Unions and the Auto Industry.

I used to work with the Industry and most people don't know how many businesses are linked with cars: Nuts, bolts, carpets, vinyl, leather, paint, chemicals, accessories, etc.

Every year Unions with clout would go on strike. One year just before the brand new cars came out, when excitement was high, the Truckers Union refused to deliver them to the dealers until they got more money and benefits. They got everything they wanted and other Unions lined up behind them. The time delay hurt hundreds of thousands of businesses.

It doesn't surprise me that they're operating in the red when car sales are down. Foreign cars don't have the accumulated years wage, benefits and retirement back pay that the Big 3 have been straddled with. So I don't see how they’ll get out of this mess with any kind of Bail Out or Loan, with Union Monkeys on their back.

Maybe if they do file Bankruptcy, they could renegotiate those wage and retirement packages, including their CEO’s, to be more in line with today’s economy. Otherwise the workers may lose it all.

After witnessing Union techniques similar to the Mafia who founded them; fear, manipulation and crisis, it’s possible that Union Lobbyists are the force behind the Bailouts. Another good example is California’s overbloated State Workers Unions, who’ve become the real power behind Government.

I may not be as well off as others, but I chose early in life never to serve a Union because I couldn't stomach the fact that people could get a raise walking out of their jobs with threats. We have State and Federal Labor laws to protect workers.

Unions don't seem to allow the flexibility for the ebb and flow of economies and it may be overtime to get rid of them or at least lessen their grip, especially politically. It's not surprising it's all come to a head.

Olga Hermann