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November 20, 2008

One Hung Low

I beg to differ.

...Members of Congress were clearly looking for sacrifice from the union's older workforce and retiree pensioners. "The average family of four in my district makes $36,000 a year, and I find it difficult to ask them to fund much richer salaries and health care of workers in other states," said Walter Jones, Republican Representative from North Carolina.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger shot back with the concessions the union has made in the past two years. "The UAW is not the low-hanging fruit here," said the union chief.




Oh, yeah, you are, pal. I've never been able to stand Walter Jones, but he made points with me today. And I'm about sick of Gettelfinger's outraged and indignant martyrdom act. He hasn't learned a thing from the howling brought on by those private jet rides to D.C., considering his tune is the same as it was last week:
...The prospect of concessions from the union came up during a meeting involving executives of Detroit's Big Three auto makers and Democratic Congressional lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday. But UAW President Ron Gettelfinger made clear that concessions were out of the question, union lobbyist Alan Reuther said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires Friday.

"Workers and retirees have already made significant sacrifices," said Reuther, paraphrasing remarks that Gettelfinger made to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., and others in the meeting, including renegotiated contracts. "We feel we've already stepped up."

Considering the mood of the country, I think it's more that you've already stepped IN it.

Posted by tree hugging sister at November 20, 2008 07:32 PM

Comments

I live pretty close to a UAW meeting hall here in Edison. It's right across the street from a huge, recently bulldozed lot. For some reason, I think it's funny that it's still there while the Ford plant is gone.

Posted by: Tainted Bill at November 20, 2008 09:26 PM

There's a story in the NYT(via Tizona today) about a GM plant in Oklahoma City that has ceased production yet GM has to pay 2300 workers full salary and benefits for doing absolutely nothing because of the the UAW contract. They come in each day and watch tv etc. and get full pay. Wonder how bad it would be had the UAW not stepped up with all of their concessions.

GM closing a plant in Oklahoma City yet Volks, which is not part of this bargaining agreement, feels optimistic enough to build a new one billion dollar plant in TN. I'm sure there are some dots here someplace. I'll see if I can't find some and get back to you.

Posted by: yojimbo at November 20, 2008 10:21 PM

The Big Three are going to go the way of the steel industry.

Posted by: Retread at November 21, 2008 08:41 AM

ypjimbo: In San Francisco they have 75,000
city employees for a city with less than one million.I read, at any time ,30% of that workforce
is either sick or on disability.That is the cause
of our collapse.Not the unions.Because, in Germany
the workers work 4 days a week and make more than
us,and they have a trade surplus.Treason is the cause of our collapse.Destruction of the unions
will only mean the Billionaries can buy more
foreign companies, not hire more Americans.

Posted by: greg newson at November 21, 2008 09:03 PM

November 22.1963 John F Kennedy was shot in Dallas..
Lest we forget.

Posted by: greg newson at November 22, 2008 04:33 AM

RON GETTELFINGER’S DESTRUCTION OF UAW PRESIDENT WALTER REUTHER’S RETIREES

IMPERATIVE AUTO RETIREE HEALTH CARE

THE END OF THE UNITED AUTO WORKERS?
http://www.speroforum.com/site/print.asp?idarticle=16991

UAW OFFICIALS BETRAY AUTO WORKERS [2007]...
http://unionreview.com/insights-analysis-uaw-betrays-autoworkers

VICTOR REUTHER SPEECH 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UAW FLINT RALLY [1987]...
http://westfallmike.tripod.com/Page12.htm

MIKE WESTFALL SPEECH 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UAW FLINT RALLY [1987]...
http://westfallmike.tripod.com/Page11.htm

HISTORIC UAW LEADER SPEAKS OUT FOR RETIREES AND WORKERS [2007]…
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/08/11/interview-with-whitey-hale/

UAW BLACK OCTOBER
http://www.uawndm.org/ndmportal/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=157

EASTERN ECONOMIC MANUFACTURING SPEECH [1985] …
http://westfallmike.tripod.com/Page14.htm

ROGER & ME –FLINT CONTROVERSY [1990]…
http://westfallmike.tripod.com/Page10.htm

ARCHIVES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION [1976-2008]…

http://www.umflint.edu/library/archives/westfall.htm

http://michaelwestfall.tripod.com/id50.html

http://westfallmike.tripod.com/


Posted by: Elderly auto retiree at December 12, 2008 09:22 AM