Bruce In Philly

Bob Lutz again.....http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...art-and-seoul/ Now we hear from Washington about how unfair competition is and how foreign governments are unfairly subsidizing their businesses to kill American jobs and industry. Well this is certainly true at times... the Japanese criminally attacked our electronics/TV industry and won. But, what about Korea Kia/Hyunai? Surely their success could not have come without Korean government help.

Bob Lutz says they did it using old-fashioned American principles.... competition. The Koreans opened up their borders to competition and foreign investment which drove their auto industry to build excellence.... and guess what all that open Korean competition did for their own industries?

So what should the strategy be for the USA?

Peace
Brice in Philly

ADias

The US auto industry is perfectly capable of competing if unshackled from the unions. I still recall the Detroit auto worker dumping loose bolts in weld shut rear quarters of Oldsmobiles, knowing fully well he could do as he pleased.

door2416

Yea get rid of the unions and pay the workers 10 bucks an hour . That will sure help somebody.

Austin997.2

Delete

Austin997.2

Let's just face it Unions work and make communities better. Detroit was once the richest city in the world. The unions have created an ultra competitive work environment that pushes out better products at a cheaper cost and keeps the jobs in Detroit. Unions have made Detroit a city on the Hill and the policies of the Detroit politicians have given affordable housing to all, you can buy a house in Detroit for like $5,000, now that is progress.

ADias

Unions have a role but not the role they play today.

Bruce In Philly

Korean autoworkers are protected by unions... and they strike. Regarding the USA, when UAW won pensions in 1949, they were unfunded. This was, in my opinion, sleazery on both the union and the companies - just one example of a whole boatload of crap. My point here is that the responsibilities for all of the problems with USA auto companies lie on many fronts. Unions are contributers but not to blame. The real blame is senior executives and boards who enriched themselves without regard to long-term health of stockholders..... unfunded pensions are just one of many examples as they kick a can down the road and weaken a company's future. Further, when there were only three, how do they make more money when all Americans have cars? They cheapen them... saves money and creates a higher demand for parts and replacements..... bad stuff. There was no competition (a small group of companies will collude and act like a monopoly called an oligopoly). It is in their interest to blame anyone and everyone but themselves. Unions are classic scapegoats.

When I was growing up, no car in the 70s hit 100K and if they did, it was a celebration.... and dashboard was cracked and the car drove crooked down the road... and and and. This had nothing to do with unions.

Now government should protect us from those awful ferners?

Peace
Bruce in Philly

yvesvidal

Bruce, you nailed it perfectly: The investment boards and the fat execs are the only one to blame.

Louis XVI (former King of France) used to say: "Apres moi le deluge." (after my reign, the deluge/chaos can happen). It did happen and he got his head severed. Now, maybe the same needs to happen to sleazy politicians and ruthless Execs.

Yves

DC911S

Without Unions we would not have got workmans comp, safe workplaces, survivor benefits, and many other things. In the old days if you were killed or injured on a job, you were lucky to get that days pay and off to home or the mortuary you went, and it was all legal....That was it. Many wives and kids were forced to live in poor houses once hubby was killed or injured on the job. Or they would not pay you for overtime, and you could be fired for refusing to do it. Its quite easy to bash Unions on conservative media, but if you actually read historical documents and see the abises the robber barons did to their workers...then you see why they were formed. In some cases the goons and hired security of the various companies opened fire and outright murdered workers who dared to want to be treated fairly. Happened in Colorado and WV many times. Its all documented. Labor wars, mine wars....its all there to read about.

Austin997.2

Says the guy driving around in a Porsche

JABowders

...but most if not all those things the Unions paved the road for, are now guaranteed by State and Federal Laws. I have never worked for a Union shop, so I am not an expert on what they do or don't do, I can say I know enough about them to know I do not want to work for any employer that has a Union Shop. I want to be paid for my contribution based on my skill and ability, and not be restricted by a labor organization dictating what I can and can not do. Just as if I were an Employer I want to be allowed to hire the best talent and skill available and not be forced by regulation that I have to hire below my standard so that I can meet artificially justified diversity goals. I expect a fair day wage for a fair day of work, and vice-versa.

You defeat poverty by Employment not by Welfare.

Thief is thief, there is no moral justification for thief.

Austin997.2

Well said.

crossroads

ADias

I agree with your perspective, but Unions have more than a fair share of the problem and it's inherent on their praxis.

ADias

Precisely!