GM Irony

Does this qualify as delicious irony?

Automotive union workers kick out UAE execs:

A vote on the changes was originally scheduled for Monday, but was cancelled by the UAW after Sunday’s informational meeting made it clear that opposition was nearly unanimous. The new contract would, among other concessions, cut wages from an average of $29 an hour to $15.50.



General Motors, the UAW, and the state government have been working to sell the plant to JD Norman Industries, which was demanding the nearly 50 percent wage cuts as a condition for the sale. GM and the UAW are now denouncing workers for opposing the destruction of their living standards.

Yeah, from time to time I head on over to the Socialist website. Meh.

Anyway. Isn't this what observers and former execs have been recommending to save costs at GM? Interesting to see the union take this position. I guess it wasn't economically tenable all along, no?

My father-in-law (God rest his soul) once told me the story of how he had to deal with the union for Steinberg's. Steinberg treated its workers like gold (as he put it) and did all they could to be fair. However, one of the union leaders was over the top and unreasonable making things messy for nothing. He further didn't appreciate being made to look like he didn't care about people. If anyone knew my father-in-law he was class all the way.

He remembered telling the union rep that he should be careful how he behaves to achieve a goal lest one day he be put in the same position. He pleaded with him to no avail that their offer was fair.

The rep (who was originally from the States), moved on and years later opened his own store and the two bumped into one another. Lo and behold he was on the other side of the fence and facing what my father-in-law did with him. "I always remembered what you said, Johnny. Now that I'm on the other side I can see you were more than fair with us."

Life coming full circle.

Management isn't always the bad guy.