Frank on Auto Bailouts and Income Inequality
Monday, November 24, 2008 at 2:30 pm
As congressional lawmakers debate whether America’s automakers deserve an emergency cash infusion, a central point of contention has been the relationship between the powerful autoworkers union and Detroit’s failed business model. In a sentence: Many Republicans argue that the platinum pension and health-care benefits enjoyed by workers have made the Big Three unable to compete with foreign companies, who aren’t burdened with the same expenses.
The thinking is that if the union isn’t willing to cede some of these benefits as part of a larger bailout strategy, then Republicans will be unlikely to support it.
But Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, voiced concerns yesterday about a plan that would cut workers’ incomes.
“The union to its credit did just renegotiate the contract and new workers are going to take less,” Frank told CNN. “But frankly, I think there’s already been too much income inequality in this country to give them a tool to start undercutting what people already have.”
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger has wondered why critics of a Detroit bailout didn’t ask similar concessions from workers of bailed-out Wall Street firms, according to reports.
“Let’s go to AIG, Bear Stearns, active and retired workers: Did anybody go in and ask them to give back wages and benefit levels?” Gettelfinger said on WDIV-TV in Detroit. “What about the bond traders? Did anybody ask them? What about the cleaners in the building? Why would the UAW be any different?”
Democrats hope to take up legislation next month to help Detroit survive the downturn. If one side doesn’t give on the workers’ pay issue, however, it won’t likely move very far.
10 Comments
Comment posted November 24, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
Great, I don't have a pension, and minimal health benifits, but the UAW wants to take MY money and give it to a bunch of people who already get paid WAY more than me. Why would have to support those jerks who sucked their own company dry? Ummm, maybe they should get rid of the labor pool and stop paying people NOT to work? The UAW abused their power and killed the goose, now they want to siphon from tax payers. What jerks….
Any bailout for any business is a bad idea. It's not the governments job to take risk out of the system. Risk and the resulting consequences of taking too much are necessary. The UAW is seeing the result of the financial risk they put on the big three, not the american auto industry. The US auto industry will just fine without them.
Comment posted November 24, 2008 @ 8:21 pm
Gettelfinger is out of touch with reality. The UAW destroyed the big 3. When people on wallstreet get a pink slip, they don't go to a jobs bank for lifetime paychecks and benefits. Without drastic concessions from the UAW, the big 3 will never be profitable. Taxpayers don't want to give their money to support failing companies and the UAW outrageous wages and benefits. If a company can't turn a profit, there is no reason for them to exist. The big 3 haven't turned a profit in years. UAW workers are greedy and were overpaid for decades. Its time they learned how the rest of America's workers have it.
Comment posted December 12, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
The UAW didn't destroy anything. The big 3 are being forced to compete with companies who don't have to cover healthcare and retirement costs because THEIR GOVERNMENT PICKS UP THE TAB FOR THESE THINGS.
If we get single payer healthcare and strengthen the OASDI and make gov't sponsored IRA's more viable, and the Big 3 STILL FAIL, then you can let the market have its way.
Comment posted December 13, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
Our politicians are saying that the hard working Americans must get pay cut !
Is it okay to spend money in order to get elected or Re-elected ?
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080401_a_…
Comment posted December 15, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
so quick to believe Republican LIES. Union members do NOT make anywhere near $65/hr. the GOP claims. The calculations they use to magically come up with that figure is VERY SKEWED and has been disproven, HET they continue to tell that bold faced LIE. The GOP would love nothing more than to break the backs of American workers. PERIOD. They LOVE high unemployment…they can cut their workforce, pay less all while paying themselves even more!
Comment posted January 1, 2009 @ 3:07 pm
Unions already drove out most of the manufacturing jobs in this country, but that's not good enough I guess. They'll be happy when the auto industry folds too.
As for Barney Frank and his “income inequality” nonsense…give me a break. This isn't a communist country, you socialist dolt, although it may be in the next four years.
If you get a better job, you make more money. Simple formula. And by the way, didn't Congress just give themselves a raise? They make more than twice the average American already. Doesn't Comrade Frank care about that?
Liberals are hypocritical liars. If they really cared about all this socialist crap, they would all work for at MOST the median income of their constituents. They don't. They would use the Social Security system they require us to pay into. They don't. They would send their kids to the same failing public dropout factories they make us pay for. They don't.
It's all a bunch of lies.
http://poorrepublican.today.com/
Comment posted January 12, 2009 @ 1:35 am
Debt adds unnecessary expense and risks to your personal finances. In a general economic downturn, when investments will lose value and be sold at a discount to intrinsic value, you are more likely to become unemployed. If you cannot secure debt financing, you may be forced to liquidate your investments and retirement funds at a discount, a position you do not want to be in. I have been getting considerably depressed over legislatures deciding against payday loans and our current economy. It seems like industries in every corner are in need of emergency cash as the unemployment rate continues to rise. Therefore, I decided to go on a search for something that offers hope. Apparently, the recession somehow provides increased profits to some industries such as discount, retail and fast food. Particularly, places with dollar menus are doing very well. There is hope for the better. If you are tired of listening to the same depressing story, find out which industry is thriving economically and why they are not in need of emergency cash on the payday loans blog.
Comment posted February 8, 2009 @ 4:05 am
Well, the unions all over the world have to realize that they learn to adjust to tough economic times or perish soon!
Comment posted February 28, 2009 @ 2:39 am
It would cost about $100 billion to rescue the Big Three auto makers. This amount is more than five times the amount of loans the car makers have already received. And the burden will come on taxpayers – that too in the times of recession.
Comment posted February 28, 2009 @ 10:39 am
It would cost about $100 billion to rescue the Big Three auto makers. This amount is more than five times the amount of loans the car makers have already received. And the burden will come on taxpayers – that too in the times of recession.
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