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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16738 messages, Last post on Dec 03, 2009 at 10:07 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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I bought shirts at Wal~Mart that fell apart the first time I washed them. However, I have an American made work shirt I bought in 1984 that is still with me and in good condition despite countless washings. What's better? A $30 shirt that lasts for years or three $10 shirts you have to throw away in few months? Lemko - the flaw in your analysis is that it doesn't take into account the point we were talking about - the impact of high wages on consumer prices. You're assuming that you'd be getting a better shirt for your $30.... however the context of these remarks is to point that with UAW level wages, you'd be getting the $10 quality shirt.....but paying $30 dollars for it. Increased wages don't add value to the shirt. That has to come from better design or materials. If labor costs are cheaper, you have the ability to add better design and materials at any given price point. Andre and gagrice - One of the things we've talked about at other times is that when you do inflation adjusted calculations, you pay about the same percent of salary for a car or a little less nowaday than you did in the late 50's or early 60's but you get a lot more content for the price - airbags, power windows, etc. Most of that is the result of material, design and worker productivity improvements, but most of those improvements in were forced material, design and worker productivity by price competition. This is where the Japanese forced quality improvements on Detroit - value for the dollar - and where the Koreans are putting pressure on the Japanese now. One of the last areas where there's been no foreign competition until recently was in major appliances. Now with the advent of foreign companies on the scene, we're finally starting to see some design changes. |
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Replying to: gagrice (May 15, 2009 7:51 am) |
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Replying to: jimbres (May 15, 2009 7:56 am)
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Replying to: jimbres (May 15, 2009 7:31 am) Free trade isn't free, especially when undertaken with social and environmental criminals who continue to show no true signs of reform. It's a race to the bottom for the developed world.
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Replying to: lemko (May 15, 2009 8:27 am) |
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Replying to: lemko (May 15, 2009 8:27 am) I pretty much agree with your analysis there. Although the latest from MB is kind of Asian looking to me. Like when Dodge made their PU trucks ugly Ford tried to out ugly them and GM followed suit. Toyota had no problem copying ugly with the Tundra. Ford is coming back around a bit. Still no new truck I would want. You just may have to keep your current rides a LONG time. We got 20 on our LS400 and I just put a new set of tires. That means at least 5 more year and 25k more miles. Unless we give it to family. |
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Replying to: lemko (May 15, 2009 6:36 am) And therein lies the problem, Lemko. Most of the UAW workers think they're entitled to that kind of lifestyles. And I sure as hell will never support them for that. Do I want a t-shirt that last 3 yrs? No I don;t, as there's no t-shirt anywhere in the world that can last that long without the fabric losing it's color.  even worse if it costs $30. sad as it may be, it's those cheap products that allow us Americans to maintain our lifestyles. Would you be willing to sacrifice all those for the sake of other Americans and patriotism? Even if you do, how many others will follow? Will that even be enough? Think about it.
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Replying to: fintail (May 15, 2009 8:39 am) Those darned chosen people again! Certainly not the UAW! |
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Replying to: m4d_cow (May 15, 2009 10:42 am)  GM Nears Deal With UAW (Fox). Supposed to save $1 billion a year. "Chrysler LLC, seeking to sell most of its assets out of bankruptcy to a new company run by Fiat SpA, won’t have to contend with a strike by the United Auto Workers until at least 2015." Chrysler Agreement Prevents Strike by UAW Until at Least 2015 (Bloomberg)
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Replying to: steve_ (May 15, 2009 1:06 pm) One Billion down, $38 Billion to go. That is just to break even. If GM cannot make a profit they need to close up shop and let an automaker that can survive. GM has been a road block to the Auto industry for TOO MANY YEARS. I am betting as soon as the door shuts on GM that Ford will blossom. Along with the Ford stock I bought. So I am anticipating a quick and decisive liquidation of Government Motors along with Chrysler. Though the reality is the UAW Retirees could tie it up in court for decades. |
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