Where Do You Stand? GM vs. UAW In Most Recent Contract Talks

[Yondu]

Here is what irks me. 

 

The CEOs make too much money.

 

The workers are over payed, all things considered. 

 

The trucks are getting lower/cheaper quality while the prices rise.  

 

Only person getting the shaft is the buyers. 

 

Keep the jobs here, pay them reasonable pay (mid 20s for line work).  Stop over paying the CEOs and BUILD BETTER PRODUCTS!!!   Everyone wins.  

 

GM is so stubborn they will always demand their extreme profit levels, so they keep making the products cheaper so they can maintain their lavish lifestyle.  Market share slips... Perhaps if they were more realistic with how much they wanted to make they'd sell more vehicles and then their profits would rise and everyone would be a winner.  

 

Nah, that makes too much sense. 

 

 

 

[Colossus]

So the CEO of GM is getting paid nicely because she is running a good company that is turning a good profit...  Why are people mad at successful CEOs?  Do we want a DICTATORSHIP to determine how much CEOs and other successful people should get paid?   If you are good at what you do, you get to reap the rewards.  She's a CEO, not a factory worker.  if she were a factory worker she would get paid accordingly.   Is GM treating and paying their employees unfairly?  Based upon the info that has been shared, I don't see that they are.  If you want to be a factory worker, go be a factory worker.  If you want to be a CEO, go be a CEO. 

[Yondu]

8 hours ago, Colossus said:

So the CEO of GM is getting paid nicely because she is running a good company that is turning a good profit...  Why are people mad at successful CEOs?  Do we want a DICTATORSHIP to determine how much CEOs and other successful people should get paid?   If you are good at what you do, you get to reap the rewards.  She's a CEO, not a factory worker.  if she were a factory worker she would get paid accordingly.   Is GM treating and paying their employees unfairly?  Based upon the info that has been shared, I don't see that they are.  If you want to be a factory worker, go be a factory worker.  If you want to be a CEO, go be a CEO. 

I don't agree with her doing a good job. I'm disappointed with 80-90% of the products they put out and they're at most competitive, usually slightly less. The market share dropping is proof others agree.  Or maybe some like the products but the fact they're some of the most expensive vehicles in their class while never winning comparisons is enough cause for concern. 

 

It's not just Mary and her 16 million a year (you think that's fair?!?! She didn't start and build the company, she just was a good candidate who happened to fill the "new progressive GM"  look at the time).  It's all the top brass who continue to make idiotic decisions from styling to content to pricing decisions. The ones who would rather build everything anywhere but America but toot the "American Car company!" horn. 

 

 

[Joe98]

11 hours ago, NWI Denali said:

So do the guys who think UAW workers are overpaid at $70k also think Mary Barra is overpaid making $21M? 

$21 M a year .  You’re kidding right ?   Absolutely criminal....

[rbrjr1]

get back to work..

 

if you dont like where you work.. change companies..

[tanner709]

11 minutes ago, rbrjr1 said:

get back to work..

 

if you dont like where you work.. change companies..

Easily said, from someone with options/education/financial stability/no responsibilities... that's not the case for most workers.

[rbrjr1]

10 minutes ago, tanner709 said:

Easily said, from someone with options/education/financial stability/no responsibilities... that's not the case for most workers.

if someone doesn't have employment options in the USA, then they're the one to blame for that.

 

 

[rbrjr1]

1 hour ago, Joe98 said:

$21 M a year .  You’re kidding right ?   Absolutely criminal....

so, you wouldn't take a job that only you (and maybe a handfull of other people) could do for $20M/Yr?

[Mandalorian]

2 hours ago, Yondu said:

I don't agree with her doing a good job. I'm disappointed with 80-90% of the products they put out and they're at most competitive, usually slightly less. The market share dropping is proof others agree.  Or maybe some like the products but the fact they're some of the most expensive vehicles in their class while never winning comparisons is enough cause for concern. 

 

It's not just Mary and her 16 million a year (you think that's fair?!?! She didn't start and build the company, she just was a good candidate who happened to fill the "new progressive GM"  look at the time).  It's all the top brass who continue to make idiotic decisions from styling to content to pricing decisions. The ones who would rather build everything anywhere but America but toot the "American Car company!" horn. 

 

 

 

They're focusing on profit over volume. Most of the cuts to marketshare are the result of slowing down fleet sales. GM used to be the butt of jokes for making mediocre rental cars, they're trying to change that.

[Jack D]

The point that most are missing is how do you compete in the world market, when workers in other countries are willing to work for much less than workers in the US, and they are thankful for their jobs.  UAW workers are paid very well, especially when compared to salaries/benefits of most other blue-collar workers who will never see such perks. Consider that UAW assembly line workers are usually categorized by business experts as "semi-skilled" workers, but receive much higher pay and benefits than the "skilled" trades do. If labor costs are lower, the budget would allow for better features or quality of materials to be used. The same thing applies to the salaries of big business CEO's. For those that say that the workers should get more, and that the company should profit less, you are forgetting that there are stockholders and investors demanding profits. Consider the big picture, accept GM's generous offer, live within your means, and keep your job! Considering the current world business environment, be thankful for the current offer - one that most blue-collar workers would give their right arm for.

[Tom Cox]

Get back to work...I need parts for jingling 2019 Silverado. But, I do agree that Barra isn't doing a good job as CEO. 

 

[Trail Boss 1]

This is purely a political move. The UAW is closely tied to the Democrat party and they desperately need something to move the needle on the economy. UAW contributes to Dems and Dems gave billions in bailouts to the UAW. Never was there a whiff of a strike during the previous administration. curious isn't it.

[Trail Boss 1]

This is purely a political move. The UAW is closely tied to the Democrat party and they desperately need something to move the needle on the economy. UAW contributes to Dems and Dems gave billions in bailouts to the UAW. Never was there a whiff of a strike during the previous administration. curious isn't it.

[Jack D]

One more comment, and then I'm done. The comments by strikers that have been appearing in the news are a slap in the face to just about anyone else holding down a job in this day and age. Most everywhere you look, businesses in every field are understaffed, the workers are asked to do more than their job description calls for, benefits and pay raises are diminishing, there's often mandatory on-call and/or overtime, and pensions are a thing of the past. Opportunities for vacations may be limited to certain times of the year, and you may still be required to take care of your work responsibilities, even while on that vacation. Job security? What is that? If you want security, don't price yourself out of a job.  

 

The public is not siding with GM because they have done a good PR job. The majority of the public are out busting their butts every day, just like UAW workers are. There are literally millions of hard-working people out there with jobs that require a high level of education, along with highly specialized skills, and they can't match current UAW pay or benefits.

 

Our car club just participated in a very large car show this past weekend. The hot topic of conversation at the show was the GM strike, but I didn't hear any sympathy for the workers. Not even from former GM employees. That's due to the fact that just about everyone in today's working world is facing a similar situation, but don't stand a snowballs chance in hell of matching autoworkers salaries. Many said that they would do anything to get a pay and benefit offer like the one GM initially put before the UAW.

[Nanotech Environmental]

17 hours ago, Colossus said:

So the CEO of GM is getting paid nicely because she is running a good company that is turning a good profit...  Why are people mad at successful CEOs?  Do we want a DICTATORSHIP to determine how much CEOs and other successful people should get paid?   If you are good at what you do, you get to reap the rewards.  She's a CEO, not a factory worker.  if she were a factory worker she would get paid accordingly.   Is GM treating and paying their employees unfairly?  Based upon the info that has been shared, I don't see that they are.  If you want to be a factory worker, go be a factory worker.  If you want to be a CEO, go be a CEO. 

I wish it was as simple as that.

IMO, very few CEOs (and others in the C-suite) are deserving of their pay packets. This includes MB at GM. 
The bigger problem is how the salary decision making process has become so corrupted over the past 50 years. The whole thing is a very shitty situation and annually steals a lot of money from shareholders. A lot of money.

 

In a rough nutshell, it's like this (more or less):
Keep in mind that almost all CEO's and C-suite members are sociopathic. Often very much so. So are the board members.

Generally, C-suite candidates hire compensation consultants. Many companies do as well. These consultants sorta work along a similar vein as a union negotiator would. They continually ratchet up the salaries via the leapfrog method; Companies B, C and D are paying X, so our candidate is worth X+1.
However, there is a wrinkle; The board has a compensation committee who works thru this process and the whole board ultimately decides on the salary packages. Many of the board members are often asked to join the company by the CEO- see the conflict here? 
They also use stock options and other 'compensation' and/or 'perk' packages as way to really scam the shareholders and grease the pockets of the CEOs etc. This process is littered with all kinds of legal scams.
Then, there's the hidden scams...........(ie. if a large company announces a significant gift/donation to a 'charity', be very suspicious) 
They take advantage of the fact that most public companies are very widely held and nobody has effective control.

When one understands how the whole thing works, it's really quite sickening.

Being a CEO of GM is a tough and demanding job. It's not anywhere near 21m/yr tough. No CEO deserves more than about 50x average bottom worker salary, unless they started the company with their own money and still hold a lot of stock. (But only in certain circumstances)

 

Edited September 17, 2019 by Nanotech Environmental