Saving the US Auto Industry

[Shawnee123]

I'm admitting to tail posting, as I need to get to work, but this was on my mind last night.

Bri's tales are similar to tales I've heard around here: many from GM employees themselves.

The wage breakdown is really interesting. Honda, who has manufacturers in our area, pays their employees well. They get paid to WORK. They don't get away with a whole lot of crap: I've heard people say they are just a number there, but that they are a number who gets paid well for working hard. I hear few complaints.

The GM stories I've heard are different. Retirees have told me of days spent playing cards. They make much more than Honda employees, but don't seem to have the accountability...therefore GM is paying people more, to get less production and, it follows, less quality. THough I am sure this is not true of all employees by a long shot...the fact that this environment exists at all has always been troubling.

The problem: the other big employers in this area are suppliers. If GM goes down, they suffer. Honda suffers because they are paying more to make up for business the supplier isn't getting from GM...the trickle effect is quite scary.

I wish I could say let them fail, but I see the job market in this area already.

Obviously, a blank check is not in order. I don't know the solution, but both extremes are not good, imho.

The smartass side of me thinks that perhaps some of the employees could sell their RV that's bigger than my place, their top of the line Harley, their 45000 ton pick-em-up truck, and learn to live like the rest of us schmucks who get by with so much less.