UAW prepares to strike as contract talks hit deadline

[sneakypete]

I love the idiocy of the UAW.  Do they really think they will garner public support asking to be paid  for 40 hours while doing  32 hours of work.....  while passing the cost on to the consumer.  I hope they lose their asses on this one.

@catfish1957

They are union workers,living and working in a union city. Thinking is NOT required. "Monkey see,monkey do!" pretty much describes their daily routines.

Frankly,I couldn't do their jobs. Doing the same thing,over and over like some sort of "flesh robot" would cause me to lose my grip. I am NOT "making fun" of them because the truth is industry NEEDS people with that mindset to be successful. Face it,factory work is based on repetition,and where would we be without factories and factory workers?

It WOULD probably be possible for me to work at some sort of "one-off" repairs or modifications to correct things "gone wrong" for whatever reason.

Assuming of course that jobs like that even exist in most established factories,which  I doubt.

I tend to get bored easily,and when I get bored,I tend to look for way to amuse myself. NOT good attributes for factory workers.

[Hoodat]

This can be a huge win-win.  Workers strike seeking impossible terms.  Corporations unable to meet those terms.  Union strike funds getting emptied, after which Unions are finally willing to cut a deal.  And in the end, the demise of corporations still willing to put up with unions.

There's a reason why foreign auto companies are kicking American car company asses on US soil.  And there's also a reason why UAW membership is one-fourth of what it was 40 years ago.

[Wingnut]

There's a reason why foreign auto companies are kicking American car company asses on US soil.  And there's also a reason why UAW membership is one-fourth of what it was 40 years ago.

I read that UAW membership peaked in 1979 at 1.5 million members.   Of course the liberals blame "right to Work states" and "union Busting" laws for the erosion of membership.  But then, libs always fail to adapt.

[sneakypete]

The market for non-union American made autos (VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, etc.) will also soar

@Hoodat

I have heard whispers this is already happening.

I was in a serious transportation "bind" when the engine went bad in my 03 Ranger went bad. Had/have a minimum of 3 out of state doctor appointments a week,and my only other ride is my 06 GMC 3/4 ton diesel pu with an 8 foot bed and extended cab. NOT something you want to drive in city traffic everyday unless you just don't know any better. Damn thing is almost wider AND longer than most parking spots these days,and I have trouble walking 50 feet.

Didn't want to,but was forced to buy a new car,so on my "day off from the doctors" I went compact car shopping. Stopped at the local Honda dealer first. Salesman tells me "We don't have any new ones on the lot,but we are supposed to have 22 coming in sometime this month,and if you want,I can put your name on a list in case a buyer backs out."

Uhhh,no.

Went to the Nissan dealer next. Most of what he had in stock were small SUV's that I couldn't get in and out of without banging my head on a door jamb. He had a couple of 2 or 3 year old used cars I could have  bought,but I wasn't interested in buying a used car. Already had a couple of used trucks.

The Ford dealer was next,and I didn't even get out of my truck because the smallest thing he had on his lot was a F-350 commercial truck.

Yeah,I COULD have ordered "the perfect car" if I had of had the luxury of time to wait for it to be built and delivered,but I needed something NOW.

I was tired,so I went home and looked on the web for other dealers in the nearest town,and the Toyota dealer had my dream truck. White,extended cab,NOT super cab,2wd pu with a tan interior,ac,auto trans,4 cylinder engine,etc,etc,etc. It was the ONLY new truck he had in stock,and since it was after 9 PM by then,I told myself I was going to be there early the next morning and buy it. I was there when they opened at 9 AM,and the truck was gone. They had sold it the night before,just before closing time.

So I tried getting in and out of the tiny crap they had in stock,with no luck at all. Steep windshield curves made me keep bumping my head.  I told the saleswoman I was going somewhere else to find something,and she remembered the sales manager was driving a new white Camry with everything I wanted,including a inline 4 cylinder engine (I freaking HATE V-6's).

I could get in and out of it without bumping my head,it rode and drove good,and the only thing I didn't like about it was the black upholstery,which wasn't too bad in this case because it was cloth,not leather or vinyl.

So I bought it. Had to pay full retail to get it,but they did give me a 500 dollar cash  back veteran credit.

I do a LOT of semi-long distance local driving (75-150 mile round trips 3 to 4 times a week) for doctor appointments,so gas mileage was important to me. Which is one reason I wanted a 4 cylinder.

I was EXPECTING to MAYBE get 35 MPG on the open road,and the damn thing gets between 42 and 53 mpg,depending on traffic conditions. Yeah,up to 53 MPH so  far,and that is NOT a typo!

I was getting 45 or so MPG max running on unleaded regular gas,but decided to try premium gas to see what happened. That was when my gas mileage jump up past 50 MPG for the first time,so now I just automatically fill it with premium. I figure the improved gas mileage to be solid proof that my engine is operating more efficiently on Premium gas,so it makes sense to me that it will last longer and run smoother on Premium,so that is all I buy,even though Toyota recommends regular gas.

And,with the 6 speed auto transmission,the damn thing will FLY on the rare occasions when I punch in passing gear.

BTW,for those of you wondering why I didn't buy a rebuilt engine for my Ranger,the cheapest I could find a new long block was 2300 bucks,and then I would have to pay to have the bad engine pulled,the accessories like the AC pulled off it it and put in the new engine,and then paid to have the new engine put in. Meanwhile,I would have been battling city traffic with my 4x4 long bed truck,and getting stressed.

I DO love 400 dollar trucks though,so it is still in my yard in case I hear of someone totaling their Ranger and the engine hasn't been damaged.

Have no idea what I would do with  the Toyota,but I DEARLY love  having old,beat-up "driver" pu's that you can park anywhere and leave the key in the switch,and nobody even wants to steal it. MY kinda truck!

[DCPatriot]

Do the accessories such as phone chargers, radio, heat, air-conditioning, etc., on an EV all run on that same main battery that powers the movement of the vehicle?

Or, does it have an alternate battery that recharges off an alternator like 'normal' cars?  LOL!

[Fishrrman]

I was right in my post above.

Source:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/pro-union-biden-faces-the-worst-labor-dispute-of-his-presidency-5492292

=========================
For the first time in its 88-year history, thousands of U.S. auto workers simultaneously walked off the job at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis after their four-year contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sept. 14. Roughly 13,000 UAW-represented workers began picketing at a Ford Ranger factory in Wayne, Michigan, a General Motors Chevy Colorado Pickup assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis Jeep facility in Toledo, Ohio.

Rather than engage in a nationwide strike, UAW is participating in a so-called stand-up strike.

"For the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the ‘Big Three’ at once," said UAW President Shawn Fain in a Facebook Live video. "We are using a new strategy, the ‘stand-up’ strike. We will call on select facilities, locals, or units to stand up and go on strike.”
=========================

This is a "show strike" -- kabuki theater.
I doubt a work stoppage at a single plant hurts any of these three companies that much.
Same for the union -- the "union coffers" aren't going to be "depleted" because they're not paying strike benefits at a high rate.

Let them walk the picket lines for as long as they wish.
It's only ONE plant for each company.

[DCPatriot]

I was right in my post above.

Source:
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/pro-union-biden-faces-the-worst-labor-dispute-of-his-presidency-5492292

=========================
For the first time in its 88-year history, thousands of U.S. auto workers simultaneously walked off the job at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis after their four-year contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sept. 14. Roughly 13,000 UAW-represented workers began picketing at a Ford Ranger factory in Wayne, Michigan, a General Motors Chevy Colorado Pickup assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Stellantis Jeep facility in Toledo, Ohio.

Rather than engage in a nationwide strike, UAW is participating in a so-called stand-up strike.

"For the first time in our history, we will strike all three of the ‘Big Three’ at once," said UAW President Shawn Fain in a Facebook Live video. "We are using a new strategy, the ‘stand-up’ strike. We will call on select facilities, locals, or units to stand up and go on strike.”
=========================

This is a "show strike" -- kabuki theater.
I doubt a work stoppage at a single plant hurts any of these three companies that much.
Same for the union -- the "union coffers" aren't going to be "depleted" because they're not paying strike benefits at a high rate.

Let them walk the picket lines for as long as they wish.
It's only ONE plant for each company.

The Stamping Plants normally furlough line workers while they update the dies on the presses. Happens sometime during the Summer if I'm not mistaken.

[mystery-ak]

Trump hits opponents at leadership summit: 'Getting desperate to stop our movement'
Jack Birle

John Binder15 Sep 20234,662
4:34

Former President Donald Trump is warning America’s auto workers that President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda will outsource their jobs to China as the United Auto Workers (UAW) goes on strike against General Motors (GM), Ford, and Stellantis.

As Breitbart News Economics Editor John Carney details, nearly 13,000 UAW members have started striking against three automakers as contract negotiations have yet to deliver assurances that Biden’s rapid push for Electric Vehicles (EVs) will not jeopardize their wages and jobs.

“The Biden administration has been pushing policies to electrify most new vehicles within a decade or so,” Carney writes. “That rush toward electric vehicles will mean a rapid decline in payrolls for autoworkers—even as the automakers enjoy Inflation Reduction Act subsidies.”

Trump, in an interview with CNBC, aligned himself with auto workers and warned them that the Biden administration, paired with UAW leadership, is not only not stopping China from gaining economic dominance over the EV industry but actively working to hand the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) full control of EV supply chains.

    “The auto workers are being sold down the river by their leadership, and their leadership should endorse Trump,” the Republican presidential frontrunner added.

    …

    Trump specifically criticized UAW president Shawn Fain. “I think he’s not doing a good job in representing his union, because he’s not going to have a union in three years from now. Those jobs are all going to be gone, because all of those electric cars are going to be made in China. That’s what’s happening,” Trump said.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/09/15/trump-defends-auto-workers-against-bidens-green-agenda-youre-being-sold-down-the-river-to-china/

[corbe]