UAW’s Tantrum

Well, they did it. After ten days of negotiations, an agreement couldn’t be reached between GM’s management and the UAW, so the union picked up their drills and went home. They walked out on the job and are on strike. The pictures I’m seeing on CNN show smiling, happy union workers, waving at passing cars and the cameras, holding picket signs, looking like they won the lottery.

What is wrong with these people? Do they think GM has a secret money tree and management is simply refusing to pick more off it for the Brotherhood? The salaried employees are the ones who have had an increase in our health care costs every year for as long as I can remember. The salaried workers are the ones who put in longer hours and aren’t guaranteed overtime. The salaried workers actually negotiate for themselves, and if they don’t like their payment package they can go elsewhere.

I’d love to know what these people want. They must understand that $1500 of each car goes to UAW retiree healthcare costs. GM wants to fund a health care investment that they would then turn over to the UAW to run from here on out. Funny how they don’t want to be responsible for their own retirees…

I am mad. Very, very mad. Sean and his co-workers have worked very, very hard to build a brand new, state-of-the-art assembly plant. Sean honestly feels actually producing something tangible is essential to America maintaining its current middle class. “We can’t all shine each other’s shoes,” is his favorite quote.

But the Union isn’t looking out for the company, much less the country. They’re only looking out for Number One. And Number One is union leadership. Why can’t the average Joe see that?

Who would want to be in a union? At one point, I know, they were necessary. But not today. If you don’t like your job, go get another one. Don’t have the education you need? Keep the current job, go to school at night, and then get another job. I realize I make it sound simple. It requires incredibly hard work, but the concept is simple.

I don’t understand people who don’t want to be in charge of their own lives. I can’t imagine turning over my livelihood to a national organization that’s committed to making itself relevant, not to me.

Ugh.

I see the union like the government. The government assumes it can get more money by simply taxing more things. They seem to forget where the tax money comes from. Similarly, the union thinks they can demand more money/benefits/whatever because the big company can afford it. What they fail to realize is GM only gets its money from car buyers! The aforementioned money tree doesn’t exist for government and it certainly doesn’t exist for GM.

UAW members, please start to think for yourselves. Please. Perhaps you should recall the fate of Eastern Airlines. What’s Eastern Airlines, you ask? Oh, only an airline that the union struck and the company simply could survive, so all the union members lost their jobs! Boy, they showed the nasty Eastern management, didn’t they?!

Myrmidons.

When I have calmed down I will attempt a more lucid, balanced entry. But for now, I’m just mad as heck and didn’t feel like taking it any more.