I keep running into comments that explicitly or implicitly call for yet more concessions from the UAW.
Some here honestly seem to think that the UAW is taking advantage of Obama because they think he won't force the UAW to make "deep cuts" that help GM survive.
Deep cuts?
I quipped, "Into its own jugular, I suppose. And maybe another at its femoral artery for good measure."
But that's my exasperation talking.
Let's hear from someone who knows what concessions have been made by the UAW, because s/he voted on them. Take it away dougymi:
Historic concessions (extracted synopsis):
- Red-circling job classifications started back in the early '90s. Eliminated a bunch of trades and assembly classifications (and the people in them) back then. Further Job re-classification restructuring was done in the '00 contract (after that they went to 4 year deals).
- Tiered wages and giving back some health benefits started in the '03 contract.
- The '07 contract featured health care restructuring for retirees and active workers.
Recent concessions:
"The major thing that we were forced to give back this year was cola and job banks as well as some push back on timing for financing the VEBA. I'm assuming that I'll get my pension cut soon. Sure hope I can eat."
It's not difficult for the pro-labor among us to have our guards thrown up when people start calling for dropping what amounts to a 50-ton anvil onto the heads of people that have already conceded so much of the compensation and benefits they bargained to obtain.
I'll tell you where I'm coming from here; if the concessions that those workers have made aren't satisfactory to you, it may because you've got a problem with organized labor or you're trying to level American workers down for global labor markets.
That strains my patience in ways I can't even begin to articulate.
With millions out of work and the middle class hanging by a thread, it's not hard to imagine this may become a trend - opportunistically clawing back whatever gains labor has made while making pseudo-lamentations about having to prevent brain drain at executive levels.
So I put the questions to you:
Is this a trend? Will we hear variations on this theme repeated for other unionized workers soon?
Or, to put it more bluntly, how many union busters have clambered onto the deck here, and will be brave enough to admit that's what they're up to?