(2007-09-25) — As the United Auto Workers (UAW) entered their second day of a nationwide work stoppage against General Motors, union president Ron Gettelfinger hailed the success of his plan to increase job security by slashing company production and profits.
“Our union members deserve steady employment for life as much as the autoworkers of Europe do,” said Mr. Gettelfinger. “By not producing any vehicles, the UAW proves we can compete in the global marketplace with anyone…for example, with France.”
The union boss said the strike will “send a clear message to the corporate fat cats that their primary purpose in life is to provide employment, income and health care for 73,000 Americans.”
“If they happen to make some cars and profits in the process,” Mr. Gettelfinger added, “so much the better. But G.M. can’t take their eyes off the bottom line, which is lifetime job security for union members.”
A spokesman for G.M. said, “As our factories sit idle, and sales figures begin to dive, it inspires us to look for ways to reward the people who are crippling our company and to stop looking overseas for a stable, productive workforce.”
25 responses so far ↓
1 camojack // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:18 am
Goose? Golden egg?!
2 Maggie // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:23 am
“Gettelfinger”! Now that is something for which to be thankful , especially if it’s not your name.
Oh!! and the obligatory God Bless America!
3 Maggie // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:25 am
Good Morning Camojack! :>)
4 boberinyetagain // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:27 am
Good one Scott!
Good morning maggie and camo and whoever else wanders in…
5 boberinyetagain // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:29 am
After being summarily fired and escorted from my last employer after 20 years (and even they admitted that everyone liked me and I did nothing whatever wrong) I can relate to the “job for life” deal and wonder where I might sign up
6 Hawkeye // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:35 am
Hey Scott, Congrats on 11teen million!
7 conserve-a-tips // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:38 am
A job for life - hmmmm - now there’s a plan I could buy in to - well, just for me, but not for anyone else.
Our preacher said something a couple of Sundays ago that really stuck with me. He said, “As soon as you think that you deserve, you de-serve others.
8 seneuba // Sep 25, 2007 at 7:49 am
Since we’re becoming allies with Iran, I wonder if GM is interested in building cars in Tehran?
9 conserve-a-tips // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:10 am
Seneuba, what a grand idea. It could be a sports car attractive to teenagers. They could call it the JiHadRod
10 camojack // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:17 am
Good Morning Camojack! :>)
Comment by Maggie — September 25, 2007 @ 7:25 am
Good morning maggie and camo and whoever else wanders in…
Comment by boberinyetagain — September 25, 2007 @ 7:27 am
Guten tag, Buenas dias, Bonjour! I’m goin’ to bed…
11 camojack // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:17 am
← Except for that.
12 Libby Gone // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:19 am
Union workers should never have earned the mantle of ‘ not doing the jobs Americans wont do…..’
13 gafisher // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:26 am
After seeing Mr. Geltfinger’s Picket Sign it might be appropriate for him to promote education first …
14 gafisher // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:29 am
Bober Re#5: I feel your pain! Try this.
15 USS Ben // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:30 am
What a brilliant idea.
Go on strike for a company that’s been losing money for years.
Maybe a bit of remedial math is in order here.
I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or a CPA, to know that the more money a company loses, the less employees they can employ.
Good luck finding a job that pays as much and with as many excellent benefits to boot.
Oh, and good luck finding a job that doesn’t expect good results.
There’s a very good reason that Americans aren’t buying union-made cars anymore.
16 antodav // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:42 am
My parents work for General Motors. They’ve been laid off for months and were actually about to go back to work…until this happened. It would be funny if it weren’t so very true. I hope the UAW bosses burn in hell.
17 boberinyetagain // Sep 25, 2007 at 8:44 am
gafisher, will they employ me for life? Too bad they discriminate too, I’m too old!
USSBen, even Walmart is beginning to notice that if they don’t pay employees enough to shop there they might not have customers. Henry Ford knew that 100 years ago (or thereabouts)
18 Libby Gone // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:41 am
With the economy here in Mitch Chee Gon, I have to wonder about the sanity of striking………
19 conserve-a-tips // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:58 am
♥ ♥ ♥ It’s all about meeee! It’s all about meeee! ♥ ♥ ♥
20 boberinyetagain // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:58 am
Libby, the math often escaped me. You’d hear about folks on strike for very long periods and even as a kid I wondered how much of a raise you needed to make off for missing 19 weeks of work (or whatever the # was)
Never made sense…
21 conserve-a-tips // Sep 25, 2007 at 9:59 am
OK, sorry about 19. I had a really big cup of decaffeinated tea this morning.
22 boberinyetagain // Sep 25, 2007 at 10:01 am
make “up” makes a bit more sense then “make off”
23 USS Ben // Sep 25, 2007 at 10:35 am
Now that makes cents.
Make up, that is. Although make off sounds cool.
I’m making off work.
Not to be misconstrued as “Off” the mosquito repellent (which doesn’t work, btw, and should be call “On”).
24 EXT // Sep 25, 2007 at 1:17 pm
GM said to have offered Honda $2-billion cash to take over the whole operation and move it to Japan. They figure the 2-billion to be far more beneficial to stockholders than paying any more extortion.
Honda is reported to have declined; holding out for 4-billion.
25 Beerme // Sep 25, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Keep in mind that the UAW officials are paid by the UAW, not GM and so do not have the same stake in the negotiations that the UAW members do. The members pay their salaries. In fact the members pay for little else with their dues except the officials’ salaries and big political donations to (mostly) Democrats.
A strike right now in this state is stoopid.
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