UAW, it’s time for you to go…
Tags: Big Three, Chrysler, Detroit, Detroit Three, Ford, GM, UAW, union
Before I get myself into trouble or before some of you call me an elitist, send me a hate mail and/or anthrax, let me just say that I am neither a union historian nor an automotive industry expert. I am just regular guy who worked hard to be where I am now and have a passion about cars and the auto industry.
Now that the lawyers are happy, let’s get to it…
Those of you who follow the news, current events or haven’t been living in a cave in the last couple years understand that our economy is in a hole, and a pretty big one at that. Due to that reason, the already-fragile domestic automotive industry is now facing the biggest challenge ever since the car was invented over 100 years ago. Back in the days when Detroit was booming, the Big Three were able to offer attractive health benefit and retirement packages. Assembly lines were not as automated as today so they needed a lot of workers to do monkey-see, monkey do kind of jobs on the line. As a result, people without an advance diploma or a set of skills could easily get a job working for the Big Three and enjoy their so-called “middle-class life” or “American Dream”.
The situation was rosy back then, cars were sold in bunches so the auto companies were more than willing to pay the kind of wages that those workers probably didn’t deserve. Unfortunately, those assembly line workers took it for granted and their union, the UAW (United Auto Workers), has since has become a “voice for blue-collar brothers” in the auto industry and has literally held the companies up for ransom up until today.
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