I generally agree with you here, but big 3 management and their dogged devotion to poor engineering and "planned obsolescence" were/are more responsible than the UAW.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Very coincidentally I was just reading about this last night (The Fifties by David Halberstam) and RR pretty much nailed it. GM in particular pushed style over substance (think lots of fins) which resulted in significantly reduced engineering input and ultimately a lack of emphasis on quality.

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They certainly had a period of poor engineering and were ill prepared to handle the onslaught of cheap foreign cars that basically had good gas mileage and nothing else. However, they had mostly solved this issue well before they needed the bailout but you can't just add a few thousands of dollars per car before it is even built and expect to compete in the price conscious market that were the smaller vehicles. It is still tough for them now even with a slightly better labor situation that is still very good for the union workers.

The UAW has fought incredibly hard at automation. They could only last so long but the union operated with the general premise for decades that no job should ever be lost to automation which in theory is great for the union but it also makes no economic sense. The Big 3 literally had to start shutting down plants to even get them to budge on the topic.

Now, as I said, it may have been the best move for the union to extract as much value out as they could and let the company slowly fail. It just isn't going to get much sympathy when it happens, the company fails and the taxpayers have to bail them out, and now it is time to do it again.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

No doubt. The Big 3 did a pretty terrible job in the 80s but even when they solved the problems that created some truly bad cars they still had no real way of competing in the cheapest car markets. That's why they've always been so good at SUVs and trucks because they can more easily absorb the costs they have no choice but to have because of a strong union that refused to ever give an inch.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Lowenstein’s book on the GM/pension/union issues is a really good read. He also profiles NY’s near bankruptcy and San Diego’s issues. In any case, it was a situation where the union played the long game and accepted healthcare and pension benefits over wage increases. It especially happened during the wage control era of WW2. When GM finally fought back (late 60’s I believe), the union strike brought GM to its knees.

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Water under the bridge. Let it go. Woo Flung Poo over in China is hoping our attitude never changes.

#cancelNardi

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