Auto Industry Bailout Bill

The average wage (pay+value of health coverage, etc) of American auto workers was around $75+ dollars an hour, while the domestic (within the US) makers of Japanese cars make around 35+ dollars an hour. While it may seem that that is good, both the quality and the profit margins for the cars were far better with the Japanese cars than the American cars dragged and mainly made profits on large SUVs and Trucks (whose sales were tanked due to very high gas prices).

The actual cost. It breaks down like this.

The average wage of an US auto worker is $55, which is pay + benefits. They only take home $40 an hour and $15 an hour for benefits. The other $15 of the $70 is the retiree cost, divided by the number of current workers, then divided by an hour. So the retiree cost is $15 an hour per current employee.

The average Toyato employee gets $45 an hour from pay and benefits (They have less generous benefits). Toyota's US plants are relatively new that they do not have the amount of retirees as the big 3. So in the end, the big 3 and foreign automakers employees make about the same amount of money.

The actual cost. It breaks down like this.

The average wage of an US auto worker is $55, which is pay + benefits. They only take home $40 an hour and $15 an hour for benefits. The other $15 of the $70 is the retiree cost, divided by the number of current workers, then divided by an hour. So the retiree cost is $15 an hour per current employee.

The average Toyato employee gets $45 an hour from pay and benefits (They have less generous benefits). Toyota's US plants are relatively new that they do not have the amount of retirees as the big 3. So in the end, the big 3 and foreign automakers employees make about the same amount of money.

"Only" take home $40 an hour + $15 an hour for benefits?! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't 40 dollars + benefits a fuucking LOT? College graduates don't even make that much coming out of school, and (again correct me if I am wrong,) I was under the impression that you don't need a college degree to work at the Ford assembly lines.

"Only" take home $40 an hour + $15 an hour for benefits?! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't 40 dollars + benefits a fuucking LOT? College graduates don't even make that much coming out of school, and (again correct me if I am wrong,) I was under the impression that you don't need a college degree to work at the Ford assembly lines.

That's why people blame the unions for the failure of the big three. I met someone who used to be a janitor at the Ford plant in Virginia (where I live) before it was shut down. He made over $20 an hour pay........ to sweep the pineappleing floors.

It's funny how I see the Union members and especially the president, on the news everyday acting like they're the good guys in all of this. Honestly I think we should let all 3 of them go bankrupt. It's their own damn fault.

"Only" take home $40 an hour + $15 an hour for benefits?! Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't 40 dollars + benefits a fuucking LOT? College graduates don't even make that much coming out of school, and (again correct me if I am wrong,) I was under the impression that you don't need a college degree to work at the Ford assembly lines.

I agree that it is a lot, but it's not as much as it is made out to be. The workers do not get paid $70 an hour. That is the total cost for employees, retirees, and all their benefits broken down to an hourly rate.

I think they are getting paid way too much though. My uncle, who currently works for GM, lied on his application about having a high school diploma (which he still does not have). All he does is get drunk and do whatever it is he is paid to do at GM (drinking contest with other employees I assume), so I don't think him or any other employee deserves that kind of pay. I think they should be paid $22 an hour tops with benefits... they should also do some work too and not get drunk on the job.

If they all go bankrupt, most of the state of Michigan will be unemployed. It's not that simple. What the companies need is someone to regulate them until they can get their crap together and prove they won't screw up again.

Edit: Back in the day you didn't need a degree to work for the big 3. My dad got hired into GM in the 60's with just a high school diploma. He made it all the way up to being vice pres of his division and this was corporate, not the plant.

I know someone that works at the GM plant in Pontiac, MI and all he does is spend his day at the bar around the corner getting drunk. Kind of a shame actually.

I agree that it is a lot, but it's not as much as it is made out to be. The workers do not get paid $70 an hour. That is the total cost for employees, retirees, and all their benefits broken down to an hourly rate.

I think they are getting paid way too much though. My uncle, who currently works for GM, lied on his application about having a high school diploma (which he still does not have). All he does is get drunk and do whatever it is he is paid to do at GM (drinking contest with other employees I assume). I think they should be paid $22 an hour tops with benefits... they should also do some work too and not get drunk on the job.

that was his hourly pay though. Not including benefits or anything. I went to school for 2 years to learn how to work on cars, I make $13 an hour. That idiot without a diploma or anything, was almost making double as me to mop floors. Getting a job at an auto plant was like winning the lottery. All you have to do on an assembly line is screw in a tail light all day and you take home 70 grand a year. It's complete bull shiet

that was his hourly pay though. Not including benefits or anything. I went to school for 2 years to learn how to work on cars, I make $13 an hour. That idiot without a diploma or anything, was almost making double as me to mop floors. Getting a job at an auto plant was like winning the lottery. All you have to do on an assembly line is screw in a tail light all day and you take home 70 grand a year. It's complete bull shiet

Funny thing that. My Aunt worked in a Visteon auto supplies plant. She made about $25 on the line before benefits, with ~20 years seniority. Ironically, it's a good thing she filed for medical retirement when she did. Pink slips are not fun when you're in your 50's. Base pay right now I believe is $14 starting wage. What they've been doing recently is offering retirement packages, and hiring new folks in to cut costs while still giving a handjob to the UAW.

Anyway, working on a line isn't quite as easy as one would think. Imagine picking up a bottlecap and bottle. Now imagine fastening the cap onto the bottle. Next, take the completed bottle to the next room from where you are now. Come back, and repeat this mind numbing process for 3-4 hours until break. Did I mention in total they weigh 50 Lbs? Oh, and make sure you bring water. It gets up to 120 Farenheit in there thanks to the bottle machines.

Congratulations. You are making DOORS! Wow!

Also the unemployment rate is horrible around here. I can't even get a job cleaning Burger King toilets. Personally I'm for this bailout as long as a competent person/staff oversees the restructuring and union negotiations.

If they all go bankrupt, most of the state of Michigan will be unemployed. It's not that simple. What the companies need is someone to regulate them until they can get their crap together and prove they won't screw up again.

Edit: Back in the day you didn't need a degree to work for the big 3. My dad got hired into GM in the 60's with just a high school diploma. He made it all the way up to being vice pres of his division and this was corporate, not the plant.

I know someone that works at the GM plant in Pontiac, MI and all he does is spend his day at the bar around the corner getting drunk. Kind of a shame actually.

If my dad was vice president of corporate, I'd woop his ass for making the american auto industry fail and giving into the unions stupid demands. Then i'd tell him to fire the dumbass who's getting drunk at work.

It's no damn wonder american car quality sucks. They're all drunk when they're installing the cupholders and gloveboxes.

If my dad was vice president of corporate, I'd woop his ass for making the american auto industry fail and giving into the unions stupid demands. Then i'd tell him to fire the dumbass who's getting drunk at work.

It's no damn wonder american car quality sucks. They're all drunk when they're installing the cupholders and gloveboxes.

In all fairness, I don't think Katie's dad really has that much influence over his company. Even an upper-management figure must conform to the status quo to avoid being fired, and he's probably been more concerned about making a living than about making a statement that would probably get him fired.