American Axle workers on strike

Auto parts supplier American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. says its workers are on strike after the company failed to reach a new contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

[Wonder Y]

Solidarity forever!

[get real people]

Wonder Y wrote:

Solidarity forever!

All the way to Mexico, India, and China!

[Batch 37 Pain is Good]

Socialism never works in a free market. Another 800 jobs gone.

[what]

The unions had a time and place and that is long gone. People need to realize that the wages and benefits they receive are no longer realistic. These companies need to be able to compete with China, Mexico, etc...... and at the labor rates they are paying they can not do it. These people need to ask themselves "do I want my job or am I willing to let it go to Mexico or China?" DEATH TO THE UNIONS!!!!!!!!!

[Video Guy Bob]

It's weird. One day you have a job with benefits that are better than anyone else in the world... and the next you are collecting unemployment benefits and complaining how George Bush screwed you.

[john macomber]

I think its time companies quit messing around. If the unions don't want to work don't! There are alot of people out there who would gladly work in there place for half the amount they get. The days of "full" benefit packages are over. Get to work!!

[mhm]

Or you could work in the real world of 14 to 18 dollars an hour, it's better than unemployment and there's a lot of people out there that would jump at the chance to work for that.....

Video Guy Bob wrote:

It's weird. One day you have a job with benefits that are better than anyone else in the world... and the next you are collecting unemployment benefits and complaining how George Bush screwed you.

[Jerrod]

Y'all hit the nail dead on the head, except that crazy first poster!

[purplizzy]

I agree, it's pretty sad, but my husband makes about 5 dollars less and hour and I make 4 dollars less an hour than 5 years ago. It sucks, but we do what we have to do.

mhm wrote:

Or you could work in the real world of 14 to 18 dollars an hour, it's better than unemployment and there's a lot of people out there that would jump at the chance to work for that.....
<quoted text>

[stupid unions]

get all your lazzy @ss's back to work!!!

[Guess]

When will this start affecting GM? Does anyone know what their inventories are?
Just wanting to know when our production will slow down.

[slf]

I would love it if my husband could make $14 per hour!!!! He is a victim of outsourcing and while he did secure other employment immediately, the pay doesn't even come close to the pay he was getting (which was still lower than most employers pay) and the benefits are much worse. But...he is employed, likes his job, has insurance, etc.

I still maintain, however, that upper management and the CEO's are overpaid (along with actors, athletes, etc.) and that Washington is out of touch with the real world.

[Sick up and fed]

If you are looking for someone to blame for why american companies can't compete with china and mexico,look no further than officals we elect to into office and the corprate lobbiests and their little kronies who grease our elected officials palms so the could tear down the trade barriers which allows them to move our jobs there. Welcome to the wonderful world of free trade, better known as NAFTA.

[DIANE]

HOPEFULLY THEY DO GO ON STRICK AND STAY WITH IT, MAYBE THEY'LL LOOSE THERE JOBS AND ALL OF US HARD WORKING PEOPLE WITH LESS WAGE WILL TAKE THERES AND BE HAPPY AND THANKFUL. I KNOW THAT IT IS HARD TO HAVE YOUR WAGE GO DOWN, BUT IT IS A FACT EVERYWERE. A JOB IS BETTER THAN NO JOB AND SENDING ALL OF OUR JOBS OUT OF STATE ISN'T HELPING MICHIGAN.

[Liveflowers]

The folks in the United states are so greedy. If they don't stop and think what they are doing there aren't going to be any jobs left for them to do. There is no one and I do mean no one that is wortth 65.00 an hour. this is why the jobs are leaving the good ole U.S.A. It is time for people to wake up and stop blaming the elected officials for the problems that we have. When you point fingers there are four pointing back at you.

[dragon_fly121 aka steve]

oh boy...this is gonna be a great thread....

[Batch 37 Pain is Good]

dragon_fly121 aka steve wrote:

oh boy...this is gonna be a great thread....

You bet! Dragon fly, do you get the impression that the economy is being driven down on purpose to level the playing field for 3rd world countries economies equal ours. Sounds like a liberal plan.

[dragon_fly121 aka steve]

Batch 37 Pain is Good wrote:

<quoted text>
You bet! Dragon fly, do you get the impression that the economy is being driven down on purpose to level the playing field for 3rd world countries economies equal ours. Sounds like a liberal plan.

Yup...

[Arctic49519]

The union is doing exactly what they should do. This is a situation where the employer wants the workers to take massive concessions ( about a 60% CUT in overall compensation.) The workers want proof that this is financially necessary for the business to survive. The company is refusing to provide data that shows economic necessity.
When a unionized company wants concessions for the survival of the business, they are typically willing to show financial data to the union to prove it. When a company refuses to provide such data, it means the company is acting out of corporate greed, not necessity. The workers have to stand up for their fair share.
Currently, with the state of the economy, profitable businesses have been exploiting workers. They use the "if you don't want to do it for peanuts and no benefits, someone else will" attitude. This thread has already shown some of these types of comments. Many workers who have had wages/benefits cut, or lost jobs altogether, are jealous of what many union workers have accrued. They feel that since they have to make do with less, that union workers don't deserve to have more than they do.
Corporate propaganda, backed by purchased republican polititions, have seized this opportunity to attack unions, blaming them for the loss of jobs to deflect the fact that corporate greed is the real culprit.
It is during economic times like this that unions are needed the most. This happened in the 1930's--- businesses taking advantage of massive unemployment to reap great profits by exploiting labor and pitting workers against workers.
Remember what just happened with Delphi--- executives filed bankruptcy while trying to give themselves $87 million in bonuses. http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/2...
Corporate greed, unfair trade rules, and trade deficit, all backed by purchased politicians are the problem, not unions.

Solidarity for the American Axle workers! Stand strong!

[Julia]

Arctic. This isn't 1933. "Business" (you use that word like they are you an enemy) invests, takes the risk and must compete in the market. The unskilled work only has to be done by uneducated, unskilled people. Unions are ruining the US and Michigan especially.