The toughest, longest lasting trucks
July 23rd, 2005I just saw back to back Chevy commercials while watching the Texas Rangers game. It seems that I’m now a GM employee and, as a result, I can get a wannabe SUV, the 2WD Tahoe for “just” $28,274. That’s a little rich for my blood, but the next commercial told me that after “my employee discount,” I can get a 2WD pickup for “just” $23,358.
Thank God for the UAW. If it wasn’t for them I couldn’t afford anything that they make. Oh. Wait. I’m not a member of the UAW and because of them I can’t afford anything they make.
Yet, unlike them, I still have to show up for work every day sober and actually have a skill to make the kind of money that would allow me to be able to afford what they make.
If I pissed you off, good. Don’t even try to defend unions to me. I’ve actually met Jimmy Hoffa. I’m not kiddin’ teasin’, either. I met him at a Teamsters picnic. I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. I was only able to because: 1) I was the date of the daughter of the president of the local. (She was also quite hot and a stripper.) 2) Jimmy Hoffa was passin’ out the bootleg moonshine himself.
When Jimmy Hoffa hands you a glass of shine that he poured out of a jug in the trunk of a car and you have a pretty girl on your arm, you lose all principles. Well, I did, anyway. At least for that moment. I was young and stupid.
Even if you don’t lose your principles the easy way, it’s not a good idea to tell Jimmy Hoffa, “no, thanks” after he invited you to the “moonshine car.” Lots of people at that picnic were connivin’ to get there and didn’t get the invite. Besides that, he was drunk. You tell Jimmy Hoffa, “no” and then get back to me.
Anyway. I’ve been sidetracked. We were talking about the UAW, not the Teamsters. I like my 1992 Silverado. It’s got it’s problems, but it’s now almost 16 years old and I’ve owned it for 12 of those years. It has over 130,000 miles on it and it still gets me where I wanna go. It needs front brake pads, but that’s $10 and an hour (without power tools).
Maybe they were too good back then and got too greedy. I see no need to replace it. When it finally dies, I’ll probably replace it with an older truck, not a newer one. Gimme a ‘72 Chevy pickup in good condition and I might never buy another vehicle as long as I live.
“because of them I can’t afford anything they make.” True, but not the whole truth. Anyone whom reads this blog, and receives “benefits” is responsible for our reduced standard of living (i.e. affording a new Chevy). If doctors and drug companies had to market to 290 million individuals rather than 5 or 6 HMO’s, competition would drive prices down. The fact that the exceptional UAW worker can’t produce more, and demand more compensation than the slacker is just another way in which market forces are prohibited from working.
But even more problematic than that is our “monetary” system is designed to bankrupt all of us, and reduce our standard of living. For example, Congress needs 100 million dollars, and they ask the Fed to print more. The Fed says sure, but it will cost you 100 million, and we are only printing worthless paper scrip called Federal Reserve Notes. Congress prints Treasury Bonds par value 100 million, promises buyers interest payments and sells them to raise the cash. The Fed gets cash, and ONLY PRINTS ENOUGH TO PAY THE PRINCIPLE!!! In addition, the fiat currency you and I are holding just became less valuable because there is more money than Goods and Services, causing prices to rise. See how your new Chevy just became out of reach because of the hidden tax called inflation?
I don’t disagree with you, Juice. I never said unions were the only problem. Ultimately everything wrong in America was either caused or made worse by government. Unions wouldn’t even have any power in modern America if weren’t for federal government intervention.
However, when you have uneducated, unskilled and unintelligent trash coming to work drunk and still making $45 an hour to do unskilled labor, it certainly skews the whole economy just as much as inflation.
Lest you think my description is an exaggeration, I should point out that I’ve known many union members well. One former UAW worker once told me that part of the UAW contract with the Big Three automakers is that no UAW member can be fired for coming to work drunk, no matter how many times it happens, as long as he or she attends at least one AA meeting per month. The person who told me this said he routinely worked in the factory with people who came in to work drunk and drank while working.
Quality is job one!
I know a retired UAW union boss, a family friend, and ironically my Dad has been a successful union buster over the years. The union bosses do not work past 3 in the afternoon, and rarely on Fridays. They do not go to sandwich shops for lunch, but rather steakhouses. The 3 martini lunch is alive and well with that crowd. Most problems that arise are referred to the Union attorneys, so they never do any heavy lifting.
UAW members are getting so royally hosed, it is really sad. The pension plans are pathetic, and you basically have to become an indentured servant to ever get one.
Anyone who declares themselves incompetent to handle their own affairs whether it be to a Union or Government, better be prepared to be obscenely ripped-off.
Just get a Toyota truck. BWAHAHAHAHAHA
Good point on the UAW. Both Mgt and the union have worked together to harm the industry for several years.
My wife, who is employed by GMAC tells me that all the employees are pissed over this special price deal. One of their benefits was given away. This was done to clear out inventory for the ‘06 models. Dealers will soon take delivery on vehicles that will sit on their lots until GM does this again to clear out the lots for the ’07s. GM keps pushing their problems back but it will eventually catch up to them. If the UAW do not start contributing to their health care(did you know they pay NOTHING, we pay 110.00p/m) GM may not be there in a few years.
My wife, who is employed by GMAC tells me that all the employees are pissed over this special price deal. One of their benefits was given away.
How is their benefit being given away? That makes no sense; people are stupid.
Giving someone else that benefit does nothing to diminish the benefit that you’re getting. Go slap those people for me would you John? Thanks.
Employee pricing outside of Michigan is a joke. I have never bought a Ford or GM product that I didn’t get either option one or A plan pricing. If you compare the discount in say Flint with the discount in say WY it’s nonexistent. Don’t be fooled by the ads, not everyone gets the same deal.
Employee priceing in MI starts at invoice -$500 then the discount is applied, then whatever incentives are going. (I have never paid more than this, ever) Employee priceing in WY starts at MRSP minus freight charges. Not even close to the same deal. I laughed and walked off the lot.
I was a member of IUMSWA and it was the worst experience of my life. Just terrible. I was only allowed to do specifically what my written role was, no more. I was once threatened over sweeping up a pile of debris from my work area so it didn’t catch on fire. (I was a jobkiller) What a friggin joke. I will never join another union as long as I live. They had a place in this country a long time ago, but now they’re just corrupt mafioso type outfits.
Cowboy–one AA meeting a month??? What a joke! It’s worse than even I thought!!!!
I worked for a while at the co. that provided substance abuse treatment benefits for one of the Big 3. Those people went in and out of treatment facilities using up benefits like nobody’s business. Which would be fine if they were putting it to good use. But you have to wonder if they’re checking into Sacred Heart one day, walking out the next cause they don’t like it, then calling you on the third, drunk saying, “Can I get into treatment?”
Whatever happened to “90 meetings in 90 days?”!
Incidentally, by virtue of my work at that company…I was a member of UAW! It was actually kind of fun. We had lots of food at our union meetings. Didn’t know I could come to work drunk though.