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Like many people, I have been troubled by what the Obama administration has done with the auto makers bailout, especially with how the stockholders and bondholders have been treated vs. the union.
I am not anti-union in a general sense, but I have noted for many years the problems the U.S. auto makers have to have with what apperars to be overly generous and strange labor contracts with the UAW.
The other day I heard a story from my in-law. He sells manufacturing equipment components for the mining industry. A guy he knows sells manufacturing equipment to the auto makers. This guy told him that some time ago he was tasked to call on the Ford assembly plant in the Norfolk, Virginia area to detail staff there on some equipment. When he arrived at the plant, he was sent to the department that he needed to visit. When he arrived at the door of the room, he was puzzled by a sign next to it. It said something like "no talking until the commercial breaks". Another salesman was waiting outside, and clued him in. He said the the workers in the room (UAW, and on the clock), watched soap operas and other shows on T.V. in this room, and did not like to be disturbed with such things as equipment sales people while their favorite T.V. shows were on.
The salesman was stunned, but realized immediately in a very striking way why the auto makers were struggling in this country.
I am not anti-union in a general sense, but I have noted for many years the problems the U.S. auto makers have to have with what apperars to be overly generous and strange labor contracts with the UAW.
The other day I heard a story from my in-law. He sells manufacturing equipment components for the mining industry. A guy he knows sells manufacturing equipment to the auto makers. This guy told him that some time ago he was tasked to call on the Ford assembly plant in the Norfolk, Virginia area to detail staff there on some equipment. When he arrived at the plant, he was sent to the department that he needed to visit. When he arrived at the door of the room, he was puzzled by a sign next to it. It said something like "no talking until the commercial breaks". Another salesman was waiting outside, and clued him in. He said the the workers in the room (UAW, and on the clock), watched soap operas and other shows on T.V. in this room, and did not like to be disturbed with such things as equipment sales people while their favorite T.V. shows were on.
The salesman was stunned, but realized immediately in a very striking way why the auto makers were struggling in this country.
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