How would you save Dodge?

the67fish said
$70 an hour????? where the hell do you get your info from? I worked for G.M. for 31 years and never saw $70 an hour, are you including the benefits in with that? If so you need to recalculate because the UAW fought for benefits are no where near that, they are no better than a non unions benefits. And as for installing a light bulb, theres gonna be a few more operations included in with that job. In 31 years on an assembly line I never saw a job like that.

Have to agree here. All those $70/hr numbers everyone quotes include estimated costs of benefits. This coming from an ex union, currently management, soon to be retired guy. Also spent the first part of my career as non union labour, so I've pretty much seen it all.

As to the workload unionized persons are to perform, I'd have to say the non unionized positions are required to perform a much larger range of duties and usually for less pay. Sounds good from a productivity standpoint, but it can play hell on your personal life as the expectation is always that you will do more tomorrow, faster, better and cheaper than you did today. At least the unions offer some protection in the form of contracts.

Chrysler's problems are symptomatic of the entire North American economy and sooner or later, somethings gotta give.