About 2:30 in.

http://jalopnik.com/cars/jalopnik-precast/jalopnik-precast-uaw-edition-220523.php

If the UAW was so great , why do they not open their own auto plant ????HHHMMMM

They have their greedy claws in the aerospace industry. Parasites.

The topic in that blog discussion has been around for about 8 years, AFAIK.  I believe the Big 3 have been doing their own downsizing as a playing card for the upcoming contract discussions with the UAW.  In other words, GM let 35,000 people go this year from the white collar sector.  They will use that as leverage to downsize their workers in the UAW.

The down side is that when GM, Ford and Chrysler look for either cheaper labor, or a more competitive worker base, how will that happen?  Either completely robotic plants (as in Flat Rock Mazda), or overseas.

I would like to see these jobs stay in the US, because of the effect they have on local economies, but the drain the UAW puts on prices and contracts with the OEMs is outdated.

Quoted: They have their greedy claws in the aerospace industry. Parasites.

I guess you never realized that it is the "United Automotive, Aerospace, and Agricultural Workers".

Funny that he cites the Explorer rollover issue.  We sold over 50,000 of them the following month.  The Explorer still sells more vehicles than most other models.

On top of that, they are trying vigorously to organize many of the import plants.  The Camry plant in Georgetown, KY would be a crown jewel for them.  As the imports begin to turn out retirees, the UAW or some other union WILL move in.  Every time they push for the union they are a little closer to success.

Yes, I am in the UAW.  Not by choice, as a condition of employment.  The unions have lost sight of the real reason that they exist.

UAW getting out of the auto industry?

We could only hope...

Quoted: Yes, I am in the UAW.  Not by choice, as a condition of employment.  The unions have lost sight of the real reason that they exist.

Yep, and I have heard that some of the foreign auto plants have working conditions similar to pre-UAW Ford, GM, and Chrysler times.  I understand they would like to remain non-union, but if this keeps up, who knows?

Quoted: Quoted: They have their greedy claws in the aerospace industry. Parasites. I guess you never realized that it is the "United Automotive, Aerospace, and Agricultural Workers". Funny that he cites the Explorer rollover issue.  We sold over 50,000 of them the following month.  The Explorer still sells more vehicles than most other models. On top of that, they are trying vigorously to organize many of the import plants.  The Camry plant in Georgetown, KY would be a crown jewel for them.  As the imports begin to turn out retirees, the UAW or some other union WILL move in.  Every time they push for the union they are a little closer to success. Yes, I am in the UAW.  Not by choice, as a condition of employment.  The unions have lost sight of the real reason that they exist.

Never realized it? I was a dues paying zombie for three years before I opened my eyes and realized that I was a practicing socialist hypocrite. Leeches!

Lately they have been targeting much smaller, service based companies.  I don't think it will take them nearly so long to run these companies out of business as it is taking them to finish off the big 3, due to the limited profit margins in the service industry.  

I work for a startup just getting ready to manufacture a new product.  We have been talking to a majior company in Taiwan, and a former GM auto parts company here.  It looks like right now, that even though it will cost more, and the foreign company has been building similar products for 15 years (the parts company has never built anything even close) that we are going to try going with the parts company, probably meaning 10-20 high paying manufacturing jobs here.

The parts company has no work at their union places.  Those folks are out of jobs.  All of their companys new work is elsewhere...  And they just might get the new work if they don't go and screw it up.

I hope so.  It's good jobs doing precise, careful work and lots of electronics.

Hope the union has learned from their past mistakes, we don't need to screw this up.