I can see how the figure I have is in the ball park. So the guy makes $34/hr....How much does the cushy low deductible health and dental insurance cost? How much are the retirement benifits. There is certainly some overtime and holiday pay. How many weeks of vacation can an employee eventually receive per year(3-4 weeks?) Then there is the unemployment insurance as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it exceeded $100 per hour!

CNBC says the big 3 pay out about $75 per hour, where Toyota / Honda types pay out in the $35 to $42 range. BTW - The UAW is offering NO consessions.

Watched the big 3 and UAW testify today. Pitiful. Could not site anything but overly gerenal numbers, which pizzed off the guys asking the questions. The idiot for Chrysler made a big deal about their 5 star ratings like it was a commercial. What a freeking joke. Let them go bankrupt, Toyota, etc. buy up the good stuff, break the UAW in two and move forward.

Yes, it will hurt a first. Some of the airlines did it and people still fly on their planes. I for one would be more afraid of flying on a bankrupt company's plane than buying a car from a bankrupt auto builder. I know it hurts...but these auto workers are going to have to accept some pay reductions or they are going to go the same route as Eastern Airlines went. I am making less money this year...most people are...so why don't the auto workers step up and try to save their jobs???????????????

Kinda like giving TOUGH Love to your teenagers, after awhile, they will learn. Unions will be the death of the manufacturing base in the USA!:eek: They are out dated, and a BIG $$ burden for US co.s to deal with.
Dean

Move South... I live in atlanta BMW, Mercedes, New VW plant, Honda, and even Panoz are all a short drive of 1 hour. (Merceded is 3 hrs)

No brainer if you like auto stuff. Low cost of living, better weather and a hell of a lot nicer homes, land and business. Everything is new here.

Or, try Dallas Texas, their economy is really good right now.

Get the hell outta there!

I have mixed feelings about your post. Sure...the foriegn auto makers give jobs...but they take away from America. There place has come and gone...they made the big three shape up and build a better product. And YES! I believe the big 3 build just as good a product! Maybe someone should start a poll. Who are they loyal to...America or the rest of the world??? I own 6 vehicles...3 Chevies,Pontiac,Ford and a Lincoln. Who are you loyal too? I would hope your country!

LOYALTY DOES NOT EQUAL SUPPLY AND DEMAND the japanese etc. are doing better because they build vehicles people want to buy. the big 3 would have crushed japan if they would ever figure that out. The fuel crisis in the 70's gave japan a toehold in the american market. The quality of american vehicles in the 80's gave the foreigners a leg up, and the skyrocketing fuel costs now will give them they opportunity to bury the big 3. Detroit never researches long term or makes any effort to anticipate, they only react and incredibly slowly at that. foreign vehicles are not the downfall of detroit, a bad economy and rollercoaster full prices are not to blame..detroit is solely responsible. If Reggie built a decent boat in 1980 and then never improved or updated anything other than the rub rails and color, would it be every other boat company's fault for him going out of business because the other boat builders tweaked hull designs, used more powerful and reliable engines and drives, improved ergonomics and updated styling to match current trends regularly?? if that were the case would you give Reggie billions to bail him out or would you look at him and say "go away, your a stupid fool" (Im not beak bashing, just using an identifiable figure) the truth is fountain ,while taking a beating from the economy will still be around building assembly line cookie cutter gofasts and holding there own against custom builders BECAUSE he has kept his stuff appealing, up to date and marketable

Again...this is a LOAN not the coined "bailout" and it will be paid back. The airline analogy does not work...once you get off the plane you are done with the transaction. You are not buying a $30k vehicle with a warranty that you hope will be there when you need it. OK, how about a 3rd party warranty? Not a chance that will work with no parts availability. There is a lot of misinformation in the media...do some research before believing the media.

http://gmfactsandfiction.com/
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First remember I started with one of the highest paid skilled trades jobs. Then figure that he works 50 hours a week. Sure the overtime makes a small difference in pay but it makes the cost per hour of his benefits smaller. If you figure $1000.00 a month for health care, thats $5.00 an hour. If you figure $1000.00 a month for pension funding, that's $5.00 an hour more. If you figure $1000.00 a month to cover vacations and holidays, that's another $5.00 an hour. Those are the big items. Throw in another $5.00 an hour for the smaller benefits that most never use and I think you're close to the real cost. With overtime averaged in the electrician makes $37.40 an hour plus $20.00 an hour in benefits.

The difference between this and what is reported in the media is that GM takes all of it's costs related to personel and devides that by the number of employees. That includes retiree health care. Each working employee is paying for the health care of 3 retirees. Is that really a benefit for the working employee?

Interesting perspective from a car plant in the USA that's a NON-UNION operated plant.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/20/honda.town/index.html