Are Unions responsible for the collapse of the Auto Industry? ?

[Russell Upsomegrub]

What are the reasons for the collapse.  Conservatives blame the fat union contracts. Liberals say its the CEO's poor leadership to be competitive with the Asian and European Auto Industry?  What is your opinion?

[Ursugardaddy]

I'm in the union and I do not know what cause the auto collapse in the auto industry  but I do have to say that the unions do charge large amount of money in their contracts even for the real small jobs even though it pay the bills I do have to say that it is sometime unfair to charge the amount that they charge per contract anyway Take Care and Good Luck

[Landlord]

It is both.   The unions force unfair wages and make the company uncompetative.    But, the companies have also failed to keep up with market trends.

[Macman]

Multi-million dollar bonuses to executives when the the company has no profits is a complete disaster. No one can make a logical excuse why this is the way to secure the future of a company. Until this practice stops, most companies have a bleak outlook. What incentive is there for executives to secede?

[ginger]

No , they just try to get a decent living for workers . .think about this , how much money do you thing the Auto Industry spends on Advertising , and do they need to spend all that money ? Do you pick Your auto by the advertising or do you go to a dealer and try the auto ? They have wasted billions on their CEO's  and it's time for them to tighten their belts and put that money back into their companies and not except the American Taxpayers to foot their bill .

[D H]

No your right the unions played a part in the union collapse as well as early retirement.Move those same factories to right to work states and you wouldn't have that problem

[WestTex Kid]

I would say the unions are partly responsible.  The American auto industry pays much higher wages than its counter parts in Asia and Europe.  The retirement and insurance legacies auto companies have certainly not help things.  But, for the most part, I think American auto companies have built inferior products that many Americans don't want  and they kept building gas guzzlers.   It's clear they haven't kept up with the times.

Then on the other hand, Asian and European auto makers get large subsidies from their governments to help them along.  They don't pay health insurance premiums; whereas those premiums are built into the price of each American car built.  This would also be true for the retirement and health packages negotiated by the UAW for all Big Three auto manufacturers.

[John W]

The auto makers. The UAW union has given back and them some. The big three which they are no longer. Kept building suvs and pick up trucks for higher profit margin. The global economy everyone thinks is so great is hurting the U.S. auto industry. They allow little imports numbers into their countries. Free trade agreements hurt American manufactures. We can not complete with low wage countries like China,Mexico India and low wage counties. North American Free Trade Agreement is a perfect example.
It was to create all these jobs here in Mexico AND Canada and it has not.
If NAFTA worked so great why are so many people crossing border illegally looking for work.How can you ask your workers to give things up but the Ceo keep getting paid millions. If it was not for unions this country would be in worse shape. Unions fight for all classes of people.
They are trying to right whats wrong with the gap between the haves and have not. American auto industry goes bankrupt or out of business it will throw us into a depression with all the job losses. For every one auto industry job their are six more directly tied to the auto industry.

[Judy]

I think both groups had a hand in the problems.  It's hard to blame the unions though for getting as much as management is willing to give them.  A lot has been in the planning, failing to recognize quality problems and to produce good, smaller cars when the market shifted - and that's a management issue, not union decisions

[mark_hensley@sbcglobal.ne]

They are all sinners. To extend the metaphor, some have chosen to be sinners saved by grace, others don't know what it is.  Corporate governance is the business side of the equation, it is the leadership that posits innovation and solutions. The former Big Three had poor corporate governance and relied on the home field advantage to a fault. They had the constructs of "Buy American" Chrysler was bailed out in the 80's with low interest loans, Ford and GM were in lock step in market manipulations of oil, gas and trucks, the ever profitable suv's.  Everything became unhinged when closer scrutiny illuminated missed opportunities and a lack of leadership, like GM's electric car that corporate governance had crushed and now, just now they bring to market the Chevy Volt. They stymied battery development and purchased any entity that could make a more efficient product. Ford, GM and Chrysler organized the sequence of automotive safety by systematically introducing "breakthroughs" in car manufacturing.
The Germans, Mercedes and BMW made no excuse products, the Japanese have done the same. No excuses, meant bringing to market best in class global product.  
Regrettably, the U.S. auto industry has positioned itself on the verge of collapse because of mediocre leadership who wax eloquent with themes and poems. In the meantime, our competitors have been placing product where the rubber meets the road, reliably. Unions have never had controlling interest of the automotive industry, they have been a stake holder, at times a greater stake holder than others, nonetheless an important stake in the business.  
We are in a global economic crisis. There will be pain and suffering for every coach builder that can manage to get through this tough time. It doesn't take an economist to tell you that Toyota, Honda, Mazda and BMW are in far better shape than GM, Ford and Chrysler. Why? Because the way things have been done; corporate governance maintains the continuity that makes sense to the internal and external customer. American corporate governance is costing the American tax payer billions because of how corporate leadership sets the tone for efficient and effective manufacturing of product.
In the scheme of things, suppliers, parts, aftermarket items, tire companies and unions are left with managing the stupidity of corporate leaders who were paid filthy profits to maintain status quo.  

[fff]

With the Big 3 U.S. Automakers circling the drain, here are 10 solutions to the current crisis and none of them involve sticking your head between your legs and kissing your rear goodbye.

http://fastandloud.com/how-to-save-the-us-automotive-industry-in-10-not-so-simple-steps/