AAM Workers Expect Long Strike

“At $14 an hour, you can't afford to pay for a mortgage, a car and a kid in school”

Idea of pay cut motivates pickets at American Axle. The smell of burning wood hangs over Holbrook Street, with American Axle's hulking factory flanking both sides. via Futureoftheunion.com

[Bob]

After the "Big Three" concessions you knew the trickle down effect was just a matter of time. This determination to scale down the middle class in America is a slow process but has made major gains the past few years. The auto sector in America is huge and it's decimation will affect America's entire economy forever. Every American will be affected by this in time. The "American Dream" is dying before our eyes...wake up and smell the Starbucks.

[Chad]

War on the unions is in full swing. I support all the brothers and sisters on strike. I am a union member at local 23. I would hope that this is a wake up call to all union members on what we face. It is time that all union members stand together and walk out on strike to stop this rippling effect. When union workers pay get's cut then many other workers across the United States will see there pay cut as well. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Washington should be the one's trying to keep jobs in this country not the contracts of the UAW.

[Frank]

Let's face it....this is ridiculous
The pay cuts bring these people back to reality, I have been making $14-$20 for as long as I can remember supporting a family,car,home, etc.
Now comes people making $30-$35/hr with the auto industry already in dire straits not willing to earn regular man's wages so they decide to strike. Hello... AAM can move to Mexico and they make nothing or they can live just like the rest of us...comfortably within our means. The strike is affecting me personnaly since I am one of the many suppliers' workers now laid off due the the greedy few that is AAM and the UAW. Get real.

[Government Foe]

Frank wrote:

Let's face it....this is ridiculous
The pay cuts bring these people back to reality, I have been making $14-$20 for as long as I can remember supporting a family,car,home, etc.
Now comes people making $30-$35/hr with the auto industry already in dire straits not willing to earn regular man's wages so they decide to strike. Hello... AAM can move to Mexico and they make nothing or they can live just like the rest of us...comfortably within our means. The strike is affecting me personnaly since I am one of the many suppliers' workers now laid off due the the greedy few that is AAM and the UAW. Get real.

Agree. The unions, though can have a plus side, are mostly the downfall of the big three. People keep wanting and wanting until they no longer have an idea of what they even want anymore.

[dsanchez]

Sorry, but it isn't the workers that are greedy it is the CEOs. You should read the following article just to get a real perspective of the auto industry as too many people blame autoworkers and UAW without knowing the facts.

http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2007/...

[Fred Thayer]

Government Foe wrote:

<quoted text>
Agree. The unions, though can have a plus side, are mostly the downfall of the big three. People keep wanting and wanting until they no longer have an idea of what they even want anymore.

Is Upper Management taking a 2/3 pay cut????
More like a 2/3 pay raise!!!!!

[Frank]

I know the facts and I worked for the most powerful union in the United States the United Steel Workers. You don't know the facts and just buy into the union bull. I know there are still sensible people left considering the the comments of government foe nad Fred Thayer. Probably they are hard working Americans like me who are effected by this strike in one way or the other. There are now over 13,000 plus people on unemployment because of a greedy 400.... goood move Sanchez keep believing the bull and you will have to go back to Mexico because that's where the jobs will be...get real

[Frank]

Just another point... at my company all the management are taking the layoff also so I'll be behind them at the unemploment line. As far as the CEO's... they went to college and obviously proved they are capable of running a company. Talent goes hand in hand with compensation. You wouldn't want the janitor making the same as you, if you were skilled labor now would you? If want to make 200k a year do as the late great Dale Earnhart said "EARN IT". CEO compensation has nothing to do with this...greed does. Unions had there place in years past to gain workers a fair wage and benefits and I agree the fight was justified,however now it's now time to save America not ME time.The 13,000 UAW workers out of work due to this strke must feel good since they took wage adjustments and now they are on the street because a few think they are better than the rest of us...again get real

[Ray]

Sorry, but AAM AGREED to the wages paid to its workers by a binding CONTRACT! Maybe management should cut their pay in half also. Do I think $30/hr to do unskilled labor is too much? Yes, but I have no sympathy for AAM. American style management has FAILED. And I have no sympathy for greedy, unpatriotic CEO's getting paid tens of millions per year to drive companies into the ground. I hope Dauch loses his ass on this one. i just hope.

[Ray]

Really, what is college? It's just a time commitment that is all. Do you use anything you learned in college at your job? Why continue to use a failed American business curriculum as a way to run a company? American style management has FAILED. the U.S government has FAILED. America is fast on its way to becoming a 3rd world nation with a sharp divide- the super rich elite and the peasants, 95% of us will be the peasants. That's you, your children and their grandchildren. Boy, what a great job we are doing for their futures!

[SCARAB]

I have to disagree with you when you turn the tables and blame your fellow workers! This new globalization garbage is just another word for CORPORATE GREED !! When a company says that wagesa are too high and that they compete,the reason that they can't compete is, the CEO"S have million dollar salaries,and then later inb the year,they get a Bonus equivalent to their wages! That is money that is given to people that don't deserve it. Especially where I work ,they don't earn it. They are getting sdalaries to pay off their ellaborat life style . Don't blame your fellow blue-collar worker ,that is wrong !I have been an auto worker for almost 30 years. Our wages have increased with inflation ,so did yours ! The wages that they want you to have ,are wages that were made in 1985. Do you think that these CEO'S would go to having that kind of wages? If I was in your shoes,I would hold on as long as I could ,without signing it ! They can'
t fire you ! It is contract time and you have the right not to except it ! As far as the govenment goes,they have wanted to get rid of the middle-class for years . They want a rich class and a poor class. They feel threatened by a middle class. Good Luck

[Bob]

Hi Frank,
As a supplier employee, you have been making $14-$20 for as long as you can remember supporting your family and are to be applauded for that. The trickle down affect hasn't hit all suppliers yet. This has yet to snowball. Are you ready cut your your wages to save your job? are you willing to drop to $10 to $12 per hour because you know your work can be done much cheaper elsewhere. I too am laid off because of this strike in Canada but feel someone has to say enough is enough.

[dsanchez]

Frank wrote:

I know the facts and I worked for the most powerful union in the United States the United Steel Workers. You don't know the facts and just buy into the union bull. I know there are still sensible people left considering the the comments of government foe nad Fred Thayer. Probably they are hard working Americans like me who are effected by this strike in one way or the other. There are now over 13,000 plus people on unemployment because of a greedy 400.... goood move Sanchez keep believing the bull and you will have to go back to Mexico because that's where the jobs will be...get real

Frank you really have no idea what you are talking about. First off I am not Mexican so I don't have to go back to Mexico.

AAM had a skilled workforce that made that company what it is today not the management as they are not the ones on the floor manufacturing the parts and most do not know shit about making the actual parts. Management is only good at crunching numbers and figuring out how to cut jobs. We, the autoworkers implemented and gave this company alot of ideas on how to improve production and quality that is why AAM has the best quality in the industry and you will see that is going to suffer due to corp greed and the all mighty dollar.

[Frank]

Same old song and dance, and by the way I don't worry about my wages being cut because I cut my own deals without representation. My resume speaks for itself and my job performance backs it up. If I don't like the employer I move on to greener pastures. Keep blaming everyone but yourself and you are doomed to failure.

[dsanchez]

Frank wrote:

Same old song and dance, and by the way I don't worry about my wages being cut because I cut my own deals without representation. My resume speaks for itself and my job performance backs it up. If I don't like the employer I move on to greener pastures. Keep blaming everyone but yourself and you are doomed to failure.

You sound like one of those factory rats that will sell out your fellow worker in order to get yourself extra perks. Is that how you cut your own deals? I wonder how well liked you are by your fellow workers, although I bet management loves you?

[Frank]

I cut my own wage deals BEFORE I get hired so I don't know anyone in the plant when I get hired. As for my fellow workers we work as team not like a lazy army which I am sure YOU are familiar. Do you just make up stuff to make yourself feel good.
Typical union bull. I won't bother to answer anymore of your posts as I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

[dsanchez]

Frank wrote:

I cut my own wage deals BEFORE I get hired so I don't know anyone in the plant when I get hired. As for my fellow workers we work as team not like a lazy army which I am sure YOU are familiar. Do you just make up stuff to make yourself feel good.
Typical union bull. I won't bother to answer anymore of your posts as I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

Sorry, buddy but it is you whom makes crap up as you do not know anything about typical AAM workers, so you can't just generalize from your inexperience. The workforce at AAM is a younger educated workforce with many having college degrees that made this corp successful by making useful suggestions which have been integrated into the manufacturing process. You can talk jealously about our $24hr wage(not $30-35 as you suggested dumbass) but try putting a price tag on the amount of money we saved this company with our suggestions and ideas.
Hopefully you will hold true to your last thread and not respond because I don't think anyone cares to hear your useless comments.

[Government Foe]

I have viewed company problems from both sides. The reason I say union can be the cause is due to a friend, who's father in law is part of the UAW. A few years back it was time for contract negotiations and quite simply, they had everything they needed but felt compelled to ask for more. Therefore, they wanted Presidents Day off, because "the banks get that day off". Yet, they failed to realize the banks also work other days when they have off. The main issue is greed and wanting more than what they really needed. I've seen this many times.

On the other hand, I know very well how management can ruin a company and the workers suffer. Take for example the Kmart debacle years ago when they filed restructure bankruptcy. They went through a few CEOs who had million dollars worth of bonuses for staying a year and other reasons. Then, the CEO left while they did something similar to the new CEO. They wasted all this money even while they filed bankrupt. Also, in my place of employment, management is run by many incompetent morons. I was in management for 12 years but left due to the overwork and stress. Therefore, ending up where I am now only to learn of the incompetency.

Overall, it could come from both sides but I do believe it lies mostly on the management level. They usually take all the glory and perks while the blue collar workers have to fight for their perks. Whatever the reason with AAM, I hate to see people struggle when this economy is already hurting many.

Good luck to you who are in this situation.

[Frank]

Government Foe....well said
unlike the lower class Sanchez always looking for a fight with management and losing the sight of the goal...I agree with you fully.

[Frank]

Just settle already, hell I'm making as much as you are and I started three plastics plants when I was thirty five and they are profitable but they weren't my companies. I came up with technoligies that were unheard of at the time...big deal.
Hey Sanchez...Inexperience ???? thirty years in the business, started 3 new plants, trained all technicians, designed systems used on all injection molding machines today, consultant for engineering in Toronto Canada and Kansas City.Now I work for an auto supplier and I have to put up with all you brainiacs(so you think) that make money for suggestions that make an axle work better while putting 13,000 people out of work,great job LEROY.
YEAH RIGHT.