UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement

[NextTruck]

I worked at McD's in HS and into college in the 80's. I worked hard, took it seriously, did whatever was asked. Became a trainer in the first couple months, then went to Hamburger U Basic Ops training and became a swing manager around HS graduation. I will tell you that the McD's I see now are a far cry from what they were when I worked there. And yes, Crew jobs were happily filled by HS workers, those working through college, retired folks, and those looking to advance there and make a career out of it. No one was there, outside of management, to support a family of four. Not what it was intended for.

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[NextTruck]

Essentially you have just validated the inequality problem. If the poorer people were paid more, they would then have to pay taxes and have some skin in the game. Instead the wealthy are happy to keep them below the line and out of the dialog, using hate and anger to wind them up when it suits their purpose.

The wealthy or the policy makers who control the hand outs making it possible for more and more to be (and exist) below the poverty line?

 

[Barracuda340]

What I find to be a real kick in the pants is that Aviation maintenance is not even concidered skilled labor. I'd beg to differ especially on the sheetmetal repair end of things. But yes, yes let's pay people a whole lot of money to assemble automobiles with them doing the same exact repetitive job every day.

 

[2lbgill]

My thoughts on this. I think someone screwing a car together should get decent pay, but let's be realistic about this. All that $40 an hour is going to do is offshore more of the domestic manufacturing to mexico. Case in point, GMs legacy costs add roughly $7,000 to each vehicle currently made. So let's say I'm 18 and get a job for GM sticking carpets in Buicks. I do that for 20 years and retire with medical bennies and a pension till I die. I can walk out of there at 38 years old, done my 20. GM is obligated to pay that pension till I croak. Sounds like a sweet deal if you ask me. Those pensions are the legacy costs. People live into their 70s and 80s now.

Full size pickup trucks are now between $50k to $100K. Plus the 16% - 18% interest rates on borrowers, and these vehicles will not sell. They sure as hell arent going to sell when the prices get hiked even higher to cover these costs. This will eventually force cut backs on the lines and plant closures. Not to mention dealers doing fire sales all the time to ditch the unsold iron. This works short term, but long term your dealer network dies out. Specifically the smaller dealerships in the smaller towns. This forces people to either drive to a bigger city to get their vehicle or just buy whatever else is local because of necessary maintenance and warranty. I call this killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

I live in Texas, or fly over country as its known to you east and west coasters. Sometimes the distance to the next town with a dealership is 1.5 to 2 hour drive one way. Most people are not going to do that. They will buy what's local. And that's how you lose your nameplate presence and dealership network in small towns.

But hey maybe the japanese will buy them shuttered U.S. plants to make more Tokyo Tonkas here. I bet they will be non union then. I tend to maintain and keep my vehicles a looooong time. I'm still driving my 94 silverado i also bought new, and that's pushing 30 years now. I'm 55 and both this maverick and my wifes impala are payed off. I will maintain them both for the next 20 years. No need for anymore cars for us. Good luck with your future plant closings UAW. Your gonna need it.

Ford Strike is over! Latest News!

The Privilege manipulate everything and everyone to stay privileged. And many millions think that's okay.

 

[BluegrassNbass]

I know where I stand in regards to politics, and I'm not a fan of Ole Sniffer. But I will say this, the mods on this site will squash this thread like a bug if it gets out of hand. I got 2 strikes already. One more I get kicked out. I like the MTC and dont want to get kicked out. Though I wish there was some way i can lose the 2 strikes through being a good boy for 12 months.

High 5....same boat as you.

 

[OXHB619]

I live in Texas, or fly over country as its known to you east and west coasters. Sometimes the distance to the next town with a dealership is 1.5 to 2 hour drive one way. Most people are not going to do that. They will buy what's local. And that's how you lose your nameplate presence and dealership network in small towns.

I am in Texas in a city over 350k, and still drove 8 hours to find an honest dealer . I will remember both of the local dealers when the tables turn and they can't move vehicles on their lots. One is Autonation, but I think their level of honesty varies a lot dealer to dealer, the other is Sames, they were absolute dogshit, my order there never showed, it was placed late and they never did a rollover order.

Honestly this may be my first and only new vehicle, only reason I considered it was the used market being awful and the Maverick being a great value. Not sure how that will look in the next few years.

 

[The Cyber Orange Guy.]

Agreed. I live by that mantra. My grandfather was a local banker. He explained to me how loans and interest worked. And how to make it work for my advantage not the bank. He also told me that life is like a shit sandwich. The more bread you have, the less shit you have to eat.

You sir just showed me my new favorite analogy.

In other point, I'm glad your grandfather educated you maybe because he was wise or because he worked on the banks, but that's not the history for lots and lots of the rest, specifically for ppl who had Noone to educate them or to emulate. I also lived like I'm broke most of my life, It was easy because I was actually broke, neither my mom or my pop knew how to manage money, my father did everything almost right, but after he divorced my mom he brought a house got 3 more kids lived with his wife for 20+ years got divorced again gave the house to the ex now in his 70's and renting. Stupid yes, but what can I say ?

We can plan and do everything almost perfect but life can play us tricks like you or your partner get sick and suddenly you cannot afford your place or your meds.

I was long time under, did everything right but couldn't go up in the latter, it took me like 15 years of so much pain that today still could make me cry, thanks God i have a great family and we helped each other and now we're way better, but it took a village.

Completely agree that poor decisions keep and make ppl poor, but sometimes the circumstances are way out of their control.

 

[Timothyd]

High 5....same boat as you.

Me too! On my best behavior.

 

[TheGoodEgg]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...tive-deal-with-union-sources-say/71318908007/

Happy workers do a better job and are more productive.

EDIT: I see this news has already been posted but can't figure out how to delete this thread.

There is some evidence that more money != "happiness"

In fact, there is some evidence to show that high earners are more likely to be unhappy.

 

[Barracuda340]

I am in Texas in a city over 350k, and still drove 8 hours to find an honest dealer . I will remember both of the local dealers when the tables turn and they can't move vehicles on their lots. One is Autonation, but I think their level of honesty varies a lot dealer to dealer, the other is Sames, they were absolute dogshit, my order there never showed, it was placed late and they never did a rollover order.

Honestly this may be my first and only new vehicle, only reason I considered it was the used market being awful and the Maverick being a great value. Not sure how that will look in the next
few years.

I got mine through Granger in Iowa, but then again a 1 way ticket to DesMoines was free for me. Plus I dont ever normally buy a vehicle unless I'm getting a good deal. $3k off MSRP was just such a deal. The exception was that my local dealer sold me my 2007 Mustang GT at MSRP, but then again that was 3rd year of that body style and rebates were not necessary to move the iron on that. Plus it was a divorce gift that I bought for me. I honestly didnt care what it cost.

I was originally pricing an XL AWD 4K with in cab 120V power inverter to buy locally. For the same price, I ordered an XLT with the same options at Granger. I just had to spend a day flying out, and drive 890 miles back to Texas with it. Abilene is about 120K people which is enough to support a local dealer, but when the wife and I road trip to Fredericksburg, I pass a tiny Ford dealer in Coleman that has maybe 8 vehicles on their lot, and another in Brady that is even smaller than that. These are the little guys that will go under with the jacked up vehicles costs. They wont be able to compete. The survivors will be the bigger places like the massive Ford dealer in Weatherford Texas on I-20, but only because it's very close to Ft Worth and a whole lot more people.

 

[Barracuda340]

You sir just showed me my new favorite analogy.

In other point, I'm glad your grandfather educated you maybe because he was wise or because he worked on the banks, but that's not the history for lots and lots of the rest, specifically for ppl who had Noone to educate them or to emulate. I also lived like I'm broke most of my life, It was easy because I was actually broke, neither my mom or my pop knew how to manage money, my father did everything almost right, but after he divorced my mom he brought a house got 3 more kids lived with his wife for 20+ years got divorced again gave the house to the ex now in his 70's and renting. Stupid yes, but what can I say ?

We can plan and do everything almost perfect but life can play us tricks like you or your partner get sick and suddenly you cannot afford your place or your meds.

I was long time under, did everything right but couldn't go up in the latter, it took me like 15 years of so much pain that today still could make me cry, thanks God i have a great family and we helped each other and now we're way better, but it took a village.

Completely agree that poor decisions keep and make ppl poor, but sometimes the circumstances are way out of their control.

I agree. We have had our shares of ups and downs in my household. Sometimes I would get to wondering why everything seems to happen to me, but in reality everyone is dealing with their own shit sandwiches called life. I could go into it with the issues I had to deal with, and times where I would work 60 hour weeks to keep my head above water, but people would never believe it. Through all of it, i stayed the course as best as i could. Honestly these days, I find my inner peace by doing stuff that makes my wife happy, spending time with my youngest kid who has not turned into a crappy teenager yet, and enjoying the company of our 2 spoiled house cats,

 

[Barracuda340]

And in turn for the bail outs, they commit to things like vehicle electrification that only "survives" with federal money. Same with diesel gate at VW. The are pledging to be all electric in the near future. Strange change in philosophy - a short number of years ago, all about diesel, and now they are all for electric. EPA must have been part of that to keep them in business.

Full electrification is the biggest boondoggle I have seen yet. Electric motorcycles for commuting or small shit boxes for commuting. This is where full electrification can be an ideal solution. Additionally for other bigger vehicles, I think hybrids are the way to go honestly. Ford is losing their shirt on that useless Lightning electric truck. Who wants to pay $100k for a pickup that cant tow more than 100 miles before needing a charge. The silverado EV does a little better but still not the range I'd want. Plus all the electrical fires you see from EVs that are extremely hard to put out. I am betting a majority of our elected shit heads in DC have money invested in EVs and EV batteries and this is why they are pushing it so hard. I would venture to say "follow the money" it usually leads to the culprits.

 

[NextTruck]

Full electrification is the biggest boondoggle I have seen yet. Electric motorcycles for commuting or small shit boxes for commuting. This is where full electrification can be an ideal solution. Additionally for other bigger vehicles, I think hybrids are the way to go honestly. Ford is losing their shirt on that useless Lightning electric truck. Who wants to pay $100k for a pickup that cant tow more than 100 miles before needing a charge. The silverado EV does a little better but still not the range I'd want. Plus all the electrical fires you see from EVs that are extremely hard to put out. I am betting a majority of our elected shit heads in DC have money invested in EVs and EV batteries and this is why they are pushing it so hard. I would venture to say "follow the money" it usually leads to the culprits.

The environmental benefits are hugely suspect in the entire picture, and then there is the human abuses to obtain many of the materials used for batteries (ie cobalt from the Congo.) I have a moral issue with that.

 

[fossil]

There is some evidence that more money != "happiness"

don't know about more happiness but I will attest to less stress.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I dont watch sports, therefore I dont contribute to that problem. My hobbies involve restoring antique Chrysler cars, G scale model trains and playing with HO scale slot cars.

Sports are nothing but a diversion tactic that the government uses to their advantage. The Romans did it as well. The Huns are bashing down the gates, oh it's all good, just go to the games, be happy, be well, watch the Christians get eaten by lions. Nothing to see here.

I have noticed on I-27 near Canyon Texas an exit labeled "Hungate Road" which I believe leads to a gate that the Huns used to leave Texas!

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