Ask the Car People.SM


United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)

19798 messages,  Last post on May 05, 2013 at 2:30 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum.

What is this discussion about? Automotive News

Messages Page 1975 of 1981

#19732 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [gagrice] by steve_ HOST

Dec 20, 2012 (7:41 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Dec 20, 2012 7:16 am)
Mulally endorsed the bailout. So you could say he endorsed the auto policies of both Bush II and Obama.
 
What could Ford do with the $40 billion wasted on GM?
 
Mm, dunno, funded four months of the war in Afghanistan? (costofwar.com)

#19733 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [steve_] by gagrice

Dec 20, 2012 (7:54 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Dec 20, 2012 7:41 am)
If not for the UAW Ford could have replaced all their aging factories in the USA with state of the art factories like the one in Brazil. Instead we have, according to Rocky, the same old 50 year old GM factories and very little to show for it. We are carrying the 800,000 GM retirees with their gold plated HC plan for another few years. They should have been dumped onto PBGC like US Steel industry retirees. And saved US about $50 billion give or take.
 
PS
I agree on getting out of Afghanistan NOW. That would save US a cool $100 billion per year right there and nothing would change.

#19734 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [gagrice] by fintail

Dec 20, 2012 (8:27 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Dec 20, 2012 7:54 am)
Along with old factories, maybe replace some of those aging execs with some who understand that big and cheap isn't what makes cars desirable in 2012, as well. The MB factory I visited last month, albeit stocked with modern equipment, was definitely not a new build - but the product is still sought.

#19735 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [imidazol97] by berri

Dec 20, 2012 (9:15 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Dec 20, 2012 6:04 am)
The good thing is that soon all the government shares will have been sold: the posters can quit kvetching about "government" motors, e.g., when they give a reason for disliking GM
 
I always got a kick out of the old days when Ford guys and Chevy guys would argue, usually totally emotional with no basis in fact. But it was fun. I guess today maybe it's more like D3 vs Import guys.

#19736 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [berri] by imidazol97

Dec 20, 2012 (9:26 am)

Replying to: berri (Dec 20, 2012 9:15 am)
It would have been nice if GM had been blessed with a managed bankruptcy where they negated the union contracts and started over with renegotiated pay scales in the US. Instead we got the unions used as political proxies.
 
And without the US government involvement, they probably would have made different decisions about the size of the Malibu replacement. I would hope they might have invested more into it to make it slightly larger and make it even more competitive against the other mid-sizers.
 
The US involvement has been a downer. But now they actually need more cash from the US to enable better research and development of new models still in the pipeline.

#19737 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [imidazol97] by tlong

Dec 20, 2012 (10:05 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Dec 20, 2012 6:04 am)
If anyone didn't expect this kind of quid pro quo for the various unions and other supporters, they don't understand the politics this administration has been playing all along. This president plays to the low information voter.
 
Don't forget that this game was started by the previous administration.

#19738 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [tlong] by gagrice

Dec 20, 2012 (10:21 am)

Replying to: tlong (Dec 20, 2012 10:05 am)
Don't forget that this game was started by the previous administration.
Didn't Bush loan GM some TARP money to try and avoid BK? Obama redirected it to the UAW pension plan and then proceeded to rob the bondholders to keep the UAW happy.

#19739 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [gagrice] by robr2

Dec 20, 2012 (11:37 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Dec 20, 2012 10:21 am)
Didn't Bush loan GM some TARP money to try and avoid BK?
 
The Bush administration offered to loan the auto companies about $17 billion to buy them a few weeks but it wasn't intended to stave off bankruptcy.

#19740 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [gagrice] by imidazol97

Dec 20, 2012 (1:10 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (Dec 20, 2012 10:21 am)
>Don't forget that this game was started by the previous administration.
 
As I recall President Geo. W. Bush asked what Obama-elect wanted to do. President George W. Bush then put money toward keeping GM going until Obama could effect his wishes as the new president to save the company. As I recall during the election Obama made clear he understood the economics and had it all down pat as to how best handle the economic problems.

#19741 of 19798 Re: The Obama Christmas gift to the UAW [gagrice] by tlong

Dec 20, 2012 (1:15 pm)

Replying to: gagrice (Dec 20, 2012 10:21 am)
Didn't Bush loan GM some TARP money to try and avoid BK? Obama redirected it to the UAW pension plan and then proceeded to rob the bondholders to keep the UAW happy.
 
Yes, Bush pulled out the ice cream cups and put the scoops in; and Obama added whipped cream, nuts, and cherry on top.

Messages Page 1975 of 1981

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement