09-16-2019, 08:09 PM
I'm the first of my family not to be a GM employee. My father and grandfather were there when GM recognized the UAW in 1937. My mother still receives a GM pension 53 years after my father retired. My brother and his sons were/are all GM employees. In short, my family has some of deepest union roots in the auto industry.
But what Rick-O said is pretty much true. GM screwed this up going back to the early '70s. Yes, the union was slow to adapt to the new realities, and a sizeable portion of the membership went for short term satisfaction rather than longterm security.
I'm going to be interested to see what happens when the switch to EV takes place and there is no needed for engine plants. That is a hugely labor-intensive process whether we are talking GM, Ford, or Toyota (or John Deere, Kenworth, or Blue Bird.
But what Rick-O said is pretty much true. GM screwed this up going back to the early '70s. Yes, the union was slow to adapt to the new realities, and a sizeable portion of the membership went for short term satisfaction rather than longterm security.
I'm going to be interested to see what happens when the switch to EV takes place and there is no needed for engine plants. That is a hugely labor-intensive process whether we are talking GM, Ford, or Toyota (or John Deere, Kenworth, or Blue Bird.