[Rocco Testa]

Last night GM workers went on strike, what do you think about this.,as GM ships more jobs overseas?

[necdb3]

One of the items they are fighting for is "affordable Healthcare" From what I understand, they only pay for 4% of the cost of their healthcare. If that's the case, they are being extremely greedy. The national average is that the employee pays near 25% of the cost.

These unions tend to drive too hard IMO. It's what forces them to move operations overseas, then nobody wins.

[The Champ]

I'd say the UAW needs to be careful on what they are demanding. Reasonable and fair increases are fine. But if it's demands are excessive, they are digging their own grave.

I grew up on the Iron Range in Minnesota. When the United Mine Workers got overly greedy back in the early 80's, the mines shut down or greatly reduced production. 40 years later production is still only a fraction of what it was. One of the range towns, Babbitt, MN, had 80% employment

My brother worked in the mines back then. Before the mines started laying off, he told me he knew he was being overpaid for what he did and would gladly take a $2.00 per hour pay cut just to keep his job.

Many of the employees back then thought the layoffs were great - they could collect unemployment and work under the table and be fine until the mines called them back.

Their unemployment benefits (even after being extended multiple times) ran out before the many of the mines started up again. Many of them were forced to leave the area to find new jobs. They couldn't sell their homes, so they lost them to foreclosure.

Not good times.

My brother didn't wait to get called back. He found other work immediately and ultimately became a letter carrier for the Post Office. Soon to be retired. Still lives in the same house he had when he worked for the mines.

[Half-Inch Stud]

50,000 Union Woekers

[72pontiac]

they were picketing right by my house this morning

[quizkid32]

Mabe they should picket their union leadership....
https://www.foxbusiness.com/financia...n-probe-report

[mgarblik]

It would appear as an outsider observing from the sidelines, the union workers are in a better position to gain some ground than in the recent past. GM in particular has been enjoying record profits for several years in a row. The economy is particularly strong, regulations and constraints on the manufacturer have been stalled or rolled back. Unemployment is at an all time low. Willing competent replacement workers are scarce. All these factors would seem to work in the union's favor. Of course the union demands need to be reasonable and the general public won't know what is really happening behind closed door negotiations. If in fact union workers are paying only 4% of their health care cost, that seems to be a non-starter in the unfortunate world of Obama Care where people like me are paying over 500% more than we were in 2012.