It is interesting to see the union fights going on in automotive.  The farm and construction equipment manufacturers basically broke the unions they had by moving their production to other parts of the U.S. and oversees.  Very few of the Case IH or New Holland folks belong to the union anymore.  Even the parts depots that were heavilly union are almost all gone.  They opened new "more centralized" locations that use more technology and fewer people and closed the older ones.  It's hard not to argue that the unions themselves have helped create this situation.  We watched Pirelli Armstrong close a tire plant in our state because the wages had gotten so out of control.  They had guys driving forklifts making more than some of the managers of larger companies but it still wasn't enough.  They wanted more and more money and finally they closed it because they couldn't keep up with it.  When you couple the huge wages that are over the top when compared with non union private sector jobs, life time health insurance costs, and some of the pension plans, I'm surprised that American car companies even exist in the U.S. or that there is still even plants in Michigan.  I've watched many manufacturers move to the South East where the climate is better, they don't have the unions to deal with, cheaper costs, and local governments falling all over themselves to attract the companies.  The U.S. auto market is an oligopoly that has grown stale over time from lack of real outside competition.  The best shot in the arm the U.S. auto industry ever had was when the Japanese started coming in and spanking them.  The old behemoths now are so unwieldy that they can't adapt to the changes in technology or the changes in consumer tastes.  I was reading in FastCompany a few months back http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/111/open_no-satisfaction.html about Toyota and after reading that I wonder how the Big 3 will be able to survive in the future against companies that can adapt or change as needed.

It is bad that ward members and families will have to suffer through this but you couldn't get me to go work for the auto industry for almost anything.  You can also add the airlines to that list as well.

How many will this pimcat in your ward?


My guess is... Less than 1500.

--Ray