dagblog - Comments for "Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life"

I ditto TheraP here. I forget

dickday — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:33:37 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

I ditto TheraP here. I forget my roots sometimes.

Thank you, oleeb. I don't

TheraP — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:39:50 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

Thank you, oleeb. I don't have anything to add. Just my Kudos! :-)

And, don't forget, the UAW

oleeb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:23:57 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

And, don't forget, the UAW continues to be a source of not only inspiration but real support for progressive causes to this day.

Your point about quality is

oleeb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:22:17 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

Your point about quality is well taken. The problem for Detroit for many years now has been that the common wisdom has said they don't make quality products and though that is demonstrably untrue, people still believe it. It is not unlike the situation between the Duracell and Ever-ready batteries. Ever-ready has all the performance data to prove it's batteries are "better" in that they last longer. Yet, because of a strong marketing campaign all the way back to the 70's people prefer the "copper top" and believe that is the brand that will last longer. It's hard to beat that sort of brand loyalty.

Japan and Germany deftly exploited the quality problems Detroit had nearly 40 years ago and has kicked their asses in terms of loyalty ever since. Detroit lost the brand loyalty race with wide swath of boomers many years ago and it has been a severe and ongoing blow to US Auto manufacturing. If you can't get somebody in your car to see how good it is, they have no reason to change their belief that your car is inferior. In any event, all the areas where foreign manufacturers have bested or caused problems for Detroit lie squarely on the shoulders of management.

The UAW built the American

DKC/Feral Cat — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:16:14 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

The UAW built the American middle class under the great Walter Reuther. But they did something else.
They funded great left movements like Civil Rights and SDS. They not only had the numbers, they had the money to build up a strong left movement. That's why they had to be destroyed. And with the help of Reagan, the corporatists went after them. Of course the oligarchs must destroy Detroit. And Democrats helped. Disgusting.

My take on it anyway. Live dickday, give the companies to the workers and engineers.

Very close at any rate. The

oleeb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:14:19 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

Very close at any rate. The interest of the union is in keeping and expanding jobs.

They may hove some additional

oleeb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:12:19 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

They may hove some additional benefits that come through their service to the UAW but they all come off the line and so have the same stake in the retirement and any other company provided benefits as any other union member.

I think you and I are saying

~flowerchild~ — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:00:36 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

I think you and I are saying the same thing, Oleeb.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/flowerchild/2009/03/two-pennies-for-gm.php

I still would like to see the

dickday — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:30:35 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

I still would like to see the UAW get a huge amount of stock in the company and assume real control.

I think that UAW headquarters

Merrill — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:14:00 +0000

In reply to Pointing Fingers and Bringing GM and Chrysler Back to Life

I think that UAW headquarters officials have their own retirement, health care, etc plans. They are not working for an auto company, so aren't members of the plans that the auto company sets up for the membership.

At least that is what it looks like from the reports at http://kcerds.dol-esa.gov/query/orgReport.do