Dave's Anti-Union Adventure

I love Dave Mendoza - he knows it - and if anyone lays their hands on him, they'll answer to me. This admission aside....Dave, what the heck?!??

Just received his "look at how bad the UAW is" email and need to comment on its anti-union slant. As I've said with other "news" reporters on RBC and recruiting related sites, sometimes you have to click on the links and check the sources. Here goes!

Dave-O sends an open "I hate unions and this is why" email that speaks to this story. The facts in this are that the story was presented in early September 2008 by Motor Trend's online site. It was picked up by many a conservative organization such as the CNS News whose parent organization is the Media Research Center; MRC's Chairman is the famed ultra right winger, Brent Bozell, self appointed media watchdog.

The main source in the Fox story is from the Center for Union Facts, one of Rick Berman's front groups "that defend his corporate clients' interests by attacking their critics, allowing his paying clients to remain out of public view." Berman has always refused to identify the sources of funding.

Naturally, the Michelle Malkin's of the conservative news media love this stuff. She cherry picks some financial performance data gleaned from a Detroit Free Press article that somehow is no longer at the DFP site but is available here.

Oh, and the UAW doesn't run the golf course; it was set up as a for profit organnization with for profit leadership.

From the conservatives' viewpoints this is all shocking, shocking, shocking! But let's wear our business hat for a moment - I know this is tough for some recruiters to do - and see how this investment fits. Does the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center add value to the UAW's balance sheet? As many balance sheets are looking bleak now, jettisoning assets don't automatically make for a profit. In reality, the UAW holds $1.2 Billion in net assets so time will tell.

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Permalink Reply by Julia Stone on December 29, 2008 at 1:08pm

Blame the workers, not the management. It is a common theme that unfortunately does not really reflect the situation, but makes a great bumper sticker slogan.

When in fact it was the UAW in 1948 who first urged the management of the Big 3 to begin building smaller, more efficient cars. Perhaps if the US auto makers took more of a Japanese approach and allowed actual input from the people making the cars, we would be on better footing now. Oh, that idea was also created nearly 60 years ago by the UAW, but implemented by the Japanese Auto makers. Auto makers, whose CEO's would be gravely offended to accept the types of salary and bonuses seen here.

I know, it doesn't make as good of a bumper sticker. The truth is usually too complicated for that.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Mendoza on December 29, 2008 at 1:19pm

I don't hate all unions, I particularly hate this one. I also seem to believe that employees shouldn't lose their constitutional right to vote with a secret ballot on whether to join (be coerced) to join a union. Jimmy Hoffa and his minions with their crowbars would be proud.

I also believe union members should have the right to distinguish how their union dues are used during election season when they are forced to pay on behalf of candidates/political parties they don't align to.

There are serious infringements of our freedom of association and freedom of speech at stake. Not to mention the undermining of our manufacturing base and ability to compete globally with non-union competitors.

Now before you paint me as a union bashing fellow, Steve and I agreed on Chapter 11 for the Big Three as a means to force true reform and we both support Fire Fighter and Law Enforcement Unions to a certain degree

Unions have their place and time, in my opinion, they just don't have a place in the Auto Industry.

It seems Toyota and Honda are doing just fine employing Americans in the American South at good wages and making a profitable business ... for Japan. Lessons aplenty.

The funny thing is whenever this issue comes up ... the response is about the 'nuances' ... or the 'complicated picture' ... of course there are upsides and downsides but the balance sheet for the Big Three when it comes to the Jobs Bank, the gluttony of perks, and the inflated, outdated pension system that costs more then it does to manufacture the cars themselves is ... that there is no nuance when it comes to balance sheets .... and the UAW is at the core of the losses.

Yes BOTH Management and the UAW are to blame, never let it be said I never held back from incompetent business practices overall., hence why I have been consistent and why I call for a Chapter 11 bankrupcty to save the Auto Industry with Federal oversight in ensuring a retooling and realignment of business practices. A bail out without strings or real oversight solves nothing but delays the inevitable. It isn't conservative versus Liberal ideology here, its common sense.

It seems defenders are merely scoring ideological points. We all know who the UAW finances, and that alone is puritan ... I want to have a domestic manufacturing base so that we can convert easily to building tanks and missles when needed. Never confuse my motivations on the topic. LOL