Comment 10822

By Mike (registered) | Posted August 14, 2007 at 10:46:44

Jason,

From what I remember from the time when I was working for a big-three company and a friend was working for Honda, the wages were comparable, with the CAW ones being slightly higher, but that difference was almost totally offset by union dues. The workers for the Japanese companies seemed to like the corporate culture at the assembly plants more, even though they were frequently hired on fixed-term contracts (which is how some of those companies can boast they never have to fire or lay off employees).

You reasons for making the gas guzzlers makes sense (although I don't know if anyone can prove collusion between makers and petro companies), and the tax thing is an issue I don't know much about.

As the son of a big three head office employee, I've heard quite a bit about the struggles the American companies have been facing, and it seems that a lack of long-term planning plays a large part in the problems. Right now they are stuck on the belief that Americans (who really are the only society on the planet who buy big cars and trucks at such volumes) will keep buying gas guzzlers and carry companies back to profitability as workers slowly retire.

Personally, I would not be surprised if one of the big three doesn't make it out of the next decade.

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