Holding the Auto Industry Hostage to Anti-Union Animus

I am outraged that Congressional Republicans, led by multimillionaire Rep. Bob Corker of Tennessee, would hold America's automobile industry hostage to their anti-union animus. By demanding that United Auto Workers' members accept non-union wages as the price for their support of bridge loans to the Big 3 automakers, Rep. Corker and his colleagues have stooped to a new low in sacrificing the nation's economic recovery to their anti-union ideology.

They are willing to help the rich traders on Wall Street who do nothing but push paper. But they have declared class warfare against workers who actually make things and add value to our nation. A rising ship lifts all boats and union wages prop up nonunion wages. When union wages sink, the only place for nonunion pay to go is down. Rep. Corker and his fellow-travelers want nothing less than a race to the bottom in wages for American workers.

I came up the hard way and today I am the CEO of a major American insurance company. But unlike Rep. Corker, I have never forgotten where I come from and what it means to live from pay check to pay check. American Income Life Insurance Company is 100 percent all-union. We are proud that we pay fair wages and benefits negotiated with our employees at the collective bargaining table. We would never expect our employees to work for the lowest wage possible.

Our nation will never experience an economic recovery if the wages of American workers are forced lower and lower as Rep. Corker and his allies want. They shed crocodile tears for American taxpayers while pursuing a policy to punish Michigan and the Auto Workers for their political support of President-elect Obama. They are as phony as the words that come out of their mouths.

I've never been a fan of President Bush, but I congratulate him for standing behind America's auto industry. We support and encourage him to allocate a portion of the bailout money for Wall Street to help Main Street. Hopefully, the auto industry can survive until the new Congress and President Obama take office and we can rid ourselves of the anti-union haters in Congress.

Voters sent a clear signal on Nov. 7 that they want the culture wages to end. But Rep. Corker and his pals haven't gotten the message. Our nation needs to strengthen the ties that bind us, not yank the ropes that pull us apart.

Read More:
Should the Government Bail Out the Big Three U.S. Automakers? HuffPost Bloggers Weigh In

Comments

[tompoe]

What Bush has done, is to position taxpayer dollars to the auto industry that enables them to move everything overseas, and import all but a token few cars into the United States. This will enable the auto industry to then engage their, as Bush likes to put it, "orderly" bankruptcy. You know, the game where corporations wipe out unions, and pocket huge golden parachutes for themselves. Now, I admit, Bush didn't say what will happen. We'll have to wait. In the meantime, let's wish all those 150,000 laid off workers a merry xmas, and let's wish all those 1.5 million suppliers the very best in their search for new jobs.

[Zwytek]

The auto industry is in serious trouble and the options for saving some of our nations largest employers are dire at best. Roger's points regarding fair wages for workers, union and non-union alike are well stated. Workers do deserve a fair wage for their work and should not be the sole group called upon time and again to sacrifice and giveback that for which they have worked so hard to earn.

Management and too many of our political leaders are out of touch and lack a fundamental understanding of the effect of a workers wages on the economy. It is time for a change. However, one needs to examine this bloggers actions and not just words. One of Labors' mottos is "Be Union Buy Union, Buy American". Applied to a discussion of the auto industry that translates to buying an American car. Mr. Smith says he grew up the hard way and has not forgotten where he came from. Yet has Mr. Smith forgotten the manufacturing origin of cars in his garage? Last time I checked Porsche is not one of the Big 3 Auto Companies.

We need to support workers, protect their wages and ensure America's working families can afford to purchase the very products they manufacture. But we need leaders who are willing to do more than talk the talk, they must be willing to walk the walk as well.

[Jarun]

Unions and Corporations are just two sides of the same special interest coin. The interest of the vast majority of Americans is served NEITHER by special favors for the UAW or Big 3 executives/investors. Unions, in and of themselves, ARE a desirable part of the free market. However, Unions are essentially corporations of labor, and must be held to the same market test as the corporations of capital. Therefore, when unions overstep their bounds and demand salaries and benefits which cause inefficiencies, the parties which agreed to such a contract (the union workers and the automaker investors/companies), must suffer the consequences of making a bad decision just like ordinary Americans. Remember the Unions represent THEIR own members, AGAINST the interest of the vast majority of people who might like to work in such a protected industry. So as someone who believes in democracy, and as a Democrat, there is no reason to support monopoly power of either unions or corporations.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

Bernard Madoff has done far more harm to the US economy than the UAW

[Biffmeister]

To the union naysayers, please read this gentleman's bio. This how America can work when business and labor work together.

Mr. Smith is correct. The Republican Senators are trying to bust the UAW when they know that's not the problem. That the Republicans would risk this fragile economy via the exponentially devastating consequences of a big three failure is stunningly un American and self serving. The worker's wages are not the problem, mathematically or otherwise.

Mr. Smith, could you be talked into running an auto manufacturing company?
Thank you for this post. My hat is off to you.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Well said.

And here I am thinking Roger Smith DID run an auto company. ;-)

[MadeInAmerica]

What happened on Nov. 7?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Wages of sin?

[eztempo]

The South, as a region, is the least educated, lowest paid, has the highest infant mortality -- and has the least organized labor force. These Southern Senators, rather than raising up their States' standard of living and quality of life, would rather bring the rest of the U.S. down to their level!

I swear, if the South had prevailed in the War Between the States, the United States would have TWO impoverished Third World countries on our southern border.

[dfranz]

They may have had a real point to make had it not been for the fact that they are in the back pockets of the foreign auto companies in their states. They are so blinded by their failed ideology that they are willing to put the entire country at risk of a complete melt down. I guess it never occured to them that if everyone's unemployed no one will be able to buy foreign cars either.

[moonwatcher]

This morning I read that new polls on MSNBC show the majority of Americans don't support the loans to the Big Three. I certainly hope we have a leader who listens to his economic advisers instead of the masses. Remember it was the masses that brought us Bush the second term and cheered as we invaded Iraq. Just once I would like a leader who does what is best for the country. From watching Bush the last eight years, I figure the masses are pretty stupid.

[SpeakWithoutInterruption]

Maybe the real question is - should we have started with the bailouts in the first place? Where does it end? Who has to give up something and who gives up nothing?

[Biffmeister]

The original bailout should have been used to help rank and file workers, home owners, small businesses, etc. I didn't like the Wall Street bailout either, but it was the way it was handled that is the problem.

The auto loan is a loan and it worked before and will work again. Car companies world wide are having difficulties and their respective governments are helping them. So must we.