It’s a sad statement that we are so collectively quick to label hourly people that are making things in America as lazy and literally worth-less.
Not all but some are and I've witnessed that first hand and not just in unionized auto plants but anywhere there is a unionized workforce. My ex BIL made a game out of hiding during his 8 hour shift as a Millright at J&L Steel and was proud of his theft of time when working there. Clown would go to work, sleep for 8 hours and then have a buddy clock him out after 9 so he would get an extra hour of OT every day.
When they went bankrupt, he cried like the baby he was and actually had to work after that because he went to a non union shop. He lasted about 30 days and went on disability. What a tool. Plus, he played Johnny Cash with his lunchbox and stole stuff constantly and was proud of it.
Unions protect the lazy and shiftless workers and are no longer needed today. Collective bargaining is nothing but a vehicle to protect and coddle poor workers who cannot or aren't willing to put in an honest days work for a day's pay.
I'd kike to see Fords, GN and Stellantis declare bankruptcy and reorganize non union and actually lower the new vehicle cost and kick the union to the curb. The main driving cost of new vehicles is the legacy cost and the inefficiency caused by insane union work rules.
Same applies to USPS BTW.
If USPS blew the union out and got rid of them and their insane work rules, they could ACTUALLY lower costs substantially and provide excellent and competitive service, just like UPS and Fed-Ex does.
I know, UPS IS UNION. The difference is, the union at UPS don't run the company. At the PO, it does.
I can post volumes of pages that I've personally experienced delivering steel to unionized auto plants over my almost 40 year career of delivering slit coils and rolled sheet steel to auto plants in and around Michigan, Ohio. Pennsylvania and Indiana and everyone of those plants were UAW represented and that includes unionized mills like US Steel, Inland, Weirton, Warren Consolidated, Republic, Rouge and LTV. Of course most of the domestic mills have folded, went bankrupt or got bought out and the unions are gone now and the reincarnated mills are non union and making money and of course owned by offshore entities, like Acceleor Mittal for instance. AM in Cleveland is still ASW but Mittal rules with an iron hand as in no BS or you are gone.
All I can say is, I was grateful the company I drove for was non union, but paid union scale plus and the health and welfare package was far better as well. Let me just say 35 years ago, I was averaging over 110K a year on straight time with 5 weeks paid vacation, 100% 401 match, company paid Blue Cross, Christmas bonus, birthday bonus and Passover bonus. No union dues either. You worked. if you slacked, you were gone. No one slacked either. Got a brand new conventional Western Star and a new curtainside trailer, every 2 years too. Big Cat and a 13 double over with every option.
I retired at 56 and went to work for them part time. Fully retired at 60 and been retired since. No union dues, no BS either.
What a great job and I appreciated it as did all the other 56 drivers.