What GM’s Progress Report Doesn't Say

get your facts straight

All auto union workers DO NOT make $25-$40 per hour. Just because you know someone you think doesn't deserve their pay doesn't mean all union workers don't deserve their pay. Those calculations probably include healthcare, insurance and other standard benefits at a large company. Those workers that have a college and/or trade education deserve more than the $7-$10 an hour that the government now thinks all autoworkers should make. All companies are not the same and all workers are not the same.

Georgia DOES have auto manufacturing already. Isn't Toyota there? That's a Japanese owned company.

Wake up - we need manufacturing in America and we need American auto companies because of that. Don't you know that buying foreign cars sends company profits out of the United States? How does that support our country and our economy? If we don't have jobs and we don't have money to spend, then everyone suffers. If our country and economy are supported, then we all win. Now our government is taxing companies for energy usage. Guess what - they will set up base in other countries that don't do that and we will lose even more jobs. The problems with these companies right now is not exclusively because of union workers. Part of it is the crummy economy. Part of it is poor government decisions.

I vote for United States owned manufacturing and paying people for their skills and education. If everyone makes the same wage, then what is the point of trying harder and getting an education? Oh, wait. Our education system is downhill too. Pretty soon we will depend on other countries for everything.

Dee of MO @ Nov 07, 2009 23:08:18 PM

There Was An Easy Fix

GM and Chrysler could have staved off bankruptcy and increasing union labor costs by relocating some of their plants to the South. The companies could have offered a wage to the workers about half of what the current wage is now. The workers would be elated at this wage, approx. $25-$40 per hour, since the cost of living is lower in the South. This plan would also lessen the stranglehold the union has had on the auto industry, as the South is predominantly non-union. All of this lowers the companies' overhead and also lowers the prices of new cars, all of which would be better in stimulating the economy.

JRTM2 of GA @ Nov 06, 2009 17:21:01 PM

Me too

As a next door neighbor of an auto worker, I know they are grossly over paid and anyone would do their job for half what the current people get paid. Unless the workers wake up and do what is best for the country and not themselves, we should lose thousands of jobs due to the workers and NOT management. Still, expect them to put the blame anywhere but where it belongs. The stockholders lost everything, time for the workers to give up more.

Karen of IN @ Nov 06, 2009 06:51:13 AM

I regret purchasing GM in 2008.

I have serious reservations about Government Motors..

The problems lay squarely in the fact that US auto manufactures have gotten to big to be competitive. Their product development cycle is 5-10 years. Add to that the major cost factor of unionized labor and it is a disaster waiting for a place to happen.. In a year I will trade my GM truck for a Ford. I don't trust any company that gets me at check out then asks me to pay for their piss poor management and excessive union contracts via my tax dollars.. They don't deserve either as the result of this..

slim of NE @ Nov 05, 2009 12:09:47 PM

Re: May the best car win!

No kidding, Mark! You are right on the money. With the claims that GM is making about their cars, heck, they can't even put the technology that Ford is putting in their cars for bragging about gas economy, while still living off their reputation from long ago. I will take the Ford for all of the tecnology that they strive to put into their vehicles such as collision avoiding, blindspot alerts, sync, communications, and overall safety into their lline of cars and trucks. And with the design attributes both inside and out, there is no choice but Ford unless you have a ton of money for the imports, which may not always be the best choice. I love American domestic brands, especially Ford and will always look here first.

McDaddy of TX @ Nov 05, 2009 10:13:52 AM

overpriced

ford had a turn to put GM and DODGE away in the truck war but over priced the F 150 and 250 wake up ford its time to think and do it right

Don G of AZ @ Nov 05, 2009 08:07:23 AM

Viper vs. Corvette

Comparing a Viper to a Corvette is a very unfair comparison indeed. Each have very different purposes. The Corvette is a much more refined automobile than even the newest generation Viper. It can definitely serve as a daily driver and return respectable fuel economy if driven reasonably. The Viper, on the other hand, is raw and uncompromising. The exhaust booms in the cockpit, whether in GTS Coupe or R/T 10 convertible trim. The power comes on in a rush, the ride is extremely harsh and track-tuned to say the leas. Fuel economy? Forget it.

To sum up, the Corvette would be akin to a scalpel when compared to a Viper, which is more like a sledgehammer. Both great fun, but vastly different.

Chuck B of FL @ Nov 05, 2009 01:18:23 AM

May the best car win!!??

I had planned to buy a Honda Accord, but ended up buying the new Chevy Malibu. What a mistake!! Chevy advertises the car gets up to 33 mpg, NOT TRUE. I'm lucky to get 18-19 mpg overall. The car has major problems---poor shifting transmission, huge blindspots, poor night time visibility---you can't see beyond 20 feet in front the car because of the design of the headlights. Throw in the sluggish handling and the fact that the front bumpers offer NO protection (one pickup truck backing into the front of the car 3 months ago left $650 worth of damage)! What you have left is one big mistake. I've been trying to trade the car in on an Accord, but alas, the Malibu also has a low resale value. Great going GM, maybe you should have gone under.

Mark Heyes of LA @ Nov 05, 2009 01:11:50 AM