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Is This Fair? GM Cancels Health Benefits For Striking Workers

General Motors Corp. has cancelled the medical and life insurance benefits of workers on strike at the automaker's Delta Township factory near Lansing, the latest salvo in a month-long walkout at the factory.

The United Auto Workers is picking up the tab for workers who show for picket line assignments, as well as for their families. The workers, however, will get no dental or vision coverage.

The last time GM canceled benefits for striking workers was during the Flint strikes of 1998.
 

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Is This Fair? GM Cancels Health Benefits For Striking Workers



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SpectatorSpectator - 5/16/2008 1:13:05 PM
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Entirely fair. Actually I believe GM has been more than fair. They covered these workers for an extra 2 weeks. If I not only walked away from my job, but everyday after I walked up to the CEO and pissed on his front door...I be amazed if he didn't fire me.

Go away unions...just go away.

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SpicyMikeySpicyMikey - 5/16/2008 1:20:13 PM
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agree totally


vladyxavladyxa - 5/16/2008 1:23:59 PM
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That is fair! The situation is already bad for this country, and all these unions can come up with is another strike.

While unemployment is spiking, be happy that you have jobs, and benefits. Many people don't have either one!!!

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TopGearTopGear - 5/16/2008 5:27:59 PM
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Basically GM is saying, "You guys get paid more than Japanese motor worker without working. Buy your own health insurance."


gkearns56gkearns56 - 5/16/2008 1:30:40 PM
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What a bunch of loooooooooosers. My brother worked for Ford Motor for 34 years (retired now). The union continues to protect these auto workers from the "terrible" imports. Build a dang reliable vehicle without all the cladding, rattles, and boring shapes and maybe you wouldn't need a union to save you from the imports taking your jobs. Let them strike!! Fire them like Ronald Regan did with those air traffic controllers; maybe they'll value their jobs then.

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w209w114w209w114 - 5/16/2008 1:55:32 PMView My AgentSpace
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TOTALLY FAIR, and not only fair, but legal as it was stated in their contracts. GMC actually had the right to cancell them as of may 1st but waited 2 extra weeks.

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SteedPubSteedPub - 5/16/2008 2:22:24 PM
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Totally fair. No worky, no bennies. One day the unions are going to realize that they have no place in today's global industrial complex. Though they probably wont realize it until they completely finish driving every single manufacturer over our borders. Talk about a snake eating its own tail.

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tonedef83tonedef83 - 5/16/2008 2:47:49 PM
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There are two ways to look at the situation. It is fair in GM's eyes because they aren't working thus not making them money. But as an employer you have to look at the bigger picture. If you don't meet in the middle of the road with your employees, your turnaround will blow. It will cost more to hire someone new and train them rather than keeping your old staff who know what to do. Then there is word of mouth from ex-employees who can tarnish their reputation. There is good with the bad, you just have to see what is more cost effective. Your employees are also your customers.

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raikkonenraikkonen - 5/16/2008 3:03:25 PM
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Doesn't apply here buddy.

Stupid union has been moving the 'middle of the road' higher and higher up the road every year. Pretty soon, the companies get tired of this whining, unproductive work ethic. Let them all go. Unions die.


DW1968DW1968 - 5/18/2008 5:39:43 PM
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Being fair vs being smart are two different questions here.


simmonsdpsimmonsdp - 5/16/2008 4:49:57 PM
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Why the strike anyway??

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sold2earlysold2early - 5/16/2008 7:04:44 PM
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Unions = legalized extortion.

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izfuneyizfuney - 5/16/2008 8:01:49 PM
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"Stupid fat americans workers.. " - yup , totally unlike the IG Metall union that will cripple Germany if any of its workers in MB / BMW /Opel get laid off. And yea totally unlike VW which is actually owned by the state (Bavaria) to protect workers ..

I totally think unions should be done away with .
I mean what have they contributed ... other than
1) The 5 days workweek
2) Overtime compensation
3) Labor laws
4) A good working environment
5) Health care / insurance for those on the job
6) Worker injury compensation
7) A living wage ..

Yup. lets do away with these terrible Uniions and embrace good ol Walmart wages "7 bucks an hr and a "stick it to the Govt" medicare card".

I mean who needs a 401K, healthcare, middle class living and a chance to college educate your kids .. when you can have some good ol backbreaking work that will kepp you occupied with simple survival for the rest of your life.

And yea ! dont like overtime, working on weekends..There are special "U R Fired Fridays"


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fatboifatboi - 5/16/2008 8:03:16 PM
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a predicted move of a dying company

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2ndbimmer2ndbimmer - 5/17/2008 10:41:04 AM
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fair. get rid of unions all-together and we will have a stronger economy.

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OblivObliv - 5/17/2008 6:41:19 PM
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Should of fired them.

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85bmw745i85bmw745i - 5/17/2008 6:45:38 PMView My AgentSpace
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Fire them, and see if they can find another job paying half of what they make! How can someone so overpaid, be like this. I mean half of them make $30 or more. I bust my ass for about half of that, and I work 7 days a week 12 hr shifts. Get rid of the unions. You know what happens if I don't show up for work? FIRED, know what would happen if we went on strike? FIRED and there would be a now hiring sighn of the office building and an ad on careerbuilder.com that afternoon. What would they do if they all got fired and GM went non union. offer their jobs back with a reasonable salary and then enforce the rules that everyone else with a job has to follow. We'd have a hell of alot more money to develop better cars.

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LJ745LJ745 - 5/17/2008 8:10:05 PM
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You know, the original big three did not lose money and fall behind in the global auto market because of products that did not stand up to the competition...initially that is. When Toyota first came out it really could not compete with the big three. However, with the help of pensions and health care costs for retirees, the big three slowly but surely watched their profits go to paying for retired workers instead of into new facilities, improved manufacturing technology, and R&D. That is why
Toyota won, they had the money to invest in the newest and the best because they weren't weighted down by retiree benefits and tremendous health care costs. The unions will destroy the big three entirely, it is only a matter of time. Agreed, unions in the 1800's were very essential, but they failed to evolve and are now so out-dated that they only cause harm to themselves. This is not 1950's America. The playing field has changed.

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85bmw745i85bmw745i - 5/17/2008 8:42:25 PMView My AgentSpace
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Very true and very well put.


85bmw745i85bmw745i - 5/17/2008 8:43:42 PMView My AgentSpace
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My question is what are the poor $30 an hour people going to do if the union gets dissolved. The domestic auto makers need to get rid of the union. Thanks UAW for making the imports #1.

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simmonsdpsimmonsdp - 5/18/2008 4:39:53 AM
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man,These people are making over $30.00 an hour?? Talking about being spoiled and naive,I guess they just dont know how good they have it.As a full time employee that means they are paid 2080hrs per year x $30.00 is well over $60 k annual salary in a country where everything is 2-3 times cheaper than Europe...they have it made...


wbradd3797wbradd3797 - 5/18/2008 10:59:11 PM
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This just isn't about if Unions are bad or good. This all started back in the 60's when they started giving the unions anything they wanted and back then they didn't have the competition they have nor did they think about the future. So they gave them a good wage and full pay when they retire with full medicial and they would just pass it onto the next CEO well they have done that for going 50 years and they can no longer afford to do it.
Nobody even pointed out that ALL of the big 3 are bigger health care companies than they are car companies.


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