"How to save GM"

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: "How to save GM"

The (soon to be) wife's friend is a mechanical engineer for Honda in Birmingham, AL and I am pretty sure they are not UAW either. He describes it as a great place to work too. He's actually egging me on to build a V8 version of an Indian classic once we figure out how to get one here.

[Matt Cramer]

Re: "How to save GM"

Yep, I'm pretty sure there aren't many union plants in the US run by the Japanese. I used to work for a Japanese tooling firm and visited a couple of Honda's US factories to help get some of their machinery set up.

[milner351]

Re: "How to save GM"

There was a guy at Honda's Anna Ohio engine plant when I was there that wore a UAW hat - he didn't make many friends.

Just like Henry Ford at the beginning of the mass production age - with his undheard of high wage at the time $5 a day (which brought a great deal of families to Detroit to go to work in his factories) Honda pays it's employees pretty darn well and gives them a lot of extras - a nice fitness center, good benefits, good purchase plans - a great lease deal - especially for younger folks with pricey insurance, etc.... when you treat your employees well - they don't want a union - they don't feel like they need it.

Henry Ford was biterly opposed to Unions - but they won the fight - and here we are less than 100 years later watching the fall out. The pendulum has swung waaaaay too far - it's time for it to swing back in the other direction so we can find some equilibrium and get these companies back on their feet - or we'll all be out of work.

Sure - when 7 year old kids were hauling coal out of mines for $1 a week - that we need labor laws to prevent --- but on the other side of the coin - when somebody mowing the lawn in front of the plant can make $100k with over time and full benefits and retirement --- we need to make some adjustments.

[min301]

Re: "How to save GM"

Excellent point. Hell, I'll even sweep up the clippings.

[70.5CAMARO]

Re: "How to save GM"

There was a guy at Honda's Anna Ohio engine plant when I was there that wore a UAW hat - he didn't make many friends.

Just like Henry Ford at the beginning of the mass production age - with his undheard of high wage at the time $5 a day (which brought a great deal of families to Detroit to go to work in his factories) Honda pays it's employees pretty darn well and gives them a lot of extras - a nice fitness center, good benefits, good purchase plans - a great lease deal - especially for younger folks with pricey insurance, etc.... when you treat your employees well - they don't want a union - they don't feel like they need it.

Henry Ford was biterly opposed to Unions - but they won the fight - and here we are less than 100 years later watching the fall out. The pendulum has swung waaaaay too far - it's time for it to swing back in the other direction so we can find some equilibrium and get these companies back on their feet - or we'll all be out of work.

Sure - when 7 year old kids were hauling coal out of mines for $1 a week - that we need labor laws to prevent --- but on the other side of the coin - when somebody mowing the lawn in front of the plant can make $100k with over time and full benefits and retirement --- we need to make some adjustments.

for that i would push mow the entire thing, rake and even dispose of everything myself

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: "How to save GM"

when you treat your employees well - they don't want a union - they don't feel like they need it.

That's how my company is (Mining), treat and pay the employees well and Unionization becomes an unnecessary cost for the employee.

[milner351]

Re: "How to save GM"

Thanks guys - I'm glad somebody understands.

Keep in mind too that the "foreign" car companies will have "legacy costs" beating down thier profits soon enough. The first Honda plant opened in Ohio round about 1980 - those folks are starting to retire now....