[quote author="freedomCM" date=1226629689][quote author="no_vaseline" date=1226617788]And if you look at what they are doing in the new South, they build cars for about $22 an hour - all costs included.
The cheapest place to build cars on the planet is in the USA - but not Detroit. It's in formerly Confederate southern states.</blockquote>
NoVas, what do you think their hourly costs will be in 30 years, when they have a full age spectrum workforce?
It is easy to have low costs when all of your employees have only 5 years seniority, are young and healthy, and your part of their retirement contributions is low. Excluding the retiree benefits of the Big3, I don't know how different it will be.</blockquote>
I don't know, but considering that they don't have an employer provided pension or 100% employer funded health care program, it would have to be less than what the UAW deal is now. I am quite aware of the connumdrum caused by leagacy costs. The UAW issue is not the same as the airline issue - the UAW got hog fat in the early 1990s and is about to get slaughtered for thier trouble.
The UAW and the big three have a symbiotic relationship with each other. The UAW is unwilling to make the consessions it needs to allow the big three to survive, and thus has decided to haul the industry into bustoville. The UAW feels it's memebership has given up plenty and sees no reason to give any more. They flat don't trust managment at the big three. They never have.
This is the biggest argument for nationalized health care there is. And an even bigger one for allowing private pensions to be habitually underfunded.