Quote from wartrace:
Uh, but wouldn't 14 dollars an hour then become 7?
Quote from DHOHHI:
They were actually offered $15.50/hour, got to retain their seniority and also could get up to $35,000 as compensation for reduced package.
$15.50 and hour is $620/week, a lot more than $390 and with OT these guys can rake in even more. The days of line workers making over $100K are gone for good. And years ago when I worked in the auto industry I was aware of production workers making as much as $120K/year with OT.
I also saw UAW guys sleeping on the production line with no consequence. And for those who are unaware, last week Chrysler fired 13 line workers for drinking and smoking pot on their breaks. This kind of stuff happened years ago with no impact on the guilty parties.
Quote from CaptainObvious:
I know what they call it. I'm saying it's not sustainable. Those that run the corporations no longer have any skin in the game. The company goes belly up, so what. They've stolen enough money from their workers to stay comfortable regardless of general economic conditions.
I don't think people realize just how dangerous of a situation we have here. The fact is, the entire country could go down, and I mean down in flames, literally, and the few people that run the show will still be very, very comfortable. That's an economic condition which can't last, and it absolutely determines the decisions these coporate leaders make. They simply don't care!
Quote from JoePaterno:
All the rants against corporate leaders have no meaning. Competition is relentless. If people wish to continue making buggy whips and barrels when cars and corrugated boxes replace them, then that is their problem.
Corner stores were replaced with markets. Markets were replaced with supermarkets. Costcos, WalMarts/Targets and others blew by KMart and malls when they stopped competing effectively.
Dollar stores and online shopping are examples of further refinements. Cable TV and cellphone companies may get replaced with online and other, cheaper services.
Companies don't exist to make good-paying jobs. They exist to generate a profit for owners. If hiring staff can help an owner do that, then there is job creation.
There is no corporate greed or this other nonsense that is being ranted about here. There is constant pressure to keep costs low enough from overwhelming technological advances, lower cost producers, and many other things.
If you ever owned a business, you would realize this all too quickly. I did. Having employees, who stole, slacked off, complained, demanded higher wages & benefits and many other things is one of the nightmares of ownership. Unions are just a highly polished version of employee greed. They almost bankrupted the auto industry and they are threatening to bring down many state and local governments with the huge pension shortfall.
Quote from Vinny1:
If most jobs end up being outsourced and most of the people here are broke, who will buy what corporations have to sell? Won't their sales and stock prices suffer?
Quote from Vinny1:
If most jobs end up being outsourced and most of the people here are broke, who will buy what corporations have to sell?
Quote from Mayhem:
The new Chinese and Indian (and Brazilian, Russian, Turkish, etc.) middle classes who got the outsourced jobs.
Not to worry, there will always be "community organizer" jobs here in the US, so there will always be budding, well-funded Obamas eager to buy whatever crap is made in China and serviced out of India.