Some of those $30 hr employees have probably been there over 20+ years and show up reliably day after day. Why wouldn't they deserve it? Just because they work with thier hands and posses no higher degree possibly? I can't see someone getting paid $30 hr to shovel shit, but some of those positions are managerial and high tech. Ah, some of them probably have associates and higher:). I think they highlight these wages to keep us from asking what the upper echelons of management get paid. They are the bloodsuckers.
The labor force is here, but cheap has been the rule to our detriment, eh? Cheaper overseas, cheaper, cheaper, cheaper...it's a mantra. Cheap makes for throw-away products, not repairable. Cheaper does not mean more productive, it means most jobs are going to go and stay overseas. Wonder what we will end up with? my stupid neighbor told us a bad joke yesterday..."did you hear about the mexican that was shot trying to get back into Mexico to work for Toyota?" .... On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 2:39 PM, Clogtowner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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 - > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
