Carmakers can treat workers well, still thrive

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

1. By casinokid

   11/25/08 at 2 p.m.

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   Dear, MR. Copeland I would agree with you on every thing you printed, the automakers inflated the cost of these benefits for tax purposes just so they can steal even more by lieing on thier taxes, Also the unions have stood with them in times of crisis and how quickly they forget thier loyality and start to blame them for there short comings.
   Also why don't the major stock holders who invested money in these companies tell that they knew what the pay matrix was before they invested and was satisfied with the results of Due Diligents.
   If they were defruaded then go to the consultents that were hired.
   Also these Giants for years have projected they would make ie 2.8 billion dollars and if they only made 2.0 billion they would write down 0.8 billion off the gross as a loss, and stick it to the tax payer again.
   They reclass jobs so they get tax credits ( same job ) just different class. (pretty slick huh).
   These Executives belong to the white collar union It's called Upper Management Local $$$$.
   Also our House reps, and senators don't work a 2080 hour annually like most people do (40 hour work week for 52 weeks) Lets look at thier pay matrix 125,000 / by 2080 hours = $61.00 an hour not to mention universal health care, lobbist paid bonuses.
   I long for days that i don,t carry such a tax burden so i may spend some money to stimulate this incompetent managed corprate America.
   
   Jack & Jill Unemployed

2. By TXART

   11/25/08 at 3:34 p.m.

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   The German auto engineer described in the first letter doesn't match my experience. I work for an international company and have visited plants in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. All of the workers live well and have long vacations and health care. The difference is that their definition of living well doesn't match ours. The majority live in a relatively small apartment, own one car, one TV set and avoid most of the excesses of what we consider the good life. They don't try to buy huge houses with no money down, run up large credit card bills, and think it's necessary to buy the latest and greatest of everything as soon as it comes out. They are content with a simple, yet comfortable life.

   I worked in a Ford factory in Ohio twenty years back. Some of the assembly workers were making six figures even then. They had a large house, the biggest Winnebago, a boat, and bought two new cars every year. The problem was that to acquire all this they worked every minute of overtime and cashed in their vacations, just to make the minimum payments. They never had time to use what they bought. They just had to have it. When times got tough and overtime was eliminated, some of them had to file bankruptcy,even though they were among the highest paid hourly workers in the world.

   Be content to live within your means. You won't have nearly as much stress and you'll be entitled to critize the executives who are trying to live too large.

3. By uddeboda

   11/26/08 at 10:45 a.m.

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   TXART,

   Very true what you say, there IS more to life than just things.

   What you say, is very similar to letting a child run free in a toy store, want, want, want.

   Still, the truth is happening now, about how much life is really worth

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