Hi y'all - I've just done some further research on payscales and I've come up with no solid answer. The UAW (I'd expect them to be biased) mention $30/hr plus benefits (what do the benefits amount to?) Faux news and the like mention (I'd expect them to be biased too) $70/hr. with no reference to benefits. I suppose the truth is somewhere in between In any event, these rates seem rather high to a poor old Mid Southerner for manual labor. Why don't they locate their factories (not overseas) where labor is cheaper? I don't know what the pay rates are at the Tennessee Saturn Plant - they seem to be struggling too. I'm sure a plant located in North Mississippi would be more economical, but would the drug free, semi skilled, reliable labor force be available?
On Dec 9, 11:26 am, CrossBow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The true average is represented below - it is not $70 per hour, per > se. SPIN DOCTORS are at it again. > > *"That $70 per hour figure is arrived at by dividing total labour costs by > the total number of workers, then by average hours worked. It also happens > to include pension obligations for GM, which is comprised of current > payments accrued by past workers. So, while the average worker probably > makes closer to **$30 per hour*<http://www.uaw.org/contracts/07/gm/gm02.php> > *, the total wages paid out include payments to retirees who have chosen to > defer payment of their wages."* > > I personally don't have as much pity as I maybe should for the businesses > that are drowning in overstock. It is hard to imagine Mom & Pop businesses > with dangerous overstock - because it is not easy for them to get the > capitol to get the inventory in the first place. No, I think it is the > retail giant/corpses with excess inventory they cannot sell, with bloated > expectations, that have also been charging too damn much for little (think > inflation, right?). > > Good Mom & Pops, like I work for, plan ahead, and use stable business > practices to keep afloat. Most businesses flop in the first year due to > crappy planning anyway..is it our responsability as a consumer to rescue > them or the Corpses? Homoconsumerensis to the rescue? It's their job to do > thier homework just like each individual needs to guard their credit > score. I know about hard luck, it happens, but haven't we grown far too > careless in our Hummer driving, McDonald's grubbing, plastic burning, > reality tv watching, FUNK? As you can tell I am feeling miserly this > morning... > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 10:53 AM, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hi y'all - welcome to capitalism. The good times are great, but > > business is cyclical and must be prepared for. He who builds his > > business out of unsupported credit will fail. The Govt. Bailout of the > > car industry is supposed to be a loan with strings - nothing wrong > > with that, as long as the taxpayer benefits?? In the interest of > > preserving some manufacturing base in this country, it would seem to > > be justified. Having said that, the strings must be tight - why do GM > > etc. workers average $70/hr when Toyota doing the same job in the same > > country average $40? That would be one of the strings if I was making > > the loan. > > As for the retail sector - it is complex and unwieldy. I'm not sure > > what sort of Bailout the author is suggesting - perhaps low interest > > loans to qualified businesses. This brings us back to unsupported > > credit. I'm afraid that those who cannot survive the present downturn > > are doomed, and if they have no backup plan, perhaps that is > > warranted. The only alternatives are anarchism or communism? > > > On Dec 9, 10:14 am, Morpheal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > WASHINGTON MUST BAILOUT RETAIL SECTOR > > > > Keep in mind that retail needs an urgent bailout. They are not as big > > > as GM, Ford and > > > Chrysler. Most are far from being large corporations. Many are one > > > person enterprises, or mom and pop shops, with family helping keep the > > > business going. They do not have the resources of GM, Chrysler, Ford, > > > to go to Washington to petition government for help, but they need > > > help even more than GM, Ford, or Chrysler. > > > > Late autumn and early winter sales statistics, (and that includes > > > actual profit margins after costs are deducted from sales not simply > > > panic sell off of severely discounted or very low margin items to > > > create volume of sales without profits), are what keep the retail > > > sector alive during the dismal after Boxing Day mid to late winter > > > traditional slump. Total dollars of sales are not a reliable or > > > meaningful statistic. You can sell billions of dollars in goods, but > > > lose your shirt in the process, if margins are nonexistent on the > > > bottom line. Bottom line visibility is not one of the immediate > > > economic indicator that it should be. Consumer spend, in total > > > dollars, is what politicians tend to measure the economy on. That is, > > > in this crisis, very misleading. Unfortunately the bottom line numbers > > > do not tend to get published into public view, in the month that they > > > occur. Often they are severely delayed and usually fairly obscure > > > numbers. > > > > Without solid revenues in November and December, coming into January > > > means total disaster, with no hope for many to meet their fiscal > > > obligations to get through the traditional slump. Those stuck with > > > excess inventory, and having to sell off at below cost, simply to > > > reduce debt, are in even worse shape to weather through the latter > > > part of January and most of February and March. This is even more > > > true of the mom and pop shop, the small entrepreneur, the independent > > > business, or loosely affiliated franchisee or owner in a group of > > > independent merchants. Many a franchise, though providing services to > > > franchisees (that they must pay for regardless of their current > > > revenue situation), is largely an independent entity relying on its > > > own sales revenue for its survival, quite apart from the brand name on > > > the chain as a whole. Unfortunately a franchise is often more > > > constrained as to business practices, and while this works well enough > > > in good or average times, when tough times hit, the franchise can find > > > itself hog tied to practices that are expensive and inadequate in > > > terms of the changed situation. > > > > In many parts of the country the winter slump also means the highest > > > costs for heating, > > > which adds to the cost of keeping retail doors open. There are fixed > > > costs for energy, rent or lease payments for premises and sometimes > > > equipment, inventory carrying costs, and > > > necessary maintenance. Even cutting costs to the bare bones, leaves > > > significant bills to pay, and the typical "mom and pop" enterprise is > > > at best a courageous effort, but in tough times it becomes an unjust > > > form of struggle. Nevertheless many are dependent for their incomes > > > on exactly that. > > > > One of the increasing dangers of the rise of the electronic mall, and > > > internet shopping, has been the destructive impact upon society of a > > > desocialized, depersonalized mode of commerce. In the past the social > > > element, personalized connection with the long time owners, who were > > > more friends than simply proprietors of a business, was at the core of > > > North American life. The electronic mall has eroded that vital > > > institution, and continues to cause immense, perhaps irreparable > > > damage to society. In some significant instances personalized, social, > > > shopping was one of the main forms of social connection, for many > > > people. Without that society itself becomes increasingly dysfunctional > > > and unable to replace that element within society with any suitable > > > and effective alternative. > > > > The economic downturn further threatens that same institution, along > > > with the effect of large high pressure, high volume, discounters and > > > superstores, where shopping sometimes offers some fiscal advantage, > > > but is otherwise far from being a pleasant experience, socially and > > > psychologically. Those megastores cannot meet the same needs. Not to > > > mention that they exist on relatively small margins supported only by > > > their more massive buying power. Nevertheless, the megastores cannot > > > replace the institution of "mom and pop" enterprises, of family run > > > businesses, where social and personal connection were at the core of > > > commercial transactions. > > > > Without government intervention we can anticipate near total > > > destruction of that vital social element, which has been a valued and > > > valuable social institution at the core of North American life.When > > > even the megastores are in a condition of economic adversity, unable > > > to make margins sufficient to keep open the doors, mom and pop rarely > > > stand any chance at all. The family business, and thus the American > > > dream of "free enterprise" and entrepreneurship is threatened with > > > becoming as dead as the dodo, an extinct species, and merely a > > > historical artifact with no more practical relevance to the changing > > > economic scene. Can society afford that loss ? I would say no, it > > > cannot. The sociological and psychological impact of that loss would > > > be too devastating, and the long term political damage would be > > > irreparable. > > > > No one will forgive a government that bails out large corporations > > > while mom and pop shops across the nation perish, and forever close > > > their doors. The government that does that will invoke a curse second > > > to none in all of economic history. > > > > Government will have to step in to help the retail sector survive this > > > one. > > > > Right now there is no other way. > > > > Robert Morpheal > > > > This article may be copied, distributed, reproduced by any means, in > > > any way, anywhere, and in fact anyone is encouraged to do so. > > -- > gnothe se auton- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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