Your assertion that the workers are unskilled reveals that you know zero about the subject. FYI, I am not a UAW member, nor have I been, but if you pay attention you might learn something.

Regardless of your desire to reduce this issue to soundbite length, you don't seem to be aware that the general job classification for assembly plant workers is skilled trades.

The only unskilled labor in these plants are the cleaning crews, security guards and the people that drive the new cars off the end of the line. The balance of the unskilled and repetitive tasks were subject to automation during the 1980's. The bulk of the jobs that remain for human workers are jobs too complex for automation because complex judgements must be made by the worker. Being capable of making multiple decisions in furtherence of a task pretty much defines skilled worker does it not?

Furthermore, productivity among US autoworkers outpaces any in the rest of the world outside of Germany, where they are paid even higher wages than in the US.

Wages in China may be 1/10 of those in US plants, however if it takes 10 times as many people to get the work done, how is that an advantage? Are you aware that outside of Japan's focus industries, that Japanese productivity is only 70% of the same industry in the US? That means that for every 10 people needed to staff a hotel in Japan, in the US only 7 people are required to do the same work.

When you assume that auto workers are unskilled, you ignore the fact that you would be unable to complete a single job on the line without extensive training. In addition, all the technicians and analysts with college degrees that are required to keep these plants running are also UAW workers. Vibration analysts, abrasive specialists, industrial automation repair technicians, electricians, electronics techs capable of board level repairs, finish specialists that fill and smooth welds by hand with hot babbit, mechanical techs, millrights, and a host of other skilled trades make up the bulk of the workforce these days. In the manufacturing plants where the parts are made, the work is even more technical. How many of these jobs can you perform?

The reason why these companies are struggling has everything to do with management failures, and little to do with unions. The bad old days of confrontational union leadership when Walter Reuther ran the UAW were over before you were born, unless you are older that 37yr old. The UAW currently cooperates closely with the companies, handles much of the job training functions, and they even joinly sponsor sporting events like NASCAR races.

If you would like me to detail where management has failed regarding product planning and financial and staffing decisions, I would be happy to do so, but even an outline summary would be 50 pages long. The bottom line is that if you make enough wrong decisions, miss enough opportunies and treat you customers capriciously long enough, your business will do poorly.

oc