Hopefully it won't end the same way.  We have Mercedes Benz, Honda, Hyundai and now Toyota and Mazda.  Maybe Nissan will jump in?  Uneducated assembly line workers for minimum wage, YEA!

Porsche employees have engineering degrees, Honda; a GED 

Edited January 11, 20187 yr by siteunseen

1 minute ago, siteunseen said:

Porsche employees have engineering degrees,  

Maybe some do, but the Porsche assembly line workers get to drink beer on their break periods.  I found it interesting to see them sitting at tables pounding down a German Bier before heading back to the line when I've toured the factory.  Not sure the UAW has pushed for that benefit.

Dennis

The German bier I've gotten from a family member stationed there I had to drink with a spoon it was so thick.  Fantastic taste but like syrup.  Wish he was still there, it was good and STRONG!

I took some German (Deutsch) lessons once.  Zwei bier, bitte!  Schnell!

7 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

I took some German (Deutsch) lessons once.  Zwei bier, bitte!  Schnell!

Sehr gut, mein herr!  Ja! 

I don't know about Alabama manufacturers but here at the BMW plant they pay pretty well. I know a number of people that work there with high school educations or GEDs that make 40 -50k a year assembling cars. The engineers make alot more than that. The benefits are pretty good too. Not only that but they bring in lots of high paying support industry to supply just in time parts.These companies tend to look for states with good available employees that can do the jobs with low unionization pressure...

Yep they squished the unions, thank goodness. My Dad worked as a union guy with Goodyear for 40 plus years. Really jaded his outlook on life in my opinion. Paid interest on new cars and refinancing his home his whole life, could have built a lot more wealth but didn't see it thanks to the rubber workers union.  Good help after wwII but no good in the 70s, 80s & 90s.  My opinion only.

All the tractor driving farmers are driving tractor trailers now hauling car parts. I may end up doing that myself.  Too old to work construction anymore. Life sucks at 50 if you're unprepared like me. TELL YOUR KIDS!  Cool is not cool when you hit mid-life. 

Edited January 11, 20187 yr by siteunseen

There was a time when unions did some great things for the American worker, but some unions failed to realize that the well wasn't infinitely deep. If you take too much, you hurt the business and the members...

I know all about the construction issue. Spent all day planing lumber and making some timber frames. I'll be 50 next year...need to work my way out of the field and into the office. We'll see if that plays out.

Power tends to corrupt.  Even unions have managers.  Ironic.  They do the negotiating.

Things tend to be cyclic.  Detroit will probably come back as the new Miami Beach after global warming.  Alabama will be Mexico though so they'll still be running strong in manufacturing.

Random thoughts on a slow night...

 

7 hours ago, Patcon said:

I don't know about Alabama manufacturers but here at the BMW plant they pay pretty well. I know a number of people that work there with high school educations or GEDs that make 40 -50k a year assembling cars.

And so they should, I did a stint on a car assembly line when I was younger and it was brain numbing, soul sucking kind of work. No union at this plant and management was always pushing for more output, but then on the other hand a few years after that I worked as a gardener for the city with a bloated public sector union, I remember being told by the union rep."What's the rush? Slow down, you're making the other guys look bad"