Breaking: UAW Unhappy with Auto Loan Terms; Asking for Changes

>“All stakeholders – management, directors, bondholders, suppliers, dealers, workers – will have to participate in shared sacrifices to help the industry move forward,” he said, noting that UAW members have already made substantial sacrifices to help make the domestic auto companies more competitive.< I must of missed that, when did they make any sacrifices? What were these sacrifices?

This situation has a 40 year old precedent in Akron,Ohio.The tire companies wanted to update their world war one plants to be competitive with foreign and domestic competition,and the United Rubber Workers union,headed by Peter Bomarito,refused to make the concessions to allow the restructuring.The result was Akron as a ghost town,as eventually all the plants either relocated,sold or closed.That was the end of Akron as "The Rubber Capital of the World".

It makes me sick that these companies, bad business practices and all, are groveling on their hands and knees for me and all like me to give them handout's. It is said by those doing the groveling that one out of ten jobs is related to the automobile but they like Detroit have been in a recession for over thirty years. I don't believe the one in ten thing unless you are counting Toyota, Nissian etc. They count themselves as more important than the rest of us. I say let them go bust and get that crap out of the way. I buy American Ford cars but will never buy a GM and would never buy a Chrysler. I just spoke with an old friend abd a GM retiree and he didn't know that GM was insolvent to the tune of sixty-two billion. That's odd also.

The UAW will destroy America with their unrealistic demands. Remember the coal miners stike in England? That strike lasted a year and was over unrealistic demands. The coal industry has never been the same. Gettelfinger should face the reality of the times we live in and give some concessions. We are all hurting but are willing to compromise for the good of the country/company.

I wondered how fast the UAW would whine about this! I guess we found out the new definition of the fastest distance between two points;(it is not a straight line!!) the time the UAW gets money; till the time it complains and gripes for more! I used to think the shortest distance between two points was the time it took a light to turn green in New York City till the time it took someone to start honking their horns --- this totally smokes that time frame! TELL GM to file Chapter 11 and be done with them! UAW needs to be dissolved. WE save their hind ends; and they want still MORE -- Let's pull the loans back and let the PRIVATE enterprises save them. IT IS NOT OUR DUTY TO SAVE THEM! How fast can we say "da ungrates"! If my kids tried this; I would take it ALL away -- what ever it was we agreed to and let them experience what "going without" would be like. I feel like we just gave the guy on the street corner a $10 bill so he could get some food and we felt sorry for him and he says to us "I want $50 or nothing!; give me more!!". UAW -- ENOUGH -- SORT THE ISSUE OUT YOURSELF WITHOUT OUR TAX PAYER MONEY!!! This is after all YOUR problem -- Not ours!! YOU HAVE MADE YOUR POOR PLANNING OUR EMERGENCY!! Why should we REALLY bother with you anymore!!!

Seems to me to be a slimy tactic to get President Bush to come through with the loans and then allows the union's endorsed candidate; Presdient Elect Obama to rewrite the rules to what the union wants them to say. The Union has to give concessions or these loans are only a temporary bridge to bankrupcy. The union never thinks they need to come to the table, it always has to be the company; no wonder the big three are in so much financial trouble. You can't afford, what you can't afford!

It had enough support to pass, but not enough to end a filibuster. Thankfully the Rebupblicans can still filibuster to prevent these ridiculous things from passing. Too bad we have a communist president in Bush who went ahead and bailed them out anyway.

This is a good read ,Brian. The UAW is out of sink with reality. I think it's time for them to start pondering "Relocation",or learning how to subsidize their income with a part-time job! This isn't just an isolated situation in the states anymore. During the past twenty-five years, millions of family have experienced this type of devastation, regarding similar industrial(job losses)downsizing (drastic circumstances, call for drastic measures). We all have to make these painful decisions during one's lifetime. It's American as "Apple Pie",...?

Excuse me you union smucks, can you say 'Eastern Airlines'? I bet you can.... Keep screwing arround, and you can spend New Years in an unemployment line. Can you say 'Starve to Death'? I bet you can.... If you think your 'Boy' will cut you a better deal next year, remember, he has a job and doesn't need you any more....

The UAW needs to learn from past. They need to remember Caterpillar Inc. and their taking them on and how well they handled that situation. Times have changed they are no longer competing among equals. Now is the time to give or die. No work, no eat as my dad always said. If Oboma where to remove the issues they would no longer be able to be competative with the new car companies and would no longer have a car company to work for.. Good-by RON GETTELFINGER,and your soon to be Unemployed Americn Workers.(UAW)

I concure. Many in my family have worked for and retired from the Auto companies (all were UAW members). I have never owned anything that didn't come from the (former) big three. However, I will never buy another vehicle from any of them. If the UAW members don't like the terms they can lose their jobs and find real work like the rest of us. I have worked my tail off to support a family and obtain 2 degrees and still barely make what the average UAW member makes. If you want to talk about what is unfair - think about that!

Break the union!!!American cars are junk, if not for gas guzzling SUV's and trucks the big 3 would be gone already. If Toyoto, Nissan and Honda really decide to make heavy duty trucks all the UAW workers will be out of jobs. Union bosses better think long and hard or they'll be out of cushy jobs.

The union is the most disgusting group of leeches in this country. Local Detroit TV station did a story on UAW hanging out at a bar when they were supposed to be working. Search for this story "Rescue 4 Investigates Ford Employees" President Bush SHOULD have given the loan AFTER and only after UAW was kicked off the property. How many 10s of thousands of decent Americans want jobs but are out of work and these leeches are hanging out during working hours drinking. Then driving on our streets. UAW needs to go away. Why are my hard earned tax dollars going to these people? Someone explain to me why money that I could use for MY family is going to these people? Why am I working hard every day, paying taxes and being forced to watch these dirtbags get MY money. How about it Mr President? I have supported you fully for 8 yrs now. Why is it that the money I pay in taxes going to support these drunks? I beg you politicians tell me why this is acceptable. I am supposed to go buy a US made car knowing drunken workers are putting these cars together? Never in a million years will I buy a US car and I am donating today my 2006 C6 Corvette I am ashamed of it. I refuse to sell it.

One last thought for Gettlefinger ... I have only bought American cars, felt it was important to support them and I love my Thunderbird but as this Taxpayer Hand out jamboree goes on, I am seriously considering an import; they haven't made me feel like a fool. Think long and hard about that one since I'm sure I'm not alone.

Whoops...left out a word. "So what exactly ARE these “unfair conditions singling out workers”?

So exactly ARE these "unfair conditions singling out workers"?

I will NOT buy a car or any product from a company that takes money from the government. I have no problem purchasing from a company in Chapter 11 but will NOT buy from a company taking tax dollars.

[...] They get the bailout then want changes. I will no longer EVER buy a car made by a UAW member. Breaking: UAW Unhappy with Auto Loan Terms; Asking for Changes at The Brian Sullivan Blog [...]

Comment by John Lenerz at 1:08, John I am with you and I have expressed this to my Congressman at a TownHall meeting. If the UNIONS cannot give the required amount then I know I can go down the road to Toyota or Nissan and get the Trucks and Cars that I want. I currently have two GM products but that will change in a hurry if this deal changes by one word. What is it the UAW afraid that they won't have any more slush to give to Nancy and Harry?

I agree with John Lenerz, really tired of the UAW, all there fancy benefits that most of us don't have, etc. I think Obama will be creating suicide right away if he caves in to their demands. Most of the public [with exception of the auto workers] are tired of the UAW's antics.

The UAW best watch themselves and behave. Most people are not happy their tax dollars are being put to use like this. You accept the tax dollars and the tax payers own the UAW workers in a sense. Behave selfishly and consumers will punish by buying less of their cars ultimately breaking the foolish 3.

The auto industry should have been allowed to fail. Now they're complaining about receiving billions of dollars........they don't get it! I'm buying a Toyota next time. I'm tired of this mentality in America where everyone expects the government to help them. It's never our fault, the governement has to fix everything. Who is going to bail out the governement when it has so much debt that America is insolvent?

If Gettelfinger doesn't like the terms he can simply return my tax money to me. The UAW was able to hold the car companies over a barrel, but now they think they can hold the US taxpayer over it too, I am just disgusted.

I currently own vehicles from both Ford and GM. I will not purchase another until measures are taken to address the real issue. Money is not the fix. It is patching a wound when the heart is failing. you cannot run a company like a government and expect profits...you can't just raise a price like you'd raise a tax to cover your irresponsibility. GM's product line is too diverse and too internally competitive..make a gmc truck or make a chevrolet, don't make both and have them compete at dealerships accross the street from eachother. I do not think the decision makers are in touch the problem. no matter what GM makes, no one will buy it at any price...not in the near future.... GM needs to firesale their current inventory while they develop a real plan...

If UAW has to get their labor costs in line w/competitors then so should management. The last I heard, GM's CEO was earning around 6 million(0,000,000) and Toyota, Honda, etc. executives earned far far less. In fact, Toyota's executives just took an across the board paycut. When I see executive/upper management compensation in line w/competitors and the UAW still won't budge, the I will cry death to UAW. Until then, I partner w/them for EQUAL sacrifice.