The announcement that the Hyundai plant near Montgomery will go back to a five day work week was greeted with cheers by the media...a nice positive business story in a time when those are few and far between. The massive plant in Hope Hull is returning to a five day week from a four-day week that had been imposed because of the miserable economy. So said the reports.
But let's dig beneath the surface a bit. Did you know that the plant actually operated on a three-day work week for a good part of early 2009? Neither did I, till I found a Reuters report out of Detroit from January 15th. The Montgomery Advertiser reported on January 8th the "possibility" of a 3-day work week, but nowhere in local media could I find the actual cutback reported. And since Alabama is a "right-to-work"...i.e. almost completely non-union...state, the workers have no protections at all. Instead of full-time employees, they're treated as cogs in a wheel, to be inserted when needed and sent home (without pay, of course) when not. The saving grace is that their benefits, I presume, continue during their down time. The publication The Hill reports that the addition of Al Franken to the U.S. Senate Democratic caucus may help the "card check" legislation, which would make it easier for unions to organize. I wonder how the Hyundai workers feel about that bill after the past six months?
Right on, Tim!
ReplyDeleteWho wouldn't want to be a dues-paying memeber in good standing with the UAW? What possible downside could UAW membership imply? Just look at the BIG THREE. Haven't they been kicking the crap out of the competition? Aren't UAW workers the most productive in the world? Don't the finely honed work rules developed in the 1930's provide a competitive edge in today's auto market?
What's that you say? GM in bankruptcy? Chrysler, too? Ford in dire straits with high costs of production and ever-sinking market share? $50 billion and counting of taxpayer funding to keep these zombies upright? Whatever could be the cause of such dysfunction in this core American industry? Hmmm...
And you want more of it, Tim. You believe unions advance the prospects of their members in the face of all the evidence to the contrary. How blind can you be?
Do us all a favor, Tim. Get on the bus and go back to New York. You are a fish out of water here. Feel free to apply your liberal utopianism in service to screw up New York as much as you can stand. But please, PLEASE leave our beautiful state alone. Somehow we will figure out a way to muddle along without you.
williakz
I purchased a Hyundai yesterday that was made in the AL plant. One of the factors that led me to buy this Hyundai is my desire to support the non-union workforce. They are hard working, quality focused employees that need to be rewarded for the outstanding product they produce. THE UAW is directly responsible for the BS that is taking its toll on GM, Ford, Chrysler...
ReplyDeleteMy hats off to the hard working workforce of Hyundai AL.
JH in Virginia