Quote:
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Originally Posted by Excaliber
Cerberus Capital Management LP just took over 80% control. New CEO and new top management....
...These new players are super sharp and deadly serious about turning Chrysler around. I doubt 'over shore' jobs are on the table at this point. There going to turn Chrysler into a Toyota work environment, come hell or high water. They've circled the wagons and telling the Union like it is, "Fxxc off dick heads."
The Union may well walk and I won't hold my breath Chrysler will roll over. The war has begun, my money is on Chrysler to come out of this on top. Bloodied, hurting, but they will rise from the ashes. This is the begining of the end for the Union.
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Ernie,
Sorry this is so longwinded.
I don't think the union necessarily will eat it. Note this press release paragraph at:
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http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...4587120&EDATE= )
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"- DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche on the realignment of DaimlerChrysler
AG: "We will be the leading manufacturer of premium vehicles and a provider
of premium services in every market segment we serve worldwide."
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UAW President Ron Gettelfinger: "The transaction with Cerberus is in the
best interests of our UAW members, the Chrysler Group and Daimler."
- Cerberus Capital Management Chairman John Snow: "Cerberus believes in the inherent strength of U.S. manufacturing and of the U.S. auto industry. Most importantly, we believe in Chrysler."
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For the record, I should state that at one point in my life I resented unions and the better (than mine) wages that were politically won. I even supported my states "Right to Work Law" and I still do to some degree.
Years ago I became an employer, in home construction, and I was determined to treat my employees fairly. I paid $6/hr starting wages in the mid 70's which was decent for my area. One contributing factor was the overheated economy (Nixon years
) that made it difficult to find and keep workers, so I imagined I would eventually have position to choose the best to keep.
I even supported one of my employees that wished to start a union in the Drywall Trade, our principle activity at the time. He was unsuccessful but I reasoned that this would allow me to have a better chance at contracts in area powerplant construction which had strong union influence. I planned to run an "open shop" policy, common in some
Right to Work states, where some work was union scale and other jobs were not.
Unfortunately Carter
yielded to a cockeyed notion that the Feds should let the consumer interest rates
suddenly seek their own level and by 1979 home building and most other US construction bombed.
We never went bankrupt ...but my wife was understandably burnt out on self-employment after the Carter fiasco. It may have had something to do with my kids drinking powdered milk while creditors received every dime.
I never promised her a rose garden ...but I promised to pay the money when I signed my good name on an invoice. I wish people that owed me money would have felt the same way.
Somewhere along the line, I realized all wealth, including wages, is politically won. So after losing a discussion with my wife, I eventually got the best non self-employment job I could in my area and that would be union. Like many things, unions are
still important to the economy, important to America, though some might say a necessary evil.
It takes some thought to see the whole picture. Union coalitions are
still the
only counterpart to corporation coalitions ...where individual people are only a number. Both band together so that they may compete better than those left out of the loop. And, yes, greed is a factor. There are good and bad people in the ranks of both. Neither should be condemned overall simply for this reason. Balance is the key.
While early corporations initially allowed many to invest the amount of capital needed for major industry, they soon realized a buying power advantage as well. Buying labor for example. And buying legislation. And buying public opinion. Things we might accuse a union of doing ...but it is just the pot calling the kettle black.
Corporations now enjoy the same rights as a citizen, a very powerful citizen, more powerful than even our
entire political structure. But the legal mandate to service the bottom line has created a very irresponsible citizen. Corporations do many things that an ordinary citizen would never be allowed to do such as major pollution(small fines), move off shore to avoid taxes(billions!) and buy elections(both major parties).
Corporations are the HP necessary to modern economy ...but it would be better if the public had the reins on this dangerous herd of wild horses ...just the opposite of the carefully contrived public opinion on government interference. Public opinion bought and paid for, I might add. Large segments of the public are a bit gullible. For the most part citizens ruled by corporate can't vote on corporate policy. We talk freedom but we don't always walk it.
Unions, while not perfect either, strive against all this B.S., a somewhat hidden benefit to all of us that have chose not to be self-employed, or, in the case of being a small business crushed by big business, otherwise common employees. It is my opinion that all workers should get a decent wage since they do all the work. The trick is determining what constitutes a decent wage. I know.
Something to keep in mind regarding protecting investors. Nobody has invested more in any business than a worker that has faithfully done his job for years. The American worker is, for the most part, a very deserving person that should be treated with the utmost respect. Really the American worker won both world wars, Rosie the Riveter side by side with G.I. Joe. The most important task we now have is securing industry
within our US borders. For the next major world war. We all know it will happen. Human nature.
It's important that we do the right thing ...not ever let some paid corporate thug make it look like the typical worker is evil.
And then there's that thing called heritage:
Here, kids. Here's the keys to the country. It runs better than when I got it. Don't forget to change her oil on time, before she squeaks if possible. And tune 'er up once in a while.
Whatever you do, don't lose the keys.
...