arent really all that they are cracked up to be. I worked at Circuit City for 7 years and the have alot better benefits than most unions. Corporate america wouldnt be able to keep a workforce employed if it werent for competition and perks. Even non union employers have human resources department that must try to make the workers morale higher by giving better pay and benefits. Unions force more companies to loose money. How is it that a non union company can pay their workers better and give better benefits? Simple they weed out the poor workers that dont have the protection of the union. Id much rather pay a great worker 20 and hour than a crappy one 10.



Another factor of life is EO. Companies have been sued over many things as simple as dress codes. IE firing one for not wearing proper uniform. There are equations saying that you must hire a certain percentage of the population. Every year americans become more soft and weak. If you offend someone on the job now they can make an EO complant saying you offended them and you will loose your Job! All these darn liberals screwing stuff up. Before you know it you will be getting fired for farting on the job after eating some pinto beans. Society is killing america. No one has a driving will anymore and want life to be more like Burger King with everything they do.

 

[mberry]

... All these darn liberals screwing stuff up. Before you know it you will be getting fired for farting on the job after eating some pinto beans. ...

Ok. I'm going to say this one time and one time only: IT IS NOT THE LIBERALS' FAULT! IT IS THE CONSERVATIVE'S FAULT FOR DOING NOTHING TO STOP THEM FOR SO LONG! I consider myself a conservative and I am really tired of hearing liberal this and liberal that. We gave them the power they have by doing NOTHING! Talk about lazy. And yes I do include myself in the lazy group. Not as lazy as I used to be so at least I am trying.



Some unions are good. Some are not. How often do you hear this: "The schools need more money... "? They need to learn cost cutting and better organization at the schools. Can you honestly tell me that our money is being well spent when 87% of the school district's budget is spent on administration? Nope. That leaves 13% for our kids' education. Ever wonder why we now have to buy our children's school books now? I think it's called the Collective Bargaining Agreement.



p. s. Don't get me started on homeowners associations either!