Labor cost for domestic transplants (Toyota, Honda) is approximately the same as at GM/F. What the GOP is actually asking for - without using the correct language, of course - is drastic reduction in autoworker retiree support.
The GOP wants the UAW and GM executives not to rape the taxpayers who are paying for the bailout. GM's average hourly wage was $73 an hour. Toyota's was $48. GM was spending nearly $1,600 in healthcare costs for every car sold, compared to $201 for Toyota. GM paid their CEO $15.7M in 2007, raising his salary by 64% as the company suffered a net loss of $39B that same year. Toyota paid their CEO $903K in 2007, while net profit increased to $13.67B that same year.
I've been in enough Union meetings to know that the UAW is preparing a last stand. A war! There is no point in having a Union if the pay and bennies are the same as non-union workers. They won't go away easily!
Knowing the UAW they'll still be picketing at the gates even after the (not so) big three have gone under and closed their doors. Kinda like a tree falling in a forest, when no one is around to hear it.
Why aren't all cars made in poor countries around the world? There are people in some places that would work for $2/day with no pension or benefits.
This is not over yet. Regardless what happens from this point on there is one thing we all know for sure. The losers in the long run will be all the "foreign fucks" car makers. BUY AMERICAN will be the mantra and we will get our shit together and the foreign fucks will be the losers. We will do to "FF" carmakers what the women did to fur coats. hahahahahahaahah PS: i will start the ball rolling by dumping my "KRAUT CAR" http://www.netlegion.com/sdrozdet/2006/12/take-that-kraut-car.html