Quote:
Originally Posted by Benzgirl
The UAW will hate me, but I think it's time for concessions. When sitting in my outplacement class last week, our coach, who is a labor-relations expert, outlined UAW wages plus benefits: it costs the companies over $70 per hour, per employee. 
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I agree that the UAW needs to make some concessions. I was floored when he said that they would not cut pay until the next contract. However, the $70/hr is misleading. That is taking all benefit/pension/payroll costs and dividing by the current number of workers. Older employees make $20-24/hr straight time. New employees make $14.98/hr. The older employees actual cost with benefits is about $43/hr. Few people actually know how much their employers are spending on their total package. Mine sends out a letter each year with the actual cost of our total benefits and pay. It's shocking how much the bennies cost. The $70/hr is inflated because of retiree pension and benefits. With fewer workers, that number goes up and up.
On the good news front, my next door neighbor who is losing her house because of her husband's death and her loss of seniority and full time status due to an extended medical leave (breast cancer) has found a house that she can afford to buy and is buying on land contract. I'm very sad that they will be moving because they are the best neighbors in the world, but I'm so relieved that she found a good place to live. Her laid off son (mechanical engineer) has found a job in Pittsburgh and her laid off daughter (single mom of two kids) started a job two weeks ago and found a condo to rent that she can afford. Her youngest son is graduating from college this month with a degree in advertising. He may not find a job in his major but he is currently working two other jobs (music store, teaching percussion and working with the school marching band teaching percussion) so he can cover his expenses for a while. Things seem to be falling in place for them. They are like my second family so it's a relief to me too.