Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Amy J who wrote (182733)	11/22/2005 7:49:03 AM
From: smooth2o	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Does Toyota or Samsung sign contracts that require them to pay the workers EVEN IF they close the plant? Sorry, but GM has made some really poor decisions with the handwriting on the wall for a long time now. Any company that does that deserved what the get. I encouraged my MIL to sell at 90 but she was married to the thing and liked the div. Can you say INHERItance? Smooth

To: Amy J who wrote (182733)	11/22/2005 8:35:52 AM
From: robert b furman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Hi Amy, Certainly continues the elimination of unions power to drive wages artificially higher than what a global labor pool keeps down. This is long term bad for unions and good for consumers. Globalization has brought us cheaper high quality products and as the manufacturing base has been forced to where cheap labor pools are our flexible economy has morphed into a service oriented economy. In the long run this provides a higher emphasis on getting a higher education as we benefit greatly with a much cleaner environment - absent the rather dirty manufacturing business. I also believe this to be one of the reasons we escaped a recession this summer a s energy spiked - it just didn't work its way into the products being produced. Not good if you need a union for protecting your wage - many times it works into a lose all scenario.Unions know this and are making concessions slow but steady. Bob

To: Amy J who wrote (182733)	11/22/2005 11:19:28 AM
From: brushwud	Respond to of 186894

GM needs to shift more things overseas - away from the USA laws that are making it less competitive globally than its peers. Does Toyota have a $5B annual health care bill and $98B in benefit liabilities? Does Toyota have an average hourly worker age equal to 49 years old? (Meanwhile, a CA Toyota plant has an average age of ~35 years old.) You seem to be saying that GM could reduce its health care expense by firing workers with an average age of 49 and replacing them with younger ones. Your company already has an anti-baby-boomer policy in place and has been able to avoid this problem.

To: Amy J who wrote (182733)	11/22/2005 7:04:24 PM
From: Lizzie Tudor	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 186894

away from the USA laws that are making it less competitive globally than its peers. Is it really the laws of the US? GMs biggest problem is health care costs. All US companies were forced to provide healthcare I would agree with you but as we all know, the taxpayer foots the bill for our healthcare system for many large companies in the US. I doubt the developed Asian countries are so lenient, personally. There is no poorer healthcare system than the US.