UAW sacrifices look to some like surrender

Excerpts:

The language of the loan agreement sets specific "restructuring targets" that General Motors and Chrysler must use their "best efforts" to meet. Compensation must be made "equal" to the nonunion workers, and work rules must be "competitive" with those at nonunion plants. The companies also must reduce compensation to workers who have been laid off — the jobs bank and at least half of the company's payments into retiree health care must be made in stock, not cash. If the companies fall short of those targets, they are required to explain why.

The payment in stock makes the health fund more risky. The wage concessions could force average wages down to $24 an hour from $28 an hour, analysts said.

/Excerpts

In my business, in this town, I am in frequent contact with both union and contracted auto workers. My co-worker is a former UAW worker, she gets highest marks for abilities and work ethics. A lot of both technical and skilled labor goes into cars. Most assembly line jobs have been outsourced or replaced by robots. I would gladly accept a former auto union worker to be my co-worker again.

This is not the union workers' fault. That's bullshit, plain and simple. Short sighted management and financial meltdown is to blame.

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy