Debunking the wages of UAW workers
I have watched with growing frustration over the last couple of weeks as grossly inaccurate figures about the pay of UAW workers have been tossed around on the airwaves and in print. I know that the $70 an hour figure that you hear all the time is bullshit. I was pretty sure that the average union worker makes less than half that. I tried looking through the UAW’s website, but the papers I found dealt more with average union wages than Big 3 wages. I tried checking to see if my dad could put me in contact with one of his UAW contacts, but haven’t had much luck there. I did this in the hope of writing an editorial that would debunk all of the anti-union crap that’s been floating around. Well, Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic wrote that article for me. It’s really a worthwhile read even for people who are knowledgeable about these things. Some highlights:
Average UAW wages at a Big 3 automaker are $28 an hour. That compares to an estimated $24-$25 an hour at non-union plants in the south for automakers like Toyota, BMW, etc.
To cut that gap, the UAW’s 2007 labor agreement with the Big 3 introduced a two tier wage system. Essentially, new hires are going to be paid less than current hires for the same work.
I think the whole media coverage on this has been one of the most blatant pieces of classist, anti-blue collar bias by the media that I’ve seen in quite some time.
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
REMEMBER WORLD WAR 2? who did America & the World turn to in that time when Japan & Germany were murdering millions of people in the world – The WORLD turned to the Americans for help and how did America help win the war against Japan – I’ll tell you who it was, The Big 3 Auto Companies that’s who- FORD – GM & CHRYSLER – they rebuilt and retooled all their factories and plants so that they could build Tanks – and Jeeps and Trucks and Troop Carriers -Boat Guns and Ship Artillery Cannons – and many types of Weapons and other Equipment – Do you think that when World War 3 comes that Japan and other companies will retool their factories to help America –
NO THEY WILL NOT.
After 9/11 in New York, Who was it that gave 10 million dollars each? There was only 3 companies that gave that much and guess what else they gave? They gave Fleets of Cars and Trucks / SUVs’ and Building Spaces – It was the Big 3 –FORD -GM & Chrysler that’s who it was – I’ll tell you who else gave, it was USA Harley Davidson Motorcycles they gave 1 million dollars and a fleet of new Motorcycles for N.Y. Police Department – and with all that giving during one of our nations darkest time- Honda & Toyota and all the other foreign car companies DID NOT GIVE ONE PENNY to the people of the United States of America for 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. Ford- GM & Chrysler Did. The Big 3 helped Americans thru the bad times and tough times by giving, so we, America should show our support by helping them, by buying their products that in return supports OUR NATION and the AMERICAN PEOPLE who are Patriotic to this GREAT Nation.
Do real Patriotic Americans want to see our U.S. Companies that provides 4-5 million people with daily jobs IN ALL 52 States Fail? and lose their jobs & pensions and retirements – How would you like to have worked for 30 yrs or more busting your back on the assembly lines, and after 30 yrs have the pains and damages of working so hard every day, Arms and Fingers going numb, and all your joints and legs and backs hurting and can’t sleep due to body pains – Then lose your home, lose your car and all your furniture and belongings? Does America really understand how hard these people work building these vehicles and parts – I really don’t think they understand, maybe the Southern States in the south that are non-union – Oh, and by the way the UAW new Contract states that new hired people only make $14 per hour for the Big 3 – $15 bucks less than the Japanese plants. Japanese workers make $30 per hour, they just have fewer benefits and less people that are retired in the United States – but 10 yrs from now they will be in the same situation as Ford, Gm & Chrysler with more retired workers. Then the playing field will become more even. Now Congress wants to take more from the UAW workers, U.S. Workers only make up 9% of the cost of the cars or trucks, IF, EVERY True American bought a FORD-GM-CHRYSLER vehicle then all the problems would be gone, and the world would be talking about Japans-Korea’s-& Taiwan car makers in trouble, not the BIG 3.
American BIG 3 Car Makers are building World Class Cars for the World, and The BIG 3 will prove it to the World by doing so, Are So-Called Americans- from States that have Foreign car plants so Anti-American that they would choose to let U.S. American jobs fail and go out of business and put around 4-5 million people out of work nation wide, what has become of True Patriotic Americans that support American jobs, by choosing a Car or a Truck or other American made U.S. products from the United States that in return helps the economy in all 52 states. Why have some of our leaders that we voted in
Turned against the American worker – What has happen to our once great leaders that America needs, where are they? We need Leaders that are for the workers – we need Leaders that will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States of America.
America can not stand for this anymore, We the People of The Untied States of America must fight back against these foreign companies and start manufacturing our own products to sell to the world and provide better jobs and better wages for all of Americans, we must do this not only for ourselves, but we must do this for our children, and our grandchildren and their children for 100’s of years to comes, America must WAKE UP and open it’s eyes to what is happening to American manufacturing jobs, we must act now by supporting All American U.S. companies like FORD–GM & Chrysler.
Americans can pull together and we can be the Super Power of the world that the World knows us as, not all Americans can go to college, that’s just the way things go for many Americans. So, what’s wrong with making a living busting your back in a factory, or on a assembly line making parts or building cars, making a good wage with benefits to have a decent life, with a simple home and a simple life – that’s the American Dream – and WE, as Americans need to believe in that dream again by Buying American Cars and Trucks and other American made products that supports our country The United States of America – not JAPAN – not CHINA – or Mexico or other nations.
In Closing we have to do it for our Children, and our Grand Children and our pensions and their retirements and their pensions and theirs lives, WE must BELIEVE in America – We have to believe in ourselves again by acting on that Hope by buying American made Products.
IN GOD WE TRUST – Michael W. Rucker – UAW assembly line worker for 22 yrs 2009