[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I agree that the unions need to make more concessions. The $70/hr tossed around is full cost, including what they pay for health care benefits, retirement, dental, Social Security, etc. My employer gives us a statement once a year of our "actual cost" to them which is more than double our salaries when you add in all the other stuff. In truth, they make about $20 an hour straight time although they make much more when they work overtime, sometimes as much as triple time (Sundays). They also sometimes have to work 12 hour shifts 7 days a week which is pretty brutal. I've also seen them injured for life at age 40 so some of it is hazard pay. I was shocked at times when their profit sharing checks were more than my annual income. But then they go through times where they end up laid off for a couple weeks several times a year too. At the same time, GM going bankrupt is going to affect hundreds of thousands retirees who have already lost their health care beginning January 1st and now may also lose their pensions. Their GM stock option plans that they invested in their whole lives have dwindled down to nothing.

Hey Dee (and others too )
Any chance you caught Olbermann tonight? He did a nice job of explaining this and I of course thought of this greekchat thread.