CDNZR

I can work everyday for $20 million annual salary, damn right. All I need is just one year employment and I can retired and enjoy my hobbies for the rest of my days after.

RBK

As the saying goes, "walk in the shoes" and then comment. I retired sometime ago as a CEO of a national network of businesses. If you are smart, as did Ronald Reagan, you subordinate your ego and (wasted) time to a group of underlings who are talented and competent. As a result, you have plenty of time. It is only the controlling and short sighted who kill themselves as the head of a company. Employees are always at risk of layoffs or problems, and never ever gain the status of income to fly first class, travel at will, never look at the price on a menu etc. Speaking for myself, I never wanted to be a "worker", just free.

RBK

Did not mean offense. However, "tenure" has resulted in the destruction of learning. Merit tests are all but eliminated and whatever "classes" teachers take do not require real proficiency, just checking the box. I taught under graduates and graduate students at various times while building my career. After the first year of teaching, with minor syllabus changes, it was not difficult. However,, today, we have younger students who cannot speak English, and many who come from families who only want their kid baby sat as long as possible, not to mention the disrupters and criminals. I feel for and respect your wife's dedication.

1985 Corvette

I think that is one aspect of it: people in those roles can’t sit still. The old CEO of CSX was a great example of that. He used to be the CEO of United Airlines. Full heart transplant in his twilight years and you would think that would be a wake up call to enjoy the time you had left. Instead he went to go run CSX while being on assisted oxygen. His oxygen tank would run low and set off low oxygen alarms during calls with his executive leadership team that everyone had to listen to.

He died at his home after having no choice but to take time off due to failing health, but he was vowing to return. It’s a role many admire or envy, but it takes a unique personality to assume the role. A big bank CEO was recently asked if he was thinking about retirement at the age of 60. His response was, “what retirement?” He’s about ten years out from getting to that point in the human lifespan where any day could be your last, regardless of what your annual physical tells you.

I’m convinced at this point that big company CEOs sleep in a full suit and dress shoes.

Dads2kconvertible

The big three made 21 BILLION dollars of profit the first half of this year. Let's do some math.
Roughly 150,000 UAW members, 1040 hours per member for half a year = 156 million UAW hours worked the first half of this year.
So the big 3 made $135 profit per hour worked.
They can afford to pay their workers better.

ZO6ZO7isme

Yes they can, and then they will have to listen to shareholders, investors and banks that make the world go round….. and of course much more expensive cars for everyone down the line.
what most rank and file don t get, and don t want to get, IS…. They took no risk, they made no investment, they are not on the hook to the bank, none of that.

they are flat out hourly workers, and that’s the path they chose, no one chose to for them.
I DO RESPECT THEM AND WHAT THEY DO, but really, a 36% increase in pay, let’s get real here.

RBK

It worse. When you add benefits and a 4 day week you are looking at approximately $150 an hour!! It is estimated that Kia, Hyundai, and Toyota workers make a total of under $80.

cryptonic

Exactly, and how do the UAW morons expect GM to compete with that?
This is not masters degree level accounting stuff.

Dads2kconvertible

They expect them to use some of the 21 Billion dollars profit mentioned above.

AustinVetter

That's a very naive way to look at it. If you ran a business, would you base your employees salaries for the next 4 years on what you made during the best 6 months of your businesses history? If you have any basic business sense at all, the answer would be a resounding no.

If you do that, then can those same employees be required to PAY GM for their employment when GM LOSES money in the previous 6 months?

Dads2kconvertible

That's a logical fallacy, strawman. No one is asking for that

Employees routinely get laid off when times are lean.
Since UAW hasn't had a raise since 2019 maybe just make it a 5% raise per year, retro active to 2019. They might take that.
We know they will meet somewhere in the middle and the disinformation campaigns from both sides make it hard to see what's really reasonable for anyone.

23/C8Z

nope the government bailed them out.

you don't make your mortgage payment or car payment see if the fed bails you out buddy. Never forget that.

As for their requests given the inflation rate? 40% isn't far off to barely stay ahead. Its over 4yrs. 10% per year is the request they'll settle for a bit less. But you don't come in at 7 and land at 4.5 if 7 per year is what you want.

But its ok.. we'll keep spending money on illegals and foreign countries and watch more million and billionaires be made while the middleclass is wiped out.

msm859

Spending on illegals and foreign countries has ZERO to do with the declining middle class. However, the growing income inequality i.e more millionaires and billionaires does.

CJ Willys

I worked 42 years, mostly by the hour, never received time-&-1/2 for the overtime. I never went without work because I hustled and worked hard. Non-union. No sympathy for UAW's. They helped cause our rampant inflation when they supported the commie liberal demoncrat machine. Now inflation has bitten them in the A, so screw 'em. No more American vehicles for me. Next truck will be a Nissan Titan, assembled in Mississippi (1st one was a great truck).

cryptonic

Why does Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, etc. not give their profits away in that fashion or are the domestic based vehicle manufacturers expected to be non-profit health and welfare funds?

23/C8Z

you're not seeing why that does? Over taxing us to cover the costs of those ideas and many other wasteful govt spending. That money reinvested in our own citizens and American manufacturing would do wonders for us as a nation. But global economy is more important. America first.

The uaw in the crosshairs right now sure takes the spotlight off the corruption elsewhere. That's ok. It's gotta be someone's turn in the wheel barrow.

LE MANSZ

Agree with everything you said, but I would caution you against Nissans. As of the past couple decades, their cars are literally junk. Just because it's Japanese does not make it a quality brand- Mitsubishi and Nissan are not reliable makes (yes there might be some outliers with specific models).

JillyBean

The legacy automakers are in a world of hurt….. but will get bailed out again if things continue to worsen. It is what it is…

TARANTULA

The employees at UAW build the best looking, fastest, quickest more reliable and better sounding car in the world. Don’t they deserve more pay?

70lt102z06

No. The comparison of UAW pay to CEO should not be made. I think GM's CEO is a horrible allocator of capital, just like Ford. Just because someone else gets more money does not justify the UAW getting more money. Maybe the UAW should get their members to invest their entire life savings in GM stock so that they can influence executive pay at the next board meeting? Because that would be a horrible investment decision should tell you something. The UAW employees should get what's fair but fair isn't in the room yet. I have assisted in the negotiations of management and labor in the past and this is all show. The UAW execs don't want to lose their jobs by hurting the big 3 too much but they do need to win some concessions. The return to defined benefit pensions would make the big 3 100% noncompetitive. Also, the better health care is a much broader problem than the UAW and should be addressed at some point nationwide.