The United Auto Workers union accelerated its strike Wednesday night in a last-minute move as it ordered nearly 9,000 workers at Ford's largest plant to walk off the job. Ford called the walk-out "grossly irresponsible."
At this point it's a race to see whether the workers will band together before the magats go full fascist. This decade is about to get really interesting.
Maybe workers should have more power to influence government decisions as opposed to the current situation where the people with money have the most influence in government?
"Ford's Kentucky Truck plant builds the Ford F-Series Super Duty, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The plant is one of the largest auto factories in the world and accounts for $25 billion a year in revenue, according to Ford which issued a statement shortly after the walkout."
Fain wasn't bluffing, they're hitting them where it hurts. Go UAW!
It’s gonna take everyone being on strike I think. Ford doesn’t give a single fuck as they’ve made clear through years and years of abuse towards its workers.
I would love to see a few go bankrupt over this. Considering last time car companies were at risk they got a bailout, I'm sure the government will quash the strikes if they start to hurt.
I believe it’s become much more apparent to people including law makers that we can afford to live without these companies. So many startups for electric cars these days could take over those plants and offer better pay (hopefully). We should’ve moved past these shit companies as a world back when that bailout happened, maybe we learned our lesson and can do it this time.
In Ford's defense - everyone in the plant that actually works for a living and doesn't just play fantasy football all day - is on strike so it's not surprising their management is paralyzed by indecision for weeks on end.
I think they have been intentionally making a bad offer so the union strikes and thus production is cut while they blame it on the union to stockholders.
Majority of inflation is largely greedflation, i.e. corporate profit driven not in anyway compensational towards wage costs. Hell even the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics agrees.
I expect so, but most corporations aren't going to roll back and make less money than they do now. I read that the UAW workers want to make $100,000 a year after 4 years on the job. I don't see how that can make vehicles any more affordable.
I think the companies already charge whatever they can get away with. They are always going to charge the maximum price they can without losing more money in lost sales.
The workers getting a pay rise would increase the minimum cost they could charge but they already charge the maximum which is what the market will bear. To not do the latter would mean these companies are willingly leaving money on the table
The workers getting a pay rise would increase the minimum cost they could charge but they already charge the maximum which is what the market will bear.
No it wouldn't. They would simply make very slightly less profit. Christ. Thatcher really did a number on y'all
UAW factories don't make affordable economy cars anyway. In fact, the Big 3 abandoned that segment altogether in favor of higher margin trucks and SUVs. They didn't choose to strike at the plants that build the Wrangler and Bronco randomly. Chinese EVs are slowly taking over Europe because they offer more car for less money. Our steep tariffs are the only thing preventing a Chinese takeover of the US market that would dwarf the Japanese invasion of the 80s.
It's still going to affect the whole car market. A truck buyer might switch to a smaller car, limiting those, driving up used car prices. If workers get what they want and we get more appetite for car alternatives, win win.
I already knew making any criticism of uaw or workers would bring down votes. I won’t bother any further with replies beyond saying greedy people asking for 40% pay raise and lazy people asking for 4 day work week are specific examples. CEO’s giving themselves massive pay raises are also greedy. Both sets are assholes and consumers pay the price.
Rather than spending less, they want to make more.
It's about quality, not quantity.
That said, it's not fair for workers to get shafted while owners get richer. I believe they all should be making less money so those who have less can have more, but I'll settle for workers at least getting proportional compensation.
Even if that wasn't complete nonsense, it would be a good thing. The world needs to stop making and driving ICE vehicles. High prices are a great deterrent.
this take kinda ignores the large number of people and places that do not have that option. it's not up to consumers to stop driving. infrastructure has to come first in more than just major cities.