Doppleganger: That seems to be a bug where if IE sees a bunch of text it cant understand, it automatically attempts to first install that Chinese text. It doesn't mean that their website is made in China or anything. Kinda funny isnt it?

Anyway, I hope GM takes this golden opportunity to dump the UAW. They are nothing more than a parasite. GM right now is on the upturn, but the UAW is taking advantage of that for their own selfish and socialistic needs. The auto industry is hurting, they dont need this crap. If the unioners are really concerned about their "job security" then they'd better start making some concessions real soon, otherwise the only ones who are going to see job security are the Chinese, and the unioners will have to find jobs flipping burgers at McDonalds.

i hope they dump the uaw too. then they can hand out all those six and seven figure bonuses to their "well deserving" higher ups. oh and lets not forget about all those stock options that are worth millions. we wouldnt want those "well deserving " higher ups to lose any of the wealth they are are stocking up on.
this is more about the assault on the middle class in this country. if you dont think that is going on in this country right now you are blind to what is going on.

Those words are typical union propaganda, the vocabulary used is all too familiar. I am middle class, and its not right when a forklift operator is being paid over 100k a year, more so that a tool and die maker such as my dad which actually requires more skill and work. My dad wasn't entitled to what he has so far, he earned it, and he did so by not cheating and threatening the company. All the UAW seeks to do is to siphon as much money as possible from GM and get away from it, all the while brainwashing their members into thinking that what they do is a good thing. They are afraid of losing their own little world where high-pay is not rewarded by good work and education but instead by twisting the arm of the company they work with. There is no assault of the middle class, only companies choosing to go overseas to avoid the very problems GM is facing today thanks to these unions.

If unions are allowed to kill off these companies, then there wont be any jobs for the middle class to go to in the first place. Our industry is in peril in no due thanks to these organizations. So in light of this I hope you are fluent in Chinese, because the jobs are going fast. And while you think there is a supposed war with the middle class, wonder why the non-unionized auto companies (Toyota, Nissan, Honda, BMW, Benz) that are working here in the US are doing fine, and not just that, but selling cars at a decent profit. Their workers and the companies seem to be doing just fine.

A union is a business. Unions have the same purpose that all other business have: to make money. Not sure how they can be characterized as helping people: just think about how much more money employees would have if the union wasn't getting a cut of their earnings!

Normally I would NEVER jump into this kind of a thing, but I think I have the right to say something seeing as I am part of a HUGE union. My union, which is CUPE, is a really powerful union and is a really great union for some areas of the work force. However, in the area I work in, it is not. CUPE is based on senority, not on how qualified the person is, that is what is happening to me right now. I am trained to work with autisic children and I must say I am very good at what I do, but I can not do that job because someone has more senority than I has taken my job, along with serveral of my co-workers, and it is the kids who are suffering. And Boreas, I 100% agree with what you said. O'Neil, who most of you know is in management and is also an electrician, and is very well respected in his field. He should be bringing home paychecks with 6 figures, but he does not, his employees do, yet who is called in when there is a problem at 2:30 in the morning, who has to go in on his days off to make sure the contractors have arrived and are doing the job. He gets no overtime, and the bonus, what bonus, that is based on how well the company as a whole has done over the year, and right, the forest industry is not doing well.
Unions work for some and others they do not. I am done ranting.

this union bashing is bull chitt. yes they have pros and cons. but, you cant label every union member on the stories that have been passed around. much of the stuff that goes on in regard to "work as little as necessary" and many other "lazy workers" goes on in non union jobs as well. if not more.

unions DO ensure a fair salary, comfortable life, and middle class. what the hell is wrong with that??? And what is wrong with job security? GM dumping the UAW is not a good thing. that would be devastating to our economy. that affects EVERYONE!

it is your belief and you have the right to expess you opinions. but i do not see an attack on the middle class, a good thing. how would that help? lets make the rich, richer, at the expense of the worker.

but my question is, why back and defend the heartless companies that stomp on the blue collar worker for a higher profit margin?

Back your fellow american workers.

and thats not propaganda, thats truth. why dont you take a look at who is really overflowing with propaganda.

I used to be management.
I used to berate unions and their antiquated seniority rules privaledges.
I used to be envious of them making more than me with overtime pay.

I see it now from a different light.

Unions protect the workers quality of life.
Unions have the power of volume to stand up to ruthless company beancounters who want nothing more than to maximize profits at the expense of peoples lives.

Companies do not truly care about people.....only MONEY! They want to attract shareholder value and maximize profits.

We all know that money is the root of all evil.

As a salaried employee, like many of you professionals on this club, I was dearly taken advantage of for many years and in the end tossed out like a simple liability.
The tricks they have played on me these last couple of months have made it even more clear.

Most of those Union employees are fighting for their rights. It'* about benefits as much as it is about what they get paid....even moreso.

Think about who we are competing with in those 3rd world countries and what their lifestyles are like.
Our unions have given us all lifestyles to be proud of.

We should support them.

I hesitate to even jump into this. I'm all like, "Must... Not... Get... Started..."

Still, I have to respectfully disagree with those who back the unions.

Without going all detailed on why the UAW is the Devil... It'* simple economics. UAW workers at GM make more than the market allows for, because they threaten and bully with strikes. Most workers of the same skill level in Michigan make a lot less. I'm one of them. It'* certainly not because they're better workers, either. As previously mentioned, unions create an unmotivated workforce. Why work harder, when your job is secure and your pay won't change? Heck, even I would become a lazy oaf under those conditions.

So GM is paying more money, for less work, compared to what they would get if the UAW didn't exist. Argue if you like, but I really believe that to be the truth.

If they really want job security, they'll make concessions, and get their price down to what the going rate is. It'll still be more than China and Mexico, but a lot easier for GM to pay and stay profitable.

I'll stop now.

I just have some really strong feelings about the true effect of the unions, and entitlement mindsets and liberalism in general.

funny how you never hear the outrage when some company executive walks away with tens of millions of dollars when they leave a company in worse shape than when they arrived. see k-mart and home depot.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16469224/

ill be honest, i dont really care about those people who walk away. i mean, it sucks, but theres not a thing i can do about it.

unions, on the other hand, exist only because WE put them there. thats not necessarily true of the people in charge of companies.

unions, in my humble opinion, are at best pointless and inherently contradictory. at worst, they are treasonous and encourage lazy workers.

fyi: as a future educator, i am against unions and tenure.