April 18, 2008 by Jeremy.

Pilots Picket American Airlines Over Performance

They’re picking the fact that the airline they work for has bad customer service. Wouldn’t that be partly their fault as well? Just a thought.

It seems to me they’re only helping, an already hurting industry, go under which would (it would seem to me anyway) possibly put them out of a job.

I fail to see the common sense in any of this…can you help me?

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October 10, 2007 by Jeremy.

That’s what will happen if the UAW continues to have its way. READ THIS to see why that is. In a day and age where the global market is increasing and competition amongst industry competitors is increasing the UAW could drive the American auto-makers out of business. That’s why the companies like GM and FORD are having such financial problems.

If these companies and the UAW would look at things from a Common Sense perspective just like we’ve done here at Coherent Thought when we took a look at  Driving to Extinction & Look For The Union Label they would see where this fight takes our American auto industry.

So now we see these UAW workers on strike because they apparently think they need something more.

Five Facts Surrounding the Chrysler, UAW Negotiations

The negotiations follow a watershed deal last month between the union and General Motors Corp. allowing the No. 1 U.S. automaker to hire lower-cost workers and step away from a $50-billion obligation to pay for retiree health care.

Here are five facts about the negotiations between Chrysler and the UAW, the second stage in a round of contract talks seen as crucial to the turnaround efforts of the troubled U.S. auto industry:

-The UAW’s past contract with Chrysler expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The union has told its local bargaining units to organize pickets unless negotiators in Detroit call off a strike scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

-Chrysler, now owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, is looking to cut its hourly labor costs, which rank as the highest in the industry. Chrysler puts its average cost of paying wages and benefits to a UAW-represented worker at $76 per hour, compared with $48 for industry-leader Toyota Motor Corp.

-Under Cerberus, Chrysler is focused on cash flow and has looked to shed assets, including parts and trucking operations. For its part, the UAW has indicated it wants to see job security guarantees linked to Chrysler’s commitment to U.S. production over the next four years.

-A UAW strike against Chrysler would idle operations at 25 major plants in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. A strike also has the potential to shutter production at the automaker’s facilities in Canada and Mexico as parts shortages develop.

-Chrysler had a 71-day supply of vehicles in inventory at end-September, seen as enough to ride out a strike of several weeks. Analysts have said dealers could start to run out of newer and more popular models more quickly, including the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler’s just-launched minivans.

Use Common Sense and tell the UAW you’ve had enough!

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October 1, 2007 by Jeremy.

UAW Agreement May Shut Down 2 GM Plant

The moves are the downside of job security pledges that the UAW won in the negotiations, including commitments for new products at 16 plants.

This is a hot topic for so many Americans because so many of us are members of a Union. I am not, so I suppose I may be biased. In my experience though, with friends and family the Union has little merit in today’s workforce and I do speak from a professional opinion as I am a Career & Employment Specialist for DOL.

The Union had a place in society in the past as the conditions in so many jobs were not good for the workers, but there are more than enough OSHA laws on the books to keep that from being a problem any more. It seems to me that the only ones that benefit any more are the Union leaders and officials.

I guess the Common Sense thing for me is that if you feel you need more money or a better job - Go find a new one!

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May 8, 2007 by Jeremy.

This topics is where I get to directly step on a lot of toes, but keep in mind I look at things from a common sense perspective. Ford said on Monday that 25,000 factory workers had left its payroll after taking buyout offers, and it announced plans to close a Cleveland casting plant and idle a nearby engine plant for a year. Many people don’t truly understand why Ford and GM are having the current problems they are having in their industry.

There is a truly common sense answer and it can be found at the UAW website. Toyota has been taking over the automobile market. They are able to do so because they can offer cheaper cars to the consumer. This is great and its how the market was intended to work. Unfortunately, if you read that list on the UAW website, you will not see only two Toyota vehicles on that list and both of those cars are sourced from the United States and another country which also help keep the cost down on those particular makes of vehicles.

It may sound as though I’m complaining about Toyota having an unfair advantage because most of their vehicles are not made by Union Labor, but it is exactly the opposite. I am a Ford customer. Every vehicle I own is a Ford. I like the vehicles and I like the fact that they are made by American owned companies. That’s why you’ll never see me buy a Toyota. Ford and GM are both held back by their high cost from health care and pension benefits that they have to pay because they were forced years ago into hiring UAW workers.

That means, in order for Ford and GM to stay competitive with their pricing, they have to take a loss on profits. Toyota doesn’t currently have this problem. I propose, in order to fix this problem, that we dissolve the UAW and forgive Ford and GM from the benefits and pensions they are currently paying. I understand this is bad for those individuals, but at some point we have to decide what is good for the total job market and the U.S. economy.

I hope that one day I will live in a country in which I never have to look for the union label.

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