Ron Gettlefinger Responds to Mitt Romney's Statements

[MrConservativeTalk]

0:48 Not a friend of working people? So I guess reducing taxes and helping people get affordable healthcare proves he's not a friend of working people. Romney's record: - Lower Taxes - Affordable, private-market healthcare for working people - Better schools UAW record: - Sending jobs overseas - Hurting businesses - Putting people out of work - Unfair demands

[garyowen4ever]

stinkfinger looks more queer than al gore.

[danimal9579]

If the UAW has been making cuts for the few last years and they are still failing, either they need to A) continue to make deeper cuts AND/OR B) start making a better product. U.S. cars are better cars now, but are still nowhere near the imports. Why buy a Ford or Chrysler when they are worth 15-20% of their value after 5yrs? Wagner makes 15million/yr and Toyota's CEO makes around 1million/yr...anything wrong with this picture?

[TruthBehindComedy]

Romney and many others are ok with Wagner making $15,000,000 but my $58,000/yr is the problem? People talk like there's some standardized schedule for what they think I'm supposed to make standing under a 2 ton vehicle 8 hours a day holding my arms over my head, but the same people never complain about Executives who make more money than President Bush. I have a car payment and a house payment. My family and I vacation once a year. It's modest. Everyone should make a comfortable wage.

[jpbalkenende]

The competing countries trounce the US axectly because they have rid themselves of moron conservatives like Romney. The state provides all the pension, health care benefits over there. Further than that the CEO's of Toyota and Volkswagen make exponentially less money then let's say a Rick Wagoner who's greatest achievement is bleeding 100 billion from his company and is still getting paid millions for it. Of course you won't ever hear republican conservative pieces of shit complain about that.

[ed2point0]

Good point, let's go Japanese if GM goes down. Who needs crappy ass, unsafe, unefficient cars anyways. Until GM decides to change, I will hope Honda takes over Detroit.

[jpbalkenende]

Honda with the good bussines sense they have wont set up shop in Detroit once the big 3 are gone but in Mexico. So I don't think lettign the big 3 fail is much of an alternative for the time being. There's no reason why the USA shouldn't be able to make cars and Japan and Europe should. What distinguishes those and Detroit is not unions or lavish benefits.

[waltermh111]

I wanted to say I hate this union leader.

Hes an idiot

He keeps defending the industry without any basis in reality

He says bail out the industry but doest explain how they will pay the loan

He also blames GMs problem on the economy when the big 3 were having financial troubles years before this economy crashed

Hes defending the management ignoring what has made the other companies successful

He also is stupid for saying the mentality of how the big 3 execs think about money doesnt matter

[47f0]

Oh, no waltermh111 - you can't criticize the corrupt union management. People will say you "don't get it". Others will call you elitist and accuse you of "class warfare". Never, ever criticize the sacred union management.

Look it's this simple. Everyone at the big 3 from the overpaid execs to the overpaid UAW guy running an air wrench need to get a clue - change your business model or you are all going to be standing around wondering where your jobs went.

[waltermh111]

People dont just run air wrenches anymore.

Your still believing in old stereotypes.

Things have changed.

Besides, union negotiations happening are part of a changing business model. Unions have sacrificed more with this latest contract. You just refuse to read it.

As to your first paragraph. Your criticising unions. I just criticise this manager not for his work to his workers but his defense of the big 3 management / unrealistic claims he makes

[waltermh111]

He doesnt have any say in the ability of the big 3 to pay their bills.

He ignores the history of the auto industry.

There are ways he can protect the unions by asking for the ousting of current management like many of us are.

By expecting greater things from management, like the rest of the US are.

Hes going to kill the industry trusting in the management, not by negotiating a decent living for his members.

[waltermh111]

The union always negotiates to keep the industry alive. And they are doing their job to make it work smoothly.

Its all management. They make vehicles people dont want, they flaunt their money like they dont care about it.

They keep sending jobs overseas to save money, but it doesnt help, because thats not the answer.

They have made their operations more efficient over time thanks to lessons from the foriegn companies, but they still have alot to learn about adopting to the times.

[il128]

Finally people are talking about the state by state subsidies states like Tennessee are giving Japanese automakers!

Nissan, Toyota, and other automakers pay no taxes in Tenn..

[waltermh111]

Are you sure its singular to the foriegn companies or simply the states are trying to pull in industries.

Its not the states fault that as the big 3 continue to ship jobs oversees the foriegners are building more in the states.

I say support whoever will hire americans in america, I dont care where they originate.

They come over and pay good benefits and wages.

They know how to make a profit which makes them a safe bet for the town that takes them in.

[battierpeeler]

it has nothing to do with price. the brand is seen as crap. the fuel efficiency has been way behind. the workers probably do a great job but what they make is out of their hands and is not very sellable.

[kargenlewis]

fu romney!

[toobvu]

I do not buy Romney's argument about labor costs. Good products sell, and consumers will pay a reasonable premium for quality. The problems with Detroit start in the board rooms and on the drafting boards, not on the assembly lines.

[waltermh111]

toyota proved that people will pay a premium for quality or an image.

Toyota won the battle, but it was really GMs to lose and they went downhill as far back as the 90s.

[mtyshawl]

GM wouldn't have to beg for a loan if they did not have to fund the Delphi bankruptcy of $11 b and possibly more. Industry can't get loans. You are seeing the demise of the middle class. I just wonder what Industry is next

[Plutonwolf]

It sure won't be the Repo industry.

[roachmobile]

If you reduced the SUV's by $2000 the big three would still be in the same place.

It is because they make crap that no-one wants.

[Mahoivlich]

Mitt "the scab" Romney....Fuckers weren't bitching when they were making money.

[47f0]

Union leadership is just as political, as corrupt, as power-hungry as Washington leadership. Same principles, same results. The UAW is not competitive - and, to be fair to the UAW, until we realize that national health care is a priority, the UAW can't be competitive. GM is moving a factory to Canada - hardly a third-world country, because the health benefits are unbearable in the U.S. But the UAW needs to realize that $28/hr for bolting on fenders is NOT competitive. There's blame for all.

[Plutonwolf]

Hey, nice bit of stereotyping there! Elitist much? Funny, I always hear the Right whining about class warfare when they are the ones tossing sneer grenades.

How about talking about High level exec salaries and compensation packages? Maybe address the nice little jet plane perks or the lavish resort level business meetings or resplendent corporate HQS? Naaaah, that would be "class warfare" wouldn't it. And it makes a great talking point to say "Bolting on fenders" doesn't it.

[47f0]

If by "stereotyping" you mean having a knowledge of history, guilty. Money, power and politics doesn't seem to mix well with humans - it rarely brings the best and most idealistic to the top - merely the most predatory.

And as someone who ran a stamping machine, much production work is not skilled and doesn't merit skilled pay. Contrast a UAW line worker with an RN, then tell me about "class warfare". Many union workers are going to have to decide between employment or demanding the status quo.

[waltermh111]

You dont get it.

It doesnt matter how much you think you are worth.

If your people are happy with their pay then so be it, but everybody has a right to ask for an income that will make them comfortable.

What they are asking isnt too much. Even toyota pays over $20/h.

This isnt about what you think is fair.

Would you be happy if we capped the riches ability to make money?

So they get to decide their salary but us middle class dont get a say in our wage?

[47f0]

Who doesn't get it? Of course you have a "right" to demand more than your product is worth. I have a right to try to sell my used socks for $500 each. I also have the right to starve to death with my failed business model.

As far as capping the income of the wealthy good ol' boys who all sit on each other's boards, it wouldn't pain me a bit to see them in homeless shelters for their greed and incompetence. Carly Fiorina got paid over $40mil to get fired. But that's only part of the problem.

[waltermh111]

I have heard more along the lines of $22/h for Toyota.

But it may depend on the cost of living of the area the workers are in.

It is hard for me to find info detailing such things. Again, Union workers have made sacrifices with each negotiation to try bringing the industry to profitability.

But its always just blamed on the workers by most.

I am glad that you admit its part Industry management, and thats a start.

[Plutonwolf]

I don't have time to deal with your class warfare tripe, read waltermh111's response, he basically says it all. You are as wrong headed as the nit wits leaving office as we type. Good day.

[47f0]

I read waltermh111's response - guess what? He pointed out that people are making satisfactory income working non-union Toyota shops and doing fine. For those who flunked math class, $20 (it's $18, btw) is nearly 30% less than what the UAW extorts.

Big 3 management is absolute crap, and they've had their heads up their collective overpaid butts for half a century - but that doesn't put a halo on the heads of the equally sorry and greedy UAW management who are going to get everyone unemployed.

[Plutonwolf]

Oh to be able to mentally edit all I hear like the far right...must be nice. But I am grounded in reality land and what I see is Corporations suffering from their own sins. They fought like cornered dragons to resist CAFE standards and probably donated obscene amounts of money to far right politicians who are mad for free trade, totally against universal health care and dedicated to income distribution inequity. But hey, nothing can ever be said to sway someone with mental vapor lock.

[47f0]

"But hey, nothing can ever be said to sway someone with mental vapor lock."

Or poor reading comprehension. Please quote my defense of the corporate cronies. C'mon - it must be up there somewhere. Found it yet?

... Waiting

...

Oh, so I didn't defend the wealthy. What I actually said was there is blame to go around, and the UAW management is part of the problem. If Honda went UAW tomorrow, Toyota would put them out of business within five years. Not liking that fact isn't going to change it.

[waltermh111]

I can place part of the blame on this union leaders head listening to him here, but not even most of it considering I know how incompetent CEOs tend to be when a company gets so big they think a nation depends on it

[cerebus2099]

Cnn tried to fire workers for being in a union at their own TV station. IT's time for people to form their own opinions, stop watching the tv, and ignore the talking points.

How shameful to blame the workers, part of this crisis is because wages are insufficient to cover the interest on many types of loans and credit. People like to blame welfare mentalities, but how about those attitudes on the part of finance.

[Dblock7185]

There aren't any real journalist any more just a bunch of cheerleaders. Romey and the republicans hate unions. That's how the rich keeps the middle class and poor in check. Work for less,workfor nothing while they make millions. What a schock abillionair blaming the guy that makes 50k a year...

[osiris2669]

check out the chevy volt, its the first american made car that i would want to buy (but they still will lose money on it)

[waltermh111]

If GM put a premium on it like Toyota did the prius, history, not just Prius, shows that people pay for what they consider quality, whether image or manufacturing

GM could advertise it as long term investment, advertise its potential for positive to the environment, lessening out dependence on oil, which is popular right now

Sell that car by any means necessary. It gives them a chance to break from the mold

Look at Toyotas interesting Prius commercials, not the same old thing and they do well

[FlintPublic]

CNN is a disgrace. Who cares what Mitt Romney has to say about anything? No doy, the Big Three CEOs shouldn't fly private jets. When can we hear the workers' perspective? And, no, Gettlefinger isn't it.

Thanks for posting this, Heathr456!

[jamtheman84]

Thanks for the upload HeathR.