Well here's the deal. First, you shouldnt be shamed or feel bad for posting what you have even if that opinion has sensitivities that run deep. I hope you continue posting this sort of thing as I find many of your post very thought provoking. I dont always agree, but it makes me think, makes me evaluate my position and the information I use to make those stands. So while this subject may be touchy, march on, you have my support.
Next, anyone that believes there isnt already going to be layoffs (if not already) in the auto industry is severely dilluted. I hear someone say if there is a 30% loss of sales, there's usually not far off a 30% loss in work force. Its a sad reality as we no longer live in the days of early IBM in which you were hired for life.
Furthermore, it is a sad reality that the auto industry as a whole has done this to itself. While the workers will be the auto workers will be the uninteded consequence of any effort to streamline that business, they do have a voice in the direction that it takes since they are union and that voice has been used for little more that give me, give me, give me. Feeeeeeeeed Me as the movie line goes. Well that same voice that kept saying give me could have easily been used to say we need to do better, something needs to change, we see the writing on the wall and we want to take this in a direction that is going to promot job stability and company stability, not in a direction that I can get more and more and more.
What I have NEVER understood with unions is that they go on strike, negotiate more money, better benefits and so on without regard as to where that money comes from. HELLOOOOO!! If you are paid more that means the company has to make more and that usually means they CHARGE more for their products. So YOU Mr. Union worker, now making more money are just simply going to shell it out the next time you buy that company's product or patron any establishment or service that supports that company. So what have you gained? Nothing more than the bragging right of saying you are making a billion dollars an hour to screw on a lug nut.
THEN you turn around, go out into the world with this new inflated pay check and ask yourself 'Why can I buy so little, I just got a HUGE raise thanks to the union'. Well HELLO! someone has to pay for that and that someone is not only YOU but everyone else in the form of higher prices.
The fact is that we as a society are becoming increasingly socialistic. We want everyone to make lots of money, to have the house on the hill and to get a share of the pie in the sky whether they have worked for it, earned it, etc. We are afraid to make the hard choices. And sadly, some are going to have to be made with regards to the automakers and sadly that means there will probably be some job loss. And those workers that have gotten use to making a billion dollars an hour for screwing on a lug nut are going to find cold hard life waiting for them because instead of socking money away, knowing the auto industry tends to be volitile, are going to have to go out and find new jobs with a lot less pay, but pay that is probably more in keeping with the work done.
Now, Im not against anyone making a lot of money. If you are fortunate enough to have a job in which you are making way above the norm, hats off to ya. But to do that and continually neglect the future and planning and living within means is on you, not anyone else. Ive been laid off before. I know what its like. But thankfully, knowing I was making dang good money, I was putting money away too and I wasnt forever more trying to extend my standard of living. My first focus was to make sure I could support my current standard of living if something should ever happen, and than GOD I had done that.
They have tried EXTREMELY hard to bring in the union where I work and I tell you now that if the efforts would have appeared to be heading to success you would have seen me on TV, heard me on the radio and anywhere else shouting to the top against the union. Part of the company that I work for is unionized and you can clearly see the difference in the union and non-union workers, work processes and so on.
I want to work. I want to come in and have a sense I earned my pay. I dont want to be told I cant work because the 'union' decided to go on strike. I dont want the union speaking for me, I can do that on my own. I most certainly dont want them coming in and determining that we need more pay to the point that the company has to send jobs overseas to remain competitive.
So while I wish no one ended up laid off and that everyone of the current workers at the automakers remained employed, the sad reality is that its likely not going to happen. But my wish for them is that they find other work, if that is what they want or need to do, but also think long and hard about their choice to give up their voice, their negotiating rights and other rights to the union that in turn used that to drive costs up that ultimately put the company they work for in the unfortunate position of having to lay them off.
