Do auto workers really earn $73 an hour?

[alevin]

Not sure what to think. In dry country where it's 50-180 miles between communities with dealerships, it would be a good thing, especially for smaller communities where a dealership can be an anchor business. Where you have dealerships spaced closer than that..... If the dealerships go down, the independent mechanics would get a lot more business, but would have to invest in a lot more specialty training too, maybe. Not sure what more implications there would be-if the manufacturers can't turn a profit unless the dealerships get dumped...everyone keels over?

 

[CapeChem]

sounds to me like having a limb removed because it was gangrenous and then the doctor comes back and wants to re- attach it

 

[Viva_La_Migra]

Incredible.

Now that GM and Chrysler have declared bankruptcy, and shed a large number of their dealers, in an attempt to "right size" themselves to become profitable, Congress is now on the verge of un-doing it.

There are now 221 co-sponsors in the House, for a bill to reopen all those dealerships that GM and Chrysler executives said they had to get rid of in order to become profitable...

What do you think about that?

What do you expect when the government takes over "ownership" of a company? It becomes a federal agency, making no profit and spending money unnecessarily. What I want to know is, are the car salespeople on FERS now?:notrust:

 

[Gumby]

What I want to know is, are the car salespeople on FERS now?:notrust:

Yes, their title is automotive specialist, GS-15 :nuts:

 

[McDuck]

 

[McDuck]

The "Job Banks" still requiring manufacturers to pay for non-work.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/04/post_271.html

 

[McDuck]

It's not about lowering costs of labor. Labor really only accounts for about $800 to $1,000 of the price of a new car

I was rereading this thread. James, where in heck did you get that figure ??????

 

[James48843]

The "Job Banks" still requiring manufacturers to pay for non-work.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/04/post_271.html

Not quite sure what falsehood you are alleging there, McDuck.

You mean you think the Union Jobs Banks is doing this? "Requiring manufacturers to pay for non-work"?

Is that your belief?

Or are you just stirring the pot again?

 

[James48843]

I was rereading this thread. James, where in heck did you get that figure ??????

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/business/economy/10leonhardt.html

http://www.uaw.org/auto/12_02_08auto1.cfm

 

[McDuck]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/business/economy/10leonhardt.html

http://www.uaw.org/auto/12_02_08auto1.cfm

I see the biased source for the $ numbers.

BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT ONLY TAKES 20 HOURS OF LABOR TOTAL TO MAKE A CAR. Liberals have to be bad at the truth and math. :nuts::nuts::nuts:

 

[James48843]

I see the biased source for the $ numbers.

BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT ONLY TAKES 20 HOURS OF LABOR TOTAL TO MAKE A CAR. Liberals have to be bad at the truth and math. :nuts::nuts::nuts:

You would be surprised at how efficient we have become. The productivity gains over the last 20 years have been nothing less than amazing.

Yes, it only takes 20 hours of labor to assemble an automobile.

In 1990, it took 245,000 workers to assemble 4.5 million cars per year at the big 3.

In 2008 it took about 53,000 to assemble 4.5 million cars.

The cost of labor is no longer the major factor in automobile production. The cost of labor is a part- but there is far more cost in component parts, in steel, in electronics, and other things. Automation does now what assembly line workers used to do for a great deal of the assembly.

If you don't believe the numbers, perhaps you have a source you would like to cite for the number of hours it takes to produce an automobile. I would have thought the New York Times would be sufficient for you. But since you seem to think those numbers are biased, by all means, show me your figures.

 

[72Zorad]

As a hobby I do miniature machine work. I have a small lathe and a mill I've converted over to Computer Numeric Control (CNC). So, I know a little bit about making parts and the manufacturing process. For example the dies that are used to make production parts can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and it obviously takes many of them for production runs. Every time they change even the smallest design element they have to design it, engineer it, test it, retool.... The list goes on. This can be seen in the several million dollar price tag of prototypes. And, that's just to build the car, not the infrastructure to build more. I think a lot of the reason cars cost so much is our fault. We all want to drive the latest snazzy model. They change the model every couple of years to keep it 'sexy' for the consumer.

I've often wondered if you could start a branch where you had a completely different philosophy. Start with the principle that you will sell this exact model for 10-15 years minimum. No changes unless required by safety. Kind of like the original volkswagon beetle. They all look the same for decades. Then sell it initially at a loss knowing once you break even the future sales have a higher profit margin. I'll bet they could sell them for $6-$7k and still end up making money. I'm a car guy and love 'sexy' cars, I have one. But I'd pay $7k for my commuter any day.

72Zorad